From mushrooms to metal for defense: to whom Odesa can give millions for business development

In Odesa, a tender committee reviewed applications from entrepreneurs seeking multimillion-dollar financial support from the city budget. The applicants include a mushroom producer, a glass manufacturer, and a company working for the defense industry.

The decision on business financing in Odesa was considered at a meeting of the tender committee for the competitive selection of small and medium-sized enterprises.

A meeting of the tender committee for the selection of applicants for financial support for micro, small and medium-sized businesses was held in Odesa. The program is an interest-free repayable loan of up to UAH 3 million for up to two years.

Under the terms of the program, entrepreneurs must provide at least 50% co-financing with their own funds. Another requirement is a bank guarantee to cover the risk of non-repayment.

Applications were accepted from March 27 to May 27, 2026. During this time, the Department of Economic Development received three complete packages of documents. The total amount of requests exceeded UAH 8.5 million, while the community budget currently provides UAH 2 million for the program with a potential for increased funding.

The first application was submitted by an entrepreneur who grows mushrooms. His project involves the modernization of production: the purchase of ventilation and air conditioning systems, temperature and humidity sensors, and the installation of automated irrigation for mushroom growing chambers.

The total cost of the business plan is UAH 6.5 million. The entrepreneur's own contribution is more than UAH 3.1 million, and he received another UAH 350 thousand under the government program"Own Business". The businessman asked for UAH 3 million from the city.

The second applicant was Yugtekhnika, a company that has been operating in Odesa for more than 20 years in the field of glass production and processing. The company plans to purchase equipment to improve production processes and working conditions.

The cost of the project exceeds UAH 5 million. The company is ready to finance half of the costs at its own expense, and is requesting about UAH 2.5 million from the program. According to company representatives, the new equipment should not only increase production volumes but also help adapt work processes to employ women in the face of staff shortages.

The third participant in the competitive selection was Armada Industry LLC, registered in Odesa in 2025. The company is engaged in laser metal cutting, laser welding, and powder coating.

The company's business plan is to scale up production for the defense industry. It involves the production of components for electronics and the development of local production of high-tech components.

The project is estimated at more than UAH 6 million, of which the company is ready to cover half on its own and another UAH 3 million is requested from the city program.

The final decisions on the allocation of financial support will be made by the competition committee after the business plans are evaluated and all necessary guarantee documents are verified.

The discussion, which lasted more than two hours, covered a much wider range of candidates, their professional qualifications, work experience, vision of the development of the areas and answers to questions from the commission members.

Odesa is also planning to update the city's program for improving economic competitiveness for 2022-2028, taking into account the conditions of martial law and the work of the military administration. The changes include funding for business support, investment projects, and the restoration of the city's economic activity.

The total amount of funding for the program is over UAH 226 million, of which the bulk is from the city budget.

Анна Бальчінос