In martial law conditions, the state's food security is critical. Therefore, it is essential to ensure the stability of companies involved in this field to create conditions for their continuous activity and development. It is for this purpose that the international cooperation program "EU4Business: Competitiveness and Internationalization of SMEs" and the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School [kmbs], funded by the European Union and the German government, are initiating a joint project that involves 80 hours of work by specially selected consultants in the interests of participating companies. Consultations are entirely free of charge for 35 companies that will be chosen.

Requirements for participants:

1. The company must be involved in the agricultural product supply chain, namely:

• Suppliers (raw materials, seeds, plant protection products, etc.).
• Manufacturers, suppliers of equipment for the food industry, etc.
• Agricultural producers (crops, livestock, etc.).
• Processors of agricultural products, food industry.
• Distributors (wholesale trade in agricultural products and food products).
• Retail trade of food products.

2. Have the number of employees from 11 to 50.

3. Be registered in the most affected regions in the non-occupied territories no later than November 2021 (Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhya, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kyiv regions).

4. To have the ability for rapid development, the rapid expansion of production, and the provision of services that contribute to the normalization of the local economy and food security.

5. Only one application may be submitted from one enterprise (affiliated companies may not submit applications).

Purpose of consultations:

• Identify the external and internal causes of disruption of the continuity and stability of your enterprise in the current conditions.
• Identify and develop new measures to ensure the continuity of activities in the current conditions (diagnosis and reconfiguration of the business model - including the financial, organizational, partnership, and management models).
• Develop critical approaches to the further development of SMEs (strategies of digitization, internationalization, marketing and sales, and organizational development).
• Achieve awareness of the sources and risks for the sustainability of the leader, the team, and the company.
• Realize and structure the understanding of the potential and development area of the initiator/initiator of the consulting project request and their SME.

How to join the project:

• Get a link to the self-assessment questionnaire here.
• Send the completed form of the self-assessment questionnaire (by February 22, 2023, 22:00 Kyiv time).
• Pass an independent selection (results will be notified by April 1, 2023).
• Receive consultations (until August 2023).

If you have any questions, contact e-mail: olena.yehorova@kmbs.ua or call +380 50 191 40 30.

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The project is supported by the international cooperation program "EU4Business: competitiveness and internationalization of SMEs", which is jointly financed by the European Union and the German government and implemented by the German federal company Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The program's purpose is to create better conditions for the development of Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to support innovation, and stimulate exports, which is the way to sustainable and uniform economic growth.

EU4Business is an initiative of the European Union that helps small and medium-sized enterprises in the Eastern Partnership countries. More details: www.eu4business.org.ua

The executor of the project is Kyiv-Mohyla Business School [kmbs]. The content of the consultations within the project is the sole responsibility of kmbs and does not necessarily reflect the position of the European Union, the German government, or GIZ.