WOMEN IN Business 2026 by UKRSIBBANK: grants of up to UAH 200,000 for women entrepreneurs and leaders of small and medium businesses in Ukraine, apply by 8 November

UKRSIBBANK BNP Paribas Group has announced the WOMEN IN Business 2026 grant initiative to support female entrepreneurship across Ukraine. The initiative is designed to assist female business owners and managers in launching, restoring, or scaling their enterprises amidst ongoing economic challenges.

The total prize fund will be awarded to three winners. The main grant recipient will receive UAH 200,000, while the second and third place winners will each receive UAH 150,000. All applications must be submitted by 8 November 2026.

What is funded

The grant funding is intended to support the launch, recovery, or commercial development of small and medium enterprises led by women. Funds are geared toward business activities that directly foster revenue growth, market scaling, and operational improvements.

Projects are evaluated based on their ability to utilize funds logically to boost sales, enter new markets, or optimize internal processes. Furthermore, activities that generate community impact, such as retaining or creating employment and supporting vulnerable groups, are prioritized.

Who can apply

Eligible applicants include female individual entrepreneurs (sole proprietors) as well as women who own or manage officially registered small and medium-sized enterprises in Ukraine. All applicant entities must operate in full compliance with Ukrainian legislation.

The competition excludes businesses located in temporarily occupied territories, companies with direct links to Russia or Belarus, entities subject to sanctions, and those with outstanding tax liabilities. Furthermore, organizations operating in weapons, alcohol, tobacco, financial services, or pawnshop industries are strictly ineligible.

Conditions and requirements

Projects will undergo competitive evaluation by a jury based on six key criteria totaling 100 points. These include clarity and uniqueness of the idea (20 points), feasibility and scalability (10 points), marketing strategy (20 points), financial rationale (20 points), social impact and job creation (20 points), and overall presentation quality (10 points).

The top ten finalists will be determined between 10 November and 30 November. These finalists will participate in an online pitching session on 1 December to present their initiatives to the jury, followed by an official award ceremony on 9 December.

How to apply

To enter the competition, applicants must submit an application package via email by 8 November. The submission package must include a completed questionnaire and a business project presentation in PPT or PDF format containing a maximum of 20 slides.

Practical tip. Ensure that your presentation file size stays well within the strict 15 MB limit and explicitly outlines the connection between proposed expenses and projected sales growth, as financial feasibility and clear idea formulation account for 40% of the overall evaluation score.

Participants are also offered optional preparatory workshops, including business plan writing guidance and pitching techniques, to help refine their project proposals prior to evaluation.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: ukrsibbank.com.