How can Ukrainian companies find their place in the 3D landscape of European financing?
Vast financial opportunities are now available to Ukrainian businesses through the European Union. Under just two key programs Horizon Europe and LIFE more than €100 billion in funding is accessible. But how can companies develop an effective financing strategy and successfully secure these funds?
These questions were addressed during the event “Financial Opportunities for Business Support Organizations”, held on May 29, marking the final session of the program “Doing Business in the EU: A Month of Empowering Business Support Organizations.”
The online workshop was led by Anna Brzjakova, Partner at Civitta and an expert with over 20 years of experience in securing EU funding, driving SME digital transformation, and developing innovation ecosystems.
According to Brzjakova, one of the first crucial steps for Ukrainian companies is to understand their role within the EU funding ecosystem:
“For innovative SMEs, the EU financing environment is three-dimensional. If you offer an innovative technology or service, you are not just a potential beneficiary of funding, you can also participate as a consortium partner or as a supplier providing your product or solution to an EU-funded organization,” the expert explained.
Another crucial factor is understanding your Technology Readiness Level (TRL), a key determinant for selecting the right funding instruments. TRLs range from 1 (basic research) to 9 (market-ready solutions), and each stage aligns with specific EU programs and financial tools. Understanding your current TRL allows for a more accurate choice of financial instrument and funding size:
- Small grants (up to €100,000): for early prototypes and fast pilot projects.
- Medium grants (€500,000 – €1M): for R&D collaborations and consortium-based projects.
- Large grants (€5M+): for systemic transformations and leading large-scale initiatives.
For startups and small innovative enterprises, a practical solution can be cascade funding, a mechanism enabling companies to receive smaller, fast-track grants through participation in larger EU projects. This significantly simplifies access to funding, reduces administrative burdens, and speeds up decision-making.
Anna Brzjakova emphasizes the importance of strategic, long-term planning. Every company should have a financing roadmap, a strategy that aligns your business development plans with relevant EU funding opportunities, taking into account TRLs, grant sizes, and timelines.
An effective financing strategy should:
- Be tailored to the company’s innovation journey;
- Combine national and EU-level funding opportunities;
- Balance quick wins (small, fast grants) with large-scale, transformative projects.
“Securing a single grant is not enough. Financing should be viewed as a growth instrument. When aligned with your broader strategy, it can boost your competitiveness, accelerate scaling, and enable entry into new markets. It’s not just money, it’s a springboard for innovation and expansion,” Brzjakova noted.
All workshop materials including useful resources, active links to EU funding programs, and access to European data spaces are available in the presentation “Financial Opportunities for Business Support Organizations” (in Ukrainian).
The program “Doing Business in the EU: A Month of Empowering Business Support Organizations” is part of the EU4Business: SME Policies and Institutions Support (SMEPIS) project, implemented by Ecorys in consortium with GIZ Ukraine, the Better Regulation Delivery Office (BRDO), and Civitta, with financial support from the European Union. Information partners: the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and NGO EasyBusiness.