Assistance by Non-Governmental Organizations to Support Business Participation of Entrepreneurial Entities in International Development Programs and Projects
Authors:   Lutsk National Technical University, Smolych Dariia V. 
Published: February 2025

The article is aimed at studying the role and tasks of non-governmental organizations supporting business in the context of intensifying the participation of entrepreneurial entities in Ukraine in international development programs and projects. International donors were considered, in particular the European Union, UNDP, USAID, GIZ, HELVETAS, current grant programs and projects available to Ukrainian entrepreneurs, and opportunities for participation, namely the «EU4Business: Competitiveness and Internationalization of SMEs» Program, the UkraineReady4EU Project, the «Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs» Program, the «Inclusive Development, Recovery and Peacebuilding» Program, the «Investment for Business Resilience» Project, the «Energy Resilience Support for Micro and Small Enterprises of Ukraine» Program. The multi-aspectual role of international organizations and agencies in the development of entrepreneurial activity, which is not limited to financial support, but covers capacity building, policy protection and promotion of innovation, is revealed. Through grants, technical assistance, and co-financing mechanisms, such organizations provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to implement projects that might otherwise remain unrealized due to limited resources. The priorities of donors in supporting entrepreneurial entities are analyzed, namely: focus on vulnerable groups, segments, territories; assistance in expanding export and trade activities, in particular with EU countries; development of services and infrastructure; human capital development; strengthening energy resilience and energy independence of entrepreneurship; support for systemic changes in the economy of Ukraine. The problems of insufficiently active participation of domestic entrepreneurial entities in international grant programs are disputed, because of the appropriate level of information awareness of such opportunities, lack of skills in writing grant applications, and to a certain extent distrust of business both in the State and in foreign institutions, counter-parties in the context of receiving non-refundable financial assistance. The importance of building an efficient strategic partnership between entrepreneurs and development agencies, which is the basis for successful cooperation, is determined. The role of non-governmental business support organizations in promoting the participation of entrepreneurial entities in international grant programs is substantiated and instruments for intensifying such participation are identified as follows: strengthening informing entrepreneurial entities about grant opportunities (posting information on the website, social media pages, indicating links to partners – donor organizations); assistance in finding programs, preparing grant applications, facilitating the adaptation of ideas to donor projects; training and advising entrepreneurs on practical aspects of participating in projects; organization of events for business with the involvement of donors, where entrepreneurs can receive information about trends, opportunities, where to go, where to get the necessary advice, how to expand contacts to build partnerships. Furthermore, it is at such events that non-governmental business support organizations and entrepreneurial entities can actualize the needs of business in areas of support for donors.