Internally displaced persons, ATO participants and residents of Chernihiv region can receive grant support for the development of their own business

In Chernihiv, on April 7, 2017, a press conference was held at the Expert Club “Clean Politics” to present the project “Promoting Reconstruction and Sustainable Resolution of the Problems of IDPs and Conflict-Affected Populations in Ukraine”, which is being implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the financial support of the European Union in partnership with the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights.

“This program is aimed at supporting employment, self-employment and micro-entrepreneurship of internally displaced persons and residents of Chernihiv region, including combatants and vulnerable categories of the population,” – noted during the event

Kateryna Dankova

, project coordinator in Chernihiv region.

Thus, internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Donetsk, Luhansk regions and Crimea, local residents, combatants, vulnerable categories of the population aged 18-60 living in Chernihiv region are invited to participate in the project “Promoting reconstruction and sustainable resolution of the problems of IDPs and the conflict-affected population in Ukraine”.

The project plans to hold a series of trainings for selected participants in two areas – “Self-employment” and “Micro-entrepreneurship”. During the trainings, participants will have the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills for starting a business and running their own business, as well as learn how to draw up business plans to implement their own ideas.

After completing the training, participants must present a brief description of their own idea. Those who successfully defend their business plans will be provided with grant assistance in the amount of up to 650 euros in the “Self-employment” area and in the amount of up to 2150 euros in the “Micro-entrepreneurship” area for the purchase of equipment, professional equipment and furniture necessary for starting or expanding their own business.

According to the Advisor to the Ministry of Social Policy on Internally Displaced Persons in Chernihiv Oblast

Nadiya Edieva

, the issue of employment and employment of internally displaced persons is quite relevant in Chernihiv Oblast. Currently, no effective program has been implemented in the region to overcome this problem.

The emergence and aggravation of the problem is preceded by a number of reasons, such as discrimination in hiring people who have moved from occupied territories, mismatch of the person’s profession and qualifications with the vacancies offered and available in the region, low wages compared to other regions of Ukraine, etc. Therefore, this project is of particular importance for representatives of our community, especially for vulnerable categories of the population.

A similar program has already been successfully implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights in late 2016 – early 2017. Dozens of internally displaced persons, combatants, and other interested parties have already had the opportunity to protect and bring their business ideas to life.

The new project should further expand the opportunities of citizens in terms of employment, starting or developing their own business. According to the project coordinators, this will not only lead to an improvement in the material conditions of individual subjects, but will also open new horizons for internally displaced persons and the local population, creating new jobs, replenishing the local market with a variety of goods and services, thereby enabling other vulnerable persons to get a job, socialize faster, and integrate into the host community.

According to the organizers, in order to join the project, you need to contact a representative of the Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights (

Chernihiv, Honcha St., 57

; make an appointment by phone:

050-06-190-30, 063-95-935-34, (0462) 675-281

), filling out the participant questionnaire together with the project coordinator. In addition, you need to provide copies of the following documents:

• IDP certificate (only for IDPs);

• all pages of the passport and identification code;

• Certificate of registration of an individual entrepreneur (mandatory only for the “Micro-entrepreneurship” group, for the “Self-employment” group – as an advantage).