Veteran Entrepreneurship Support — UAH 2.1 Million
The winner of the first lot is the Voznesensk Community Foundation.
The organisation will create a comprehensive support programme for veterans and members of their families who plan to start or develop their own businesses.
The Foundation has worked in the community since 2004 and has experience implementing programmes in entrepreneurship, non-formal education, adaptive sports, professional integration, and support for veterans and their families.
According to the selected organisation’s plan, participants will complete an Entrepreneurship School and gain knowledge in business idea development, business planning, accounting, taxation, marketing, and sales.
The most active participants will take part in a study visit to the Carpathian region, where they will learn from successful veteran-owned businesses and exchange experience with their founders.
Throughout the programme, aspiring entrepreneurs will receive individual consultations and mentoring support. Following a business project competition, at least five initiatives will receive financial support to launch or develop their businesses.
Veteran Employment — UAH 2.3 Million
The winner of the second lot is the Economic Development Agency NGO.
The project will involve comprehensive work with veterans seeking a new professional path after completing military service, as well as with local employers.
Veterans will take part in career training designed to help them identify their professional goals, translate their military experience into skills relevant to the civilian labour market, and prepare for employment.
A separate area of work will focus on local employers. They will receive training on working with veterans, adapting the workplace, and creating conditions that support people with military experience as they return to professional life.
The programme will also provide subgrants to employers to create or adapt workplaces and employ veterans.
“Sustainable employment is not simply about having a vacancy available. It is important that the job corresponds to a person’s health, experience, life circumstances, and professional goals, while the working environment supports their transition back into civilian life,” says Alina Tokmylenko, Programme Lead at The Possible.
The project aims not only to help people find employment, but also to create the conditions necessary for their long-term and successful professional integration.
Development of Services for Veterans — Three Grants of UAH 250,000 Each
Under the third lot, three organisations will receive support to develop physical and emotional recovery services for veterans in the community.
Living Heart Charity
The organisation will launch an emotional well-being support service for veterans, combining art therapy sessions with relaxation and therapeutic massage.
The project will be implemented in partnership with the Voznesensk City Primary Health Care Centre and the Veterans’ Space.
Art therapy activities will involve psychologists, psychotherapists, social support specialists, and body-oriented practitioners.
At least 100 participants are expected to take part during the pilot period. The service is expected to continue operating through cooperation between the charity, the healthcare institution, and the Veterans’ Space after the grant funding ends.
Voznesensk City Swimming Federation NGO
The organisation will develop a physical and sports-based recovery service for veterans using gym facilities and adaptive sports programmes.
Veterans will be offered group and individual sessions focused on strength, mobility, balance, coordination, and the restoration of movement.
Training programmes will be designed according to participants’ health conditions and will involve safe and gradual increases in physical activity.
The project will also fund specialised equipment for recovery sessions. The facilities and equipment created through the project will allow the service to continue operating after the grant period ends.
Mood Factory NGO
The organisation will develop the “Slid” Clay Workshop, a craft therapy space for veterans.
The project will combine clay modelling, pottery wheel practice, psychological techniques, peer support groups, and activities supporting participants’ social integration.
Over four months, two ceramics courses will be delivered. Participants will learn the basics of working with clay, modelling and decoration techniques, ceramic firing, and pottery wheel practice.
The workshop is intended to become a safe space where veterans can restore their inner resources, develop new skills, communicate with others, and gradually return to active community life.
The skills acquired may also create opportunities for future creative fulfilment, professional development, or self-employment.
Next Steps
The selected teams will now take part in training, implement their planned activities, and have the projects’ real impact on veterans’ lives assessed by an independent evaluator.
The evaluation, to be conducted by the Restart Urban Planning Agency, will consider actual changes, including businesses launched, veterans employed, improvements in physical and emotional well-being, stronger social connections, and new opportunities for self-realisation.
The implementation of these five projects is expected to become an important step towards building a sustainable support ecosystem for people with military experience in the Voznesensk community.
If the impact indicators are successfully achieved, the city will reinvest funds in the programme to support veterans in 2027.
We congratulate the selected organisations and thank all the teams that took part in the competitive selection process, shared their ideas, and continue to work every day for veterans and members of their families.
The Supporting Veterans through Entrepreneurship, Employment and Service Development programme is implemented by The Possible in partnership with the Voznesensk City Council, with support from Robert Bosch Stiftung.
