The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded a $1 million grant to the leasing company Best Leasing to partially reimburse lease payments to approximately 120 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and private entrepreneurs, said Taras Yeleiko, head of the group for interaction with intermediaries and private sector facilitators of the USAID Financial Sector Reform Project.

"The first grant was provided to a leasing company - the Best Leasing company in the amount of $1 million... The main direction of the grant is partial compensation for the cost of leasing services for MSMEs," Yeleiko said at the expert discussion "Prospects of the Ukrainian leasing market: main challenges, adaptation strategies, development forecasts" in Lviv.

According to the general director of Best Leasing, Liudmyla Zolotarova, under the terms of the program, grant funds will cover 30% of the cost of leasing for enterprises and private entrepreneurs, while the advance payment will be from 20%.

It is expected that under this program, about 120 MSMEs will receive financing in the amount of up to UAH 190 million, which will purchase about 180 objects worth almost UAH 250 million. The program will operate until August 2026.

Zolotarova indicated that in addition to agricultural machinery, the program is also valid for the purchase of trucks, commercial vehicles, passenger cars, special equipment, buses and trailers.

The General Director noted that the program can be used by MSMEs whose final beneficiaries are residents of Ukraine; preference is given to businesses with a predominant share of women in the ownership structure, as well as companies whose activities were damaged as a result of hostilities, including enterprises relocated from the occupied territories.

As Yeleiko recalled, USAID previously approved a grant to OTP Bank of $1.25 million, the funds from which will be used to reduce loan rates to 7% per annum and reduce the cost of factoring services. It is planned that the grant will provide loans to 77 MSMEs in the amount of UAH 430 million, and another 20 MSMEs will receive factoring services in the amount of UAH 100 million. The program will operate until May 2025.