Cash assistance from the Czech Republic for Ukrainians: who and how can receive up to 5 thousand dollars

The war forced millions of Ukrainians to leave their homes, lose their jobs, businesses and stable income. They became refugees in Europe, in particular in the Czech Republic. But over time, some of them decided to return home — despite the risks and difficulties of life in the frontline regions. People are returning to the Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv regions, where the situation remains unstable and earning opportunities are extremely limited. It is for such Ukrainians who were forced to leave the country, and now return and are looking for ways to rebuild their lives, start their own business or acquire a new profession, that the Czech humanitarian organization “Man in Need” launched a financial support program.

Financial support program for Ukrainians

The Czech Republic has opened a new financial support program for Ukrainians — you can apply for a cash grant until March 31, 2025. About this reported the press service of the humanitarian organization “Man in Trouble”. The program is aimed at supporting entrepreneurship and economic independence among citizens of Ukraine who found themselves in a difficult life situation due to the war.

Within the scope of the project, three levels of financial assistance are provided, the amount of which depends on the category of the applicant and the purposes of using the grant:

— Up to $2,000 can be received by people with limited economic opportunities for training or retraining. This will give a chance to learn a new profession or improve the qualifications of those who lost their jobs due to the war.

— Up to $4,000 is provided for people who plan to start their own business or restore a small business in their community, but do not have sufficient financial resources to start.

— Up to $5,000 is given to already operating micro and small enterprises that create jobs for the most vulnerable categories of the population — displaced people, people with disabilities, the elderly, or participants in hostilities.

The program operates only in three regions of Ukraine — Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions. These regions were chosen because of the high concentration of communities affected by hostilities and the large number of internally displaced persons.

The program provides an opportunity for selected participants to undergo free training at specially organized trainings. Their goal is to help participants deepen their knowledge and develop practical skills in the field of accounting, financial literacy, organization of business activities, and also receive advice on private business registration procedures.

Within the scope of grant support, participants will be able to cover the following expenses:

• restoration of material assets necessary for work;
• payment of wages to new employees (in the amount of up to 30% of the total amount of the grant);
• payment of rent for industrial or office premises;
• repair work and arrangement of workplaces;
• purchase of equipment and tools;
• purchase of raw materials for production needs (up to 30% of the total amount of the grant);
• organization of staff training;
• marketing and advertising expenses;
• payment of legal and consulting services;
• other expenses that are directly related to the implementation of the business plan submitted to the competition.

List of costs that are prohibited to be covered by the grant

At the same time, there is a list of expenses that cannot be covered by the grant. In particular:

• acquisition of land plots and real estate;
• purchase of alcohol, tobacco products;
• debt repayment;
• expenses for foreign business trips;
• payment of taxes;
• purchase of agricultural goods such as livestock or seeds;
• purchase of a motor vehicle or self-propelled means of transportation;
• purchase of medical drugs;
• purchase of fertilizers or pesticides;
• purchase of military equipment or items that can be used for military purposes;
• costs of video surveillance equipment;
• financing services related to abortion;
• purchase of luxury items;
• financing of gambling games and gaming equipment;
• purchase of means or services to influence the weather.

To participate in the competition, you must fill out a full grant application and comply with all conditions.

How the winners will be selected

The selection of winners will take place in two stages. The first stage is a technical check of compliance of the application and documents with the terms of the program. During this stage, the following will be evaluated:

• completeness of the submitted application;
• availability of plans for official registration of business activity;
• economic vulnerability of the candidate;
• compliance with the business territory;
• understanding that the implementation period of the grant project is up to 6 months;
• the activity of the enterprise corresponds to the specified directions;
• openness to cooperation and reliability of the information provided;
• lack of previous financial support from the “Man in Need” organization.

The second stage is a thorough evaluation of the content of applications according to a number of criteria:

• relevance and feasibility of the proposed business idea, a detailed plan for the use of funds;
• analysis of the financial part — the realism of costs and the professionalism of financial management;
• assessment of existing risks, strengths and weaknesses of the business;
• quality and effectiveness of advertising and marketing strategy;
• potential positive impact of the business on the community;
• the focus of the project on social services — assistance to the elderly, people with disabilities, educational and psychological initiatives;
• membership of the owner or employees of the business to vulnerable social groups;
• preference will be given to those participants who did not receive similar grant assistance in the last year.

A mandatory condition for participation is co-financing of the project — at least 20% of the grant amount.

Within this direction, the following expenses are subject to financing:

• acquisition or adaptation of specialized equipment for the needs of vulnerable workers;
• renovation works aimed at creating a safe and inclusive working environment;
• professional training of vulnerable categories of employees and personnel;
• other costs aimed at improving the working conditions of socially vulnerable workers.

Expenses for purposes not provided for by the terms of the grant program will not be covered (the list of such expenses completely coincides with the general list of ineligible expenses for the main direction of grant assistance).

The program also provides for the organization of advocacy events, information campaigns, holding round tables and special trainings dedicated to inclusion and creating equal opportunities in the labor market.

Enterprises that did not receive grant support from other organizations or the state during the last year will have a special advantage.

How to apply

To become a participant in the program and receive a grant, you must fill out an online application by March 31, 2025.

The organizers emphasize that during the selection, priority will be given to vulnerable categories of the population, including:
— persons with disabilities;
— internally displaced persons;
— single mothers, fathers and guardians;
— people of pre-retirement age (from 50 to 60 years old);
— representatives of ethnic minorities;
— participants in hostilities.

This decision is aimed at supporting those who are most in need of help and have the least chance of starting a business or acquiring a new profession on their own.

Contacts for consultations and application submission:
Email: hotline.ukr@peopleinneed.net
Hotline phone number: 0 800 210 174

The organization urges all interested persons not to delay submitting an application, because the project can be a real chance to start a new life in the extremely difficult conditions of war. With the right approach, the grant will not only allow you to receive financial support, but also to gain new knowledge and open your own business, which will help provide for yourself and your family.