Soul Partners is proud to announce the successful implementation of the training part under the Business Acceleration Program in cooperation with the USAID AGRO Ukraine, designed to prepare SMEs for fundraising and connect them with financial organisations. The training program culminated in conducting an event attended by companies and representatives from leading financial institutions in Ukraine.
20 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were selected to participate in the acceleration program. These enterprises are engaged in agricultural processing and owned by women and men who are war veterans, internally displaced persons, people with disabilities, young people and older people. The entrepreneurs had the opportunity to join the educational and mentoring part of the Program, which comprised 6 lectures, that covered practical and theoretical knowledge necessary for successful fundraising. Lectures were delivered by experienced professionals from top consulting and legal firms, including Baker Tilly Ukraine and Wizards Legal. As a result, participants developed investment project presentations with expert guidance.
Subsequently, Soul Partners organized an online event to summarise the educational and mentoring part of the Acceleration Program, where participants presented their projects. The event was attended by representatives of five financial organizations (banks and funds) from various segments of Ukraine’s banking and private equity markets that actively collaborate with SMEs, namely:
Bankers and fund representatives shared details about current financing programs for SMEs, including key financing terms, rates, limits, and requirements. They also provided information on available programs and grants, including those implemented in collaboration with the international development organisations. The event was practical and results-oriented, enabling participants to engage directly with financial institutions and refine their investment proposals for further collaboration.
Igor Verhogliad, Managing Partner of Soul Partners:
"We developed this acceleration program to equip companies, which typically lack the financial resources to access professional investment advisory services, with the knowledge to improve the quality of their investment project preparation. We often hear that investment projects in Ukraine are not sufficiently ready to attract investment (in slang - 'non-bankable'). Our goal is to show participants how to enhance the quality of their investment projects.
Equally important, small businesses often have experience working with just one bank that has historically served them. We introduced SMEs to alternative financing opportunities, and I hope companies will apply this knowledge in practice. We will even provide further support to some companies within the Acceleration Program framework. Therefore, we are optimistic about the future and look forward to continuing this work. Thanks to USAID AGRO Ukraine for your trust."
Moving forward, three SMEs will be selected to receive technical support over the next six months. This support includes assistance in preparing marketing and financial documents, as well as identifying potential investors and financial organizations.
Background information
Soul Partners is an investment banking boutique that provides professional financial advisory services to businesses and investors. We specialize in financing attraction (both equity and debt), merger and acquisition transactions support, and debt restructuring services.
The project is implemented by Soul Partners in cooperation with the USAID AGRO Ukraine. It aims to help micro, small, and medium-sized agricultural enterprises to access advanced technologies, knowledge, and foreign markets, contributing to their sustainable development and scalability.
20 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were selected to participate in the acceleration program. These enterprises are engaged in agricultural processing and owned by women and men who are war veterans, internally displaced persons, people with disabilities, young people and older people. The entrepreneurs had the opportunity to join the educational and mentoring part of the Program, which comprised 6 lectures, that covered practical and theoretical knowledge necessary for successful fundraising. Lectures were delivered by experienced professionals from top consulting and legal firms, including Baker Tilly Ukraine and Wizards Legal. As a result, participants developed investment project presentations with expert guidance.
Subsequently, Soul Partners organized an online event to summarise the educational and mentoring part of the Acceleration Program, where participants presented their projects. The event was attended by representatives of five financial organizations (banks and funds) from various segments of Ukraine’s banking and private equity markets that actively collaborate with SMEs, namely:
- JSB "Ukrgasbank"
- JSC "Kredobank"
- JSC "ProCredit Bank"
- JSC "OTP Bank"
- Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund
Bankers and fund representatives shared details about current financing programs for SMEs, including key financing terms, rates, limits, and requirements. They also provided information on available programs and grants, including those implemented in collaboration with the international development organisations. The event was practical and results-oriented, enabling participants to engage directly with financial institutions and refine their investment proposals for further collaboration.
Igor Verhogliad, Managing Partner of Soul Partners:
"We developed this acceleration program to equip companies, which typically lack the financial resources to access professional investment advisory services, with the knowledge to improve the quality of their investment project preparation. We often hear that investment projects in Ukraine are not sufficiently ready to attract investment (in slang - 'non-bankable'). Our goal is to show participants how to enhance the quality of their investment projects.
Equally important, small businesses often have experience working with just one bank that has historically served them. We introduced SMEs to alternative financing opportunities, and I hope companies will apply this knowledge in practice. We will even provide further support to some companies within the Acceleration Program framework. Therefore, we are optimistic about the future and look forward to continuing this work. Thanks to USAID AGRO Ukraine for your trust."
Moving forward, three SMEs will be selected to receive technical support over the next six months. This support includes assistance in preparing marketing and financial documents, as well as identifying potential investors and financial organizations.
Background information
Soul Partners is an investment banking boutique that provides professional financial advisory services to businesses and investors. We specialize in financing attraction (both equity and debt), merger and acquisition transactions support, and debt restructuring services.
The project is implemented by Soul Partners in cooperation with the USAID AGRO Ukraine. It aims to help micro, small, and medium-sized agricultural enterprises to access advanced technologies, knowledge, and foreign markets, contributing to their sustainable development and scalability.