Grant for micro small and medium-sized businesses of veterans. Reading time: 4 min. Table of Contents: Veteran business continues to operate and develop even during the war. Support for such a business goes far beyond ordinary financing - it also makes it possible to receive training and mentoring support in the relevant direction. VETERAN BUSINESS LAB is another good opportunity for veteran enterprises in 2026. More details from the grant managers of "Prikhodko & Partners" - in the article below. What is VETERAN BUSINESS LAB? VETERAN BUSINESS LAB is an educational and grant program created by the IREX organization in partnership with the NGO EasyBusiness. It is designed for veterans who are active entrepreneurs and strive only to develop their own business. The specified grant program provides for three areas of support: educational intensive (with practice), receiving grant funds (up to 10,000 dollars for each of the 20 winners), and mentoring support for the implementation of a business idea. During the training, veterans will be able to strengthen their knowledge in such areas as: * financial planning; * marketing strategy; * setting up business processes; * business scaling. Who can participate in the grant and what criteria must a veteran business meet? Requirements for participants include their compliance with formal (legal), financial, geographical, and temporal criteria. A future participant must prove that they: * Are officially registered as an individual entrepreneur (FOP) or a legal entity; * Own 100% of corporate rights in the company, and all ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs) are citizens of Ukraine; * Their business belongs to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises; * Conduct entrepreneurial activity in the territory controlled by Ukraine and not in those regions where active hostilities are ongoing; * Do not have critical reputational risks for the business (tax debts, not in bankruptcy proceedings, no criminal record, the business is not on sanction lists, etc.); * Do not conduct activities prohibited by the grant program (production of weapons and ammunition, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, organization of gambling, provision of currency exchange services). Important! Since the grant involves passing training, the participant must prove their readiness to be present in person at a 3-day bootcamp (in Kyiv or Lviv) and remotely - to protect the presentation of their own business project. To receive more detailed information - Prikhodko & Partners advise you to contact its grant manager. What can veteran business direct grant funds to? A grant is targeted financing, therefore it is prohibited to go beyond the allowed list of expenses. VETERAN BUSINESS LAB allows veteran business to spend it on: * purchase of technological equipment; * purchase of inventory; * development, testing, and certification of new products; * branding update; * payment for licenses for specialized software. For information! At the same time, a future participant is categorically forbidden to state in their business plan that they plan to spend the grant on transport, capital construction, assistance to the defense forces, covering current financial obligations, etc. How to get the maximum score on a grant application? It is worth noting that a grant application within the competition for veteran business will be evaluated by several criteria - validity and realism, operational capacity and growth, socio-economic impact on other veterans and their families. The first thing Prikhodko & Partners can recommend is to provide for the creation of additional jobs in your company and the possibility of economic reintegration of veterans or vulnerable categories of the population. Much attention should also be paid to the realism of the projected costs. What documents are needed for participation in the grant for veteran business? * Completed online grant application form; * Extract from the unified register of enterprises; * Document officially confirming veteran status; * Company business plan; * Separate financial statements for the last year; * Assurance of no connection with the aggressor state. Why should you contact a grant manager? Submitting a grant application is complex analytical and sometimes creative work. Most of those entrepreneurs who apply for a grant for veteran business for the first time make mistakes and cannot participate in further evaluation. To prevent this, grant managers of the company "Prikhodko & Partners" offer: * Introductory consultation; * Preparation of a complete package of documents (from scratch); * Support for application submission and subsequent evaluation; * Selection of a relevant grant (upon request). Conclusions. Summarizing, the grant from VETERAN BUSINESS LAB for micro, small, and medium-sized veteran businesses is a comprehensive support tool that combines training and fundraising. Only already active entrepreneurs who have an impeccable business reputation and do not conduct activities in the occupied territory will win. In this case, the grant manager will be your strategic partner, who will accompany you in the process of obtaining a grant from beginning to end. Do not waste time: find out the cost of a manager's assistance in obtaining a grant for micro, small, and medium-sized veteran businesses by filling out the form below. Calculate the price of assistance: 1 question Have other lawyers handled your case? 2 question Are you in Kyiv or Kyiv region? 3 question Frequently asked questions about the procedure for obtaining a grant What is prohibited to spend grant funds on for veteran business? By what criteria will the grant application from veteran business be evaluated? What restrictions apply to participants of the grant program? Cases on the subject of the article: If Prikhodko & Partners do not during the day Law company Leave a request for legal assistance right now:

Gebeya and IREX expand opportunities for African innovators to compete in CANEX Create-Thon 2026. James Mahoney August 11, 2026 Partnership creates a dedicated pathway for eligible alumni of IREX-led programs to develop AI-powered creative products in music, video, and games. ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, August 11, 2026 - Gebeya and IREX today announced a new partnership to expand access to CANEX Create-Thon 2026, creating a dedicated pathway for alumni of IREX-led programs to participate in one of the continent's leading AI innovation challenges. Across the continent, entrepreneurs, developers, designers, and creators are using artificial intelligence to solve local challenges, launch new businesses, and reimagine industries. As AI reshapes the global economy, access to the tools, networks, and opportunities driving this transformation will help determine who shapes the future. The collaboration introduces an exclusive application pathway and dedicated prize opportunities for IREX-led program alumni, recognizing exceptional AI-powered solutions developed during the Create-Thon. The initiative is designed to reduce barriers for talented innovators while increasing visibility and support for ideas with the potential to create meaningful impact. CANEX Create-Thon 2026 is part of the broader Creative Africa Nexus initiative by the African Export-Import Bank, which advances Africa's creative and digital economy by connecting technology, entrepreneurship, investment, and innovation. Powered by Gebeya's Dala Studio, an AI-native creation platform, the Create-thon challenges participants to transform ideas into AI-powered creative products across three categories: music, video, and games. In the music category, participants can explore AI-powered tools for creation, composition, production, and new forms of musical expression. The video category focuses on AI-driven storytelling, filmmaking, editing, and content creation. The games category challenges innovators to build interactive experiences, game concepts, and AI-powered entertainment solutions. Using natural language instead of traditional coding, Dala Studio enables creators to bring ideas to life by describing what they want to build. The platform makes advanced creative technology more accessible to both technical and nontechnical innovators, expanding participation in the creation of digital products and experiences. Participants will also gain access to mentorship, learning opportunities, and a growing pan-African network of creators, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders working together to shape the future of Africa's creative economy. "AI is changing who gets to create technology," said Amadou Daffe, CEO of Gebeya. "The next generation of African innovation won't be defined by who can code the fastest. It will be defined by who can identify meaningful problems and build solutions that improve lives. This partnership helps ensure more innovators have that opportunity." Through its global network of innovators, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders, IREX expands access to education, skills development, and opportunity. This partnership gives IREX alumni a pathway to explore AI-powered creation, strengthen practical skills, and participate in a growing ecosystem of African builders and innovators. "This partnership reflects what IREX is working to make possible: helping people learn, lead, and thrive in a world increasingly shaped by technology, AI, and data," said Aleksander Dardeli, President and CEO of IREX. "Afreximbank has built something important with Creative Africa Nexus: a platform that takes African creative talent seriously as an economic force, not just a cultural one. We're proud to partner with Gebeya to give our alumni a meaningful opportunity to bring their ideas to this platform. I've seen what happens when young innovators get the right tools at the right moment: they don't just participate; they build things that outlast the program that got them started." The partnership reflects a broader shift in which AI is becoming a practical tool for entrepreneurship, creativity, and economic growth. As access to AI-powered creation tools expands, initiatives such as CANEX Create-thon can help innovators build products, businesses, and intellectual property that compete globally. Applications for CANEX Create-Thon 2026 are now open, inviting Africa's next generation of builders, creators, and entrepreneurs to transform bold ideas into AI-powered solutions. About Gebeya. Gebeya is a pan-African AI technology company deploying AI for the next billion users by building localized digital infrastructure designed for Africa's realities. Through AI-powered tools, accessible digital systems, and language-first experiences, Gebeya makes technology more usable, relevant, and inclusive for individuals, businesses, and institutions across the continent. About IREX. IREX, the International Research & Exchanges Board, Inc., is a forward-looking global solutions provider that partners with communities, governments, institutions, funders, donors, and businesses to empower people to learn, lead, and thrive. Building on decades of trusted experience, IREX delivers world-class, evidence-informed approaches that help leaders bridge divides, learners succeed in the world of work, and people thrive in a world increasingly shaped by technology, AI, and data. With a commitment to continuous improvement, IREX strengthens performance, supports responsible innovation, expands opportunity, and creates lasting value with partners.