Estonia to prepare Ukrainian companies to operate in the EU single market

By signing the joint declaration, Estonia became a new co-financier and implementing partner. At the conference, Lithuania also joined the programme, and the existing donors, Germany and Norway, announced increased financial contributions to expand the programme's impact on Ukraine's economic recovery and support the country's integration into the EU. 

The activity area led by ESTDEV focuses on strengthening the capacity of Ukrainian companies, business support organisations, sectoral business associations, clusters and regional development organisations. Project activities will be implemented throughout nine regions in Ukraine in three economic sectors: wood and furniture, food and information and communication technology. 

As part of the programme, the needs of business organisations and companies will be mapped. Then, targeted training and mentoring programmes will be developed based on these findings. Support will also be provided to strengthen organisations' capacity to advise companies on entering the EU single market, accessing EU funding programmes and developing international project cooperation. The programme will also create new partnerships between Ukrainian and European business organisations and support participation in European cluster networks and international cooperation projects. 

"The aim of this project is not only to share knowledge but also to help Ukrainian business organisations become stronger partners for their companies. We support their ability to build international cooperation networks, access European Union funding programmes and prepare companies for operating in the European market. Estonia has gone through this journey itself, and we can now share our experience with Ukraine," said Reesi Lepa, ESTDEV’s head of Business and Innovation. 

STEP IN 2 EU Programme Director Hagen Ettner highlighted the importance of new partners joining the initiative, saying, "The accession of Lithuania and Estonia as co-financiers and implementing partners marks an important milestone for the STEP IN 2 EU programme. It reflects our shared European commitment to supporting Ukraine's economic integration into the European Union single market through strong partnerships, complementary expertise and long-term cooperation. Together, we are creating a broader platform for practical support that will help Ukraine move forward on its path towards EU membership." 

STEP IN 2 EU broadly supports Ukrainian public authorities in implementing the economic chapters related to EU accession. It helps improve companies' opportunities to benefit from the European Union's single market. The activities planned by Estonia will be implemented in Ukraine by Civitta.