Kyiv, 4 December 2018 – United Nations Development Programme in Ukraine (UNDP) and the Ukrainian business news website delo.ua launch an online vote for the best video about Ukrainian entrepreneurs. You can support your favourite video at bigstories.delo.ua. The director of the best video will receive a prize of UAH 7,000 (USD 250).

The online vote is the part of “Big Stories of Small Businesses” social motivation campaign run by UNDP and Molodiya Social Advertisement Festival.

The purpose of the campaign is to inspire the Ukrainian people to create their own business, by telling the stories of the people who, despite the difficulties, were able to create their own businesses, create jobs, and develop their communities. The project is supported by the governments of Poland and Japan.

The directors of the videos about the entrepreneurs are themselves talented, promising, socially active Ukrainians, who personally visited seven businesses in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and filmed the stories of how businesses in the conflict zone in the east of Ukraine work.

Among the participants in this year’s competition are:

·       “Aeromeh”, an innovative enterprise producing grain-cleaning equipment, Kreminna, Luhansk Oblast

·       NVP “Kramtektsentr”, an engineering plant, Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast

·       Rubizhne Hosiery Manufactory, Rubizhne, Luhansk Oblast

·       Spetsentent, company specializing at the production of tents, tarpaulin covers and vinyl windows, Severodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast

·       DonbasKeramika, exporter of kaolin and clay to Turkey, Spain, Italy and Egypt, Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast

·       NPP Water Treatment Technologies, Severodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast

Background information:

Since 2015, UNDP in Ukraine, with the support of its international partners, has been providing grants for people to start and develop their own businesses, mainly in the east of Ukraine. Over this time, about 650 businesses have gained support and over 3,200 jobs have been created in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, and in other Ukrainian regions affected by the conflict.

Media inquiries:

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Communications Specialist, yuliia.samus@undp.org, +38 097 139 14 75