Small Business Economic Development Ivano-Frankivsk Business Center

The business center in Ivano-Frankivsk has been in operation since 1996. It is currently the largest project in Ukraine funded by the Canadian International Development Agency. It has a staff of 25, all residents of Ivano-Frankivsk. The director is a Canadian with over 25 years of management and consulting experience.

Ukrainian partners in the project include the oblast administration and city administration of Ivano-Frankivsk. The Canadian partners include Confederation College in Thunder Bay, responsible for overall project management, the University of Waterloo, the University of Saskatchewan, and Parkland Community Futures Corporation in Manitoba. The Canadian partners provide technical support and coordination to the various programs that are being delivered through the Business Center.

The project's objective is to train local entrepreneurs in the Ivano-Frankivsk oblast on how to enter and succeed in a market economy. The center offers a wide variety of programs and services to individual and business clients, including:

• Business Consulting. Four business consultants provide clients with assistance in preparing business plans and advice on the legal and technical aspects of operating a business in Ukraine.
• Loan Fund. The center has a loan fund for small businesses. In the first year of operation, it approved 10 loans that created 65 new jobs. Loans can be up to a maximum of $10,000 and a 36-month term. All loans are fully secured by a lease agreement and the equipment is insured by a local insurance broker. Using capital of $350,000, the plan is to provide approximately 40 loans per year.
• Trade and Commerce Program. The center provides a service to encourage trade missions between Ivano-Frankivsk and other countries. The program matches Ukrainian and foreign companies wishing to explore new business opportunities. The center can provide information on company profiles and business opportunities and information on how to conduct business in Ukraine.
• Entrepreneurship Training Program. The center has developed training modules on starting a new business, marketing, financial planning, and youth and women in entrepreneurship. Training is provided by Ukrainian staff and occasionally supplemented by experts from Canada. The center can also design and deliver courses to meet the specific needs of business clients.

Last updated:    February 1999

A print version of much of the information contained in this NIS Third Sector Organizations section can be found in the The Post-Soviet Handbook (Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1999).

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