On October 28, the 6th All-Ukrainian Sports Marketing Conference, SBC Summit Ukraine 2026 Lviv, will take place. For the first time, the event is moving outside the capital, reaffirming its status as the premier sports marketing event of the year, relevant to the entire country. Barvy Event Hall will host over 600 participants and more than 40 speakers, who will take the stage on two platforms.
SBC Summit Ukraine is the flagship conference of the Sport&Business Club community, held twice a year, and in 2024 it serves as the primary platform for dialogue between sports, business, and media in Ukraine. The event brings together key industry players—representatives of sports clubs, leagues, and federations, as well as media and business entities involved in sports. The conference program will cover the industry’s most pressing topics—from brand strategies and sponsorship to sports development, digital communications, and media in wartime conditions.
Among the speakers already announced are:
You can purchase tickets for SBC Summit Ukraine 2026 Lviv via this link: WayForPay. A SPORT-category ticket includes conference attendance and networking with industry professionals, access to the Sport&Business Club community, a participant’s kit, and a photo/video recap of the conference.
The BUSINESS ticket category additionally includes access to the business lounge and speakers’ area, exclusive networking with key representatives from sports, business, and media, a hospitality area provided by partners, priority entry to the event via the fast line, seats in rows 1–4 of the auditorium, access to speakers’ presentations, a video recording of the event, and a free, guaranteed parking space.
Open4Business is the information partner of the 6th All-Ukrainian Conference.
The newly adopted law (No. 16051-1) abolishing the value-added tax exemption for international postal shipments valued at up to EUR150 will negatively impact the operations of Ukrainian retailers, importers, and manufacturers, according to Volodymyr Poperechnyuk, co-founder of Ukraine’s largest postal and logistics operator, Nova Poshta.
“People won’t stop importing; they’ll just spend more money. Among other things, they’ll spend money on import brokerage services, which ‘Nova Poshta’ will provide. But there will be less money for retail,” Poperesnyuk said during the event “Business and New Challenges: Dialogues with NV” in Kyiv on Friday.
In his view, there is virtually no alternative to imports, since 99% of goods are produced globally, while Ukraine accounts for only 0.2% of the world’s population.
On Facebook, Poperechnyuk emphasized that instead of raising taxes, Ukraine needs to lower them, as well as pursue deregulation and privatization.
“Our defense capability, development, and true independence directly depend on the business environment,” Poperechnyuk noted.
As previously reported, on October 15, on its third attempt, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the second reading and as a whole Bill No. 16051-1 on amendments to the Tax Code regarding VAT on e-commerce transactions, which repeals the tax exemption for international postal shipments valued at up to EUR150.
The implementation of the law’s provisions, in conjunction with amendments to the Customs Code (Bill No. 15460) is a condition for Ukraine to receive the next tranche under the program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of approximately $0.7 billion and the second tranche of macro-financial assistance from the European Union of EUR3.7 billion as part of the EUR90 billion Loan to Support Ukraine. Under the updated memorandum with the IMF, Ukraine was required to adopt this law by July 2026, and under the initial version—by the end of March, along with other tax regulations—but this structural milestone was not met.
The law provides for the introduction of special VAT rules for distance sales of goods (excluding excise goods) imported via international postal and express shipments to individuals, valued at up to EUR150, where e-commerce platforms or their intermediaries are designated as responsible for calculating and paying the tax.
At the same time, the VAT exemption remains in place for small, non-commercial shipments valued at up to EUR45 sent from individuals to individuals free of charge, as well as for goods in unaccompanied baggage valued at up to EUR150 and goods for security and defense (energy equipment and goods for the defense forces).
Prior to the first reading, during the presentation of the bill, Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko noted that the implementation of these provisions would generate approximately 10 billion UAH in additional revenue for the state budget annually.
On October 15, 2026, the Ukrainian Energy Exchange (UEEX) held its first exchange auction for the sale of domestically produced natural gas for export, the exchange reported on its website.
“Ukrainian gas producers offered four lots totaling 135,706 MWh of natural gas, with delivery dates (gas days) ranging from October 26 to December 31, 2026,” the statement said.
As a result of the auction, 100% of the offered volume of natural gas was sold at a weighted average price of 69.01 EUR/MWh, excluding VAT.
Under the established mechanism, from March 1 to November 30, gas producers may sell up to 15% of the natural gas volume they delivered at entry points to Ukraine’s gas transmission system during the previous month for export purposes on a monthly basis.
Only non-resident companies may act as buyers at these specialized trading sessions.
As previously reported, in order to preserve domestic gas production and prevent its decline due to excess reserves, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a decision on the temporary, controlled export of Ukrainian gas during the period from March 1 to November 30.
Under the decision, private gas production companies were granted the right to export up to 15% of their own monthly production. Proceeds from exports will be used to protect gas production enterprises from Russian attacks and to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
As explained by the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, given the current gas balance projections for 2026–2027, the implementation of this decision will not affect the ability to meet domestic market demand during the fall and winter months.
Currently, Ukraine’s underground storage facilities hold nearly 15.8 billion cubic meters of gas, which is 2.6 billion cubic meters above the minimum level and 1.2 billion cubic meters above the target forecast for natural gas.
Exports will take place from March 1 to November 30 of each calendar year. Natural gas exports will not take place from December 1 through February 28.
The decision also provides for mechanisms to promptly suspend exports in the event of a threat of a natural gas shortage or a crisis situation in the domestic market.
Maksym Urakin, Deputy Director of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency and founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center, has joined the jury of the national SBC Ukraine Awards 2026, dedicated to achievements in sports marketing, communications and the sports business.
As reported by the industry publication SportBusiness.Media on October 15, 2026, the organizers of the awards, Sport&Business Club, announced the names of another 16 experts in sports, business, marketing and media who will evaluate the competition projects.
In total, approximately 150 representatives of the sports industry, entrepreneurship, advertising market, mass media and communications are expected to be involved in the jury of the SBC Ukraine Awards 2026. They will determine the winners in 23 categories.
Among the new jury members, in addition to Maksym Urakin, are Ihor Hryshchenko, Secretary General of the Ukrainian Association of Football; Denys Boyko, former goalkeeper of the Ukrainian national football team; Dmytro Stryzhov, founder and member of the Supervisory Board of the SHERIFF holding company; Pavlo Shylko, General Producer of the YUNA Music Awards; and Anton Lohonovych, Executive Director of SITKOD LLC (BETON).
The jury also includes sports marketer and television presenter Oleksandr Androsov, entrepreneur Stanislav Arutiunian, Dobroznak founder Oleksandr Buzov, SportArena journalist Mykyta Dmytrulin, Linecore web studio founder Maksym Kachan, television presenter Oleksandr Popov and Idealers agency Creative Director Oleh Svyshch.
The panel of experts was supplemented by professor and media expert Diana Faivishenko, OPTIMA University professor Tetiana Kharchuk and DTEK Academy Head of Business Development and Partnerships Tetiana Sherman.
Maksym Urakin holds the academic degree of Candidate of Economic Sciences and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in History. He is the founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center, which specializes in economic research, analysis of international markets, demographic processes and socio-political trends.
The involvement of representatives of the media, economic analysis and business in evaluating sports projects reflects the cross-sectoral nature of the awards. Modern sports marketing encompasses not only the promotion of sports clubs and competitions but also the development of commercial partnerships, attraction of sponsorship investments, digital communications and social initiatives.
As part of the SBC Ukraine Awards 2026, the best sports projects and events, managers, athletes, journalists, bloggers, advertising and PR campaigns, creative solutions, digital platforms, as well as social and charitable initiatives, are to be recognized.
Projects implemented between December 1, 2025, and November 25, 2026, are eligible to participate in the competition. There is no limit on the number of categories for which one participant may apply; however, an individual project may be submitted in a maximum of two categories.
The SBC Ukraine Awards 2026 winners’ announcement ceremony is scheduled for December 2026. The organizers expect more than 400 guests, including athletes, heads of sports federations and clubs, company owners, top managers, marketers and media representatives.
The SBC Ukraine Awards is an industry award in the field of sports marketing organized by Sport&Business Club. Its purpose is to recognize projects and professionals who contribute to the development of Ukraine’s sports industry, the commercialization of sports products, improving the effectiveness of marketing communications and cooperation between sports and business.
Source: SportBusiness.Media, publication dated October 15, 2026.
The most expensive newly built homes among the European markets surveyed are located in Luxembourg, the Czech Republic and Germany, while the cheapest are in Turkey, Serbia and Albania. At the same time, in a number of cities in Central and Southeastern Europe, purchasing housing requires more than 15 average annual salaries, according to the findings of the Deloitte Property Index 2026 study.
As the international consulting company Deloitte reported on October 13, 2026, its 15th annual study covered 25 countries and 71 cities. The indicators are based on data for 2025 and include prices of newly built residential properties, apartment purchase affordability, rental rates, residential construction and mortgage lending.
According to Deloitte, the average price per square meter of new housing in Luxembourg reached €9,160, compared with €5,412 in the Czech Republic, €5,200 in Germany, €5,199 in Austria and €5,186 in the Netherlands.
By contrast, the average price of new housing in Turkey was €864 per sq. m, compared with €1,706 in Serbia, €1,720 in Albania, €1,917 in Romania and €1,931 in Greece.
Thus, the difference between the most expensive and cheapest national markets among the countries surveyed exceeded tenfold.
Ranking of countries with the highest average prices for new housing in 2025:
Luxembourg — €9,160 per sq. m.
Czech Republic — €5,412.
Germany — €5,200.
Austria — €5,199.
Netherlands — €5,186.
Five countries with the lowest prices:
Turkey — €864 per sq. m.
Serbia — €1,706.
Albania — €1,720.
Romania — €1,917.
Greece — €1,931.
At the same time, a low absolute price per square meter does not always mean high housing affordability for the local population, since the determining factor is the ratio between property prices and household incomes.
The least affordable among the cities surveyed was the Albanian city of Vlorë, where purchasing a standard new apartment measuring 70 sq. m requires 21.3 average gross annual salaries. In Prague, this figure was 16.9 annual salaries, in Athens — 16, and in Slovakia’s Košice and the Czech city of Brno — 15 each.
Cities with low housing affordability also included Bratislava, where purchasing a standard apartment requires 13.7 annual salaries, and Banská Bystrica, with a figure of 13.4.
At the opposite end was the Italian city of Turin, where purchasing a new 70 sq. m home requires 4.7 average annual salaries. In Norway’s Bergen and Denmark’s Odense, the figure was 4.9 salaries each.
Overall, the number of European cities surveyed where purchasing a standard apartment requires more than ten annual salaries increased from 11 to 19.
Separately, Deloitte analyzed the largest urban markets in terms of the absolute cost of new housing. Munich was the most expensive, with an average price of €11,200 per sq. m. It was followed by Luxembourg City at €10,567, Amsterdam at €8,650 and Barcelona at €8,037.
The cheapest new homes among the major cities surveyed were offered in Turkey: the average price was €870 per sq. m in Ankara, €1,155 in Izmir and €1,339 in Istanbul.
In 2025, increases in average new housing prices were recorded in 19 of the 22 countries for which Deloitte had comparable nationwide data. The highest rates of price growth were observed in Romania (+14.4%), Croatia (+14.3%), Slovakia (+12.5%) and Hungary (+10.9%).
By contrast, according to the study, average prices in euros decreased by 9% in Turkey and 2.5% in Serbia. At the same time, individual urban markets showed the opposite trend. In particular, new housing prices rose by 20% in Belgrade and by approximately 24% in the Albanian city of Durrës.
Luxembourg became the most expensive rental housing market, with an average monthly rate of €45.4 per sq. m. In Paris, rent amounted to €31.2 per sq. m, in Barcelona — €30.9, Dublin — €30.8 and Oslo — €28.9.
Significant differences in the cost of mortgage lending also persist across European countries. Deloitte recorded the highest average rates in Hungary at 9.08%, Poland at 6.91%, Romania at 5.86% and Norway at 5.44%. The lowest figures were in Bulgaria and Finland at 2.77% each, Turkey at 2.84%, Croatia at 2.90% and Spain at 2.94%.
The average mortgage rate in the countries surveyed fell by 0.38 percentage points to 4.09%.
Turkey led in the number of completed residential units, with nearly 674,000 housing units put into operation in 2025. The corresponding figure was 379,000 in France, 209,000 in Poland and 207,000 in Germany.
Ukraine is not represented in the Deloitte Property Index 2026 ranking, so its average price per square meter cannot be directly compared with the figures for other countries within the framework of this study.
At the same time, according to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the housing price index in the primary market increased by 13% in 2025, while in the secondary market it rose by 13.4%. These indicators reflect changes in prices in Ukrainian hryvnias rather than the average price per square meter in euros, and therefore are not part of the Deloitte ranking.
Additionally, in May 2026, the State Statistics Service updated its methodology for calculating housing price indices in accordance with European statistical standards.
Deloitte analysts note that the main problem facing the European market remains the mismatch between rising housing prices and household incomes. The situation is aggravated by the limited supply of new homes, high construction costs, lengthy permit procedures and the cost of mortgage financing.
The Deloitte Property Index is an annual international study of residential real estate markets that the company has conducted for 15 years. It is used to compare housing prices and affordability, residential construction, rental markets and mortgage lending across European countries.
Sources: Deloitte Property Index 2026 — official study, Deloitte, press release dated October 12, 2026, State Statistics Service of Ukraine — housing price statistics.
Ukrainian companies from the grain processing and food industries showcased their products at the SIAL Paris 2026 international trade show, which opened on October 17 in France and will run through October 21. The “Flour Millers of Ukraine” Association is participating in the exhibition as part of the collective Ukrainian pavilion, showcasing the production capabilities and export potential of the domestic grain processing industry.
As reported by the Ukrainian Flour Millers Association on social media, the participation of Ukrainian producers is organized with the support of the Swiss Import Promotion Program (SIPPO), initiated by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) as part of cooperation in the field of economic development.
Among the Ukrainian companies and brands represented by the Association at the exhibition were “Ukrprominvest-Agro,” YEDNIST’ GROUP, the Khmelnytskyi Pasta Factory (Ukrpasta), ALVIVA GROUP, the “Rumyanets” brand, Ekor.ua, “Zakhidny Bug,” and The Miller (Ukrainian Stone Mills).
Participants will showcase the capabilities of the Ukrainian food industry in the production of flour, pasta, grains, baked goods, and other grain-processing products.
The main goal of participating in SIAL Paris 2026 is to establish direct contacts with international importers, distributors, and retail chains; promote Ukrainian products on the global market; find new partners; and expand export markets.
For Ukrainian grain processing enterprises, participation in international trade shows is particularly important given the need to diversify foreign markets and increase exports of value-added products. Unlike the export of grain as a raw material, the supply of flour, cereals, pasta, and prepared food products allows the majority of the value added from processing to remain in Ukraine.
Ukrainian producers also have the opportunity to learn about new technologies in the food industry, modern packaging solutions, international requirements for product quality and safety, and trends in consumer demand.
According to data from the Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine, released on October 15, 2026, the Ukrainian food industry is represented at SIAL Paris by 107 participants—exporting companies—as well as 15 business support organizations.
In total, Ukraine is represented by seven collective booths and 28 individual exhibits. Most Ukrainian producers operate in the segments of grocery products, confectionery, cookies, baked goods, and dairy products.
The “Flour Millers of Ukraine” Association is participating in the collective booth of Ukrainian business support organizations in Pavilion 1, Booth A128. It is organized by the Office for Entrepreneurship and Export Development and the national project “Diya.Business” with support from SIPPO.
SIAL Paris is one of the largest international food and beverage exhibitions, held every two years at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition complex. In 2026, approximately 8,000 exhibitors from 130 countries are expected to participate, and the number of trade visitors could reach 285,000.
The exhibition brings together food producers, international retail chains, importers, distributors, representatives of the restaurant industry, and investors. For Ukrainian companies, it serves as a platform for entering new markets and developing international commercial partnerships.
The “Flour Millers of Ukraine” Association is an industry association of Ukrainian producers of flour, grains, bread, confectionery and pasta products, grain snacks, cereals, and dry breakfast foods. The organization represents the interests of enterprises in the grain processing sector, promotes the development of production cooperation, the adoption of modern technologies, the improvement of product quality, and the expansion of exports. One of its key areas of activity is establishing international partnerships, participating in industry-specific exhibitions, and promoting Ukrainian grain processing products in foreign markets.
