Press release -
Swedfund launches Business Accelerator to support Swedish SMEs partnering in Ukraine
Swedfund is launching the Swedfund Business Accelerator, a new initiative designed to support Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in establishing and expanding business partnerships in Ukraine.
The Swedfund Business Accelerator provides financial and strategic support to Swedish SMEs working with local private-sector partners in Ukraine. The initiative aims to strengthen local businesses, promote economic resilience and contribute to sustainable development through long-term, commercially viable partnerships.
“Swedish companies have valuable expertise and solutions that can contribute to economic recovery and resilience in Ukraine. Through the Swedfund Business Accelerator, we enable partnerships that are commercially sound, create long‑term local value, and open new business opportunities,” says Maria Håkansson, CEO of Swedfund.
Supporting sustainable partnerships
The programme is open to Swedish SMEs that want to establish or expand operations in Ukraine. Companies can apply from today by submitting a project description and business plan.
Projects will be assessed based on commercial viability, sustainability, development impact, partnership strength, and the company’s capacity to deliver. Up to 49% of project costs can be covered, with a maximum contribution of EUR 300,000.
All projects must be based on a clear commercial partnership with a local private company, supported by a partnership agreement.
Financial support is provided for investments that contribute to commercial collaboration and local capacity building. Supported projects may involve goods or services and include activities such as knowledge transfer, training and investments in equipment and technology directly linked to the establishment or expansion of operations.
The programme will be managed in close collaboration with Business Sweden.
“With the Business Accelerator, we help Swedish SMEs navigate the Ukrainian market and build strong, mutually beneficial partnerships. The initiative is designed to lower the threshold for entering a challenging but strategically important market, while contributing to sustainable economic development,” says Camilla Lood, Head of Swedfund Business Accelerator.
Financial and strategic support
In addition to financial backing, participating companies gain access to Swedfund’s and Business Sweden’s local insights through their presence in Ukraine.
Applications are now open. Companies are welcome to contact us for further information. businessaccelerator@swedfund.se
For media inquiries, please contact Axel Hallgren.
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About Swedfund
Swedfund is Sweden’s development finance institution with the mission to reduce poverty through sustainable investments in developing countries. Swedfund plays an important role in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate. Swedfund shares the same goal as development cooperation in general, but the tools Swedfund uses are different. Swedfund has two instruments to fulfil its mission: sustainable investments in the private sector and technical feasibility studies through the Project Accelerator targeting the public sector.
Swedfund's investments contribute to the creation of decent jobs and increased access to essential products and services such as electricity and food. Swedfund is a long-term investor and is additional and catalytic through its investments and by mobilising private capital. Swedfund's feasibility studies support sustainable public infrastructure development, trade, and export opportunities for Swedish solutions.
We are part of Swedish development cooperation, and we measure and report all our results. As a state-owned company, Swedfund is managed by the Ministry of Finance and financed through portfolio reflows and annual capital injections for which the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs is responsible.
For more information: please visit www.swedfund.se/en
