News

PLEDDG Project launched a grant program in the framework of the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Development Support Fund (SME Fund). The SME Fund is aimed at fostering SME development through creation of relevant infrastructure, developing entrepreneurial skills and capacity building, as well as facilitating the implementation of business support programs in PLEDDG partner cities.

On November 22-23rd, PLEDDG held the 2nd International Conference on Inclusive Business Development. The event became a follow-up to the first inclusive business development conference that took place in November 2017. The objective of the Second International Conference on Inclusive Business Development was to increase awareness of representatives from Ukrainian cities of new approaches to inclusive business development through the analysis of successful Ukrainian and international cases of innovations and investments.

PLEDDG activity focuses on supporting social entrepreneurship and inclusive development in Ukraine, with a special emphasis on including women in economic development. On October 9-18, 2018, a study tour to Canada took place, aimed at introducing representatives of PLEDDG partner cities to Canadian experiences of supporting social entrepreneurship and the start up and growth of women-led businesses.

On September 20-21, 2018, representatives from PLEDDG partner cities went to Kryvyi Rih on the study tour dedicated to “Monitoring of City Development Strategy Implementation”, throughout which the participants had an opportunity to share experiences related to elaboration and implementation of city development strategies.

PLEDDG Project organized a study tour on women entrepreneurship for representatives from Project partner cities from Poltava, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Zaporizhia regions, the tour taking place on September 19-21, 2018. In the course of the study tour, participants learned about Vinnytsia’s women entrepreneurship best practices and received valuable knowledge and useful skills related to women entrepreneurship as well as discovered what role therein is played by local authorities, NGOs, and business associations.

In partnership with PLEDDG Project, Ivano-Frankivsk’s authorities are working to enhance the tourist potential of the city. On August 22, 2018, Ivano-Frankivsk’s Lumiere cinema hosted a presentation of a new mobile app “Visit Ivano-Frankivsk”.

On August 21, 2018, Zaporizhia Regional Administration hosted a presentation of ProZorro.Sale e-system for nearly 200 representatives of municipal/rural councils and amalgamated territorial communities of Zaporizhia region. The event took place in the framework of “A Day of Amalgamated Territorial Communities” with support of PLEDDG Project.

From July 21 to August 1, 2018, a study tour to Canada for mayors from PLEDDG partner cities took place. The study tour was dedicated to Canadian practices in inter-municipal cooperation, regional and local economic development.

On July 19th, the Honorable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Canadian Minister of International Development, learned about this aspect of PLEDDG work in Ukraine during a meeting with representatives of NGOs, business associations, and social enterprises, activities of which were supported by PLEDDG within the Project’s component “Support of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Development”.

On July 18th, in Kyiv, PLEDDG Project jointly with Export Promotion Office held a roundtable discussion on “Business Associations in Ukraine: Opportunities and Challenges”. Participants discussed the role of local business associations in supporting and development of small and medium-sized enterprises. The event welcomed about 60 representatives from various business associations.