Kyiv recently hosted the Final Award Ceremony of the “Climate Innovation Vouchers” project, marking a significant milestone in Ukraine’s cleantech development. Eleven Ukrainian companies were announced as winners of the fourth wave of the final phase, securing a total of €384,241 to further their climate-friendly innovations. Often called Ukraine’s “climate Oscars,” the initiative is the country’s largest grant competition dedicated to green technologies.
Supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union, the event not only celebrated the winners but also showcased the results of eight years of the program’s impact. Held at Unit.City, the ceremony gathered ecosystem leaders, investors, donors, international partners, and government representatives, while highlighting the role of green innovations in Ukraine’s resilience and contribution to Europe’s climate future. A high-level panel discussion also explored how Ukraine is shaping Europe’s climate transition despite ongoing challenges.
Since its launch in 2017, the Climate Innovation Vouchers project has awarded more than €2 million in grants to over 50 Ukrainian companies, fostering breakthroughs in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and eco-friendly manufacturing. Among the latest winners are companies working on renewable hydrogen, industrial hemp processing, e-vehicles, bioenergy systems, energy-efficient ventilation, and innovative energy storage solutions. These projects demonstrate how Ukrainian enterprises are creating practical technologies with the potential to scale across Europe and beyond.
The program is part of the EBRD’s Finance and Technology Transfer Centre for Climate Change (FINTECC), implemented in Ukraine by NGO Greencubator under the EU4CLIMATE initiative. Grants of up to €50,000 cover 75% of eligible costs, enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to pursue activities such as prototype design, product certification, intellectual property protection, and production planning. In 2024, the project was recognized as Ukraine’s national winner of the European Enterprise Promotion Awards and honored at the European level for its role in supporting the sustainable transition.
Over the years, the vouchers have helped build many of Ukraine’s most recognizable green technologies, from eco-friendly packaging and recycled plastic design panels to precision farming solutions and paper made from fallen leaves. With the conclusion of its final phase, the program has cemented its role as a driving force in Ukraine’s green innovation ecosystem, providing crucial support at a time when sustainable development is vital for both national resilience and global climate goals.
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