Kateryna Skrylnyk from Poltava region started working with grants in 2016 – even before she knew how to use PowerPoint. Over 10 years, she submitted about 200 applications, won every fifth one, founded a family cheese factory, opened a public organization, and turned the farm into a tourist attraction for people from all over Ukraine. At the webinar of the All-Ukrainian Farmers Congress, she shared how grants became not only a source of funding but also a way of thinking.
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How it all began: fear, Facebook, and the first grant
Kateryna was born and raised in a village, and animal husbandry was her calling. She registered the farm “Fortuna 2015” during the spring sowing season. It was then, when there was barely time even to check the weather forecast, that she received an invitation to an educational seminar via Facebook.
The first experience with grants was twofold: she simultaneously participated in the “Sokodevi” program (support for family dairy farms) and in the educational program “Inspiring Woman” – about running a business, registration, accounting, and development strategy.
“Words like ‘vision,’ ‘mission,’ ‘strategy’ were not just new to me at that time – they were strange. And it was very difficult because everything was transitioning to electronic format. But we were gathered for offline sessions in Kyiv, pulling us out of everyday problems that never go away – and you, on the contrary, raise your level of knowledge,” says Kateryna Skrylnyk, head of the farm “Fortuna 2015.”
The first application was accompanied by fears and mistakes. But the result proved: it is a real opportunity for those who take action.
200 applications in 10 years: what does it mean to “win” a grant
Over ten years, Kateryna submitted an average of 10-20 applications per year – a total of about 200. Every fifth one turned out to be successful. However, the farmer herself notes: success is not always about money.
“There are situations when you did not receive financial support, but you got a team that immediately started acting when your tax invoices were blocked. This is also a victory,” comments Skrylnyk.
In the first three years, most projects were informational – educational programs without direct funding. But they formed an understanding of the grant process, built a network of contacts, and provided confidence for future steps.
Fire, war, and a cheese factory: how new ideas are born
In 2017, the farm experienced a fire: machinery and all the feed stored until autumn burned down. It was then that Kateryna first felt the power of the farming community – strangers from other districts and regions brought straw and hay to help the livestock survive the winter.
On February 11, 2022, the family purchased a house with a plot of land for the farm’s needs. And just two weeks later, after February 24, the dairy plants stopped coming. Milk is a product with a very short shelf life. They had to give it away for free to locals, boil it in buckets.
“When you have 10 liters of milk, it’s still manageable. But when it’s 100 or 200 liters, it’s a whole different story. A business should be profitable, otherwise the question is: keep the animals or get rid of them?” she says.
It was then that the “crazy idea” arose – to open a processing plant. An idea that just a few months ago could not even be dreamed of. The family cheese factory “Skrylnyk” became a reality thanks to the grant “Dream and Act” (a program for entrepreneurs under 35): won in 2023, it funded equipment and helped develop a logo and launch social media pages.
Grants received by Kateryna: specific cases
Over 10 years, the farmer collaborated with various donors. Here are some programs that significantly influenced the farm’s development:
– Sokodevi – research on the quality of milk from each cow separately, support for animal housing conditions (mats, ventilation, lighting)
– Inspiring Woman (2016) – the first educational program, training in strategy and business management
– “Start” Program (Regional Employment Center) – purchase of a manure spreader
– IOM (with the support of a German fund) – a 4-ton feed mixer, which saved about 30% of feed costs
– Power of Women (2022) – financial support for free milk supply to vulnerable populations
– CTS (2023) – equipment completion for the processing plant
– “For Independence” Project – a stainless steel barrel-trailer for milk transportation
– “Own Business” (state program, 2023) – 250,000 UAH, two job positions
– Mercy Corps (2025) – a course on animal care and HACCP standards
📌 State grants: “Own Business”
✅ New Individual Entrepreneur – 100,000 UAH, without obligations to create jobs
✅ Existing Entrepreneur – 300,000 UAH (from 2026; previously – 250,000 UAH)
✅ Frontline regions (Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Kharkiv oblasts) – up to 500,000 UAH
✅ Veterans and veterans’ spouses – up to 1,000,000 UAH
🔹 Condition: creation of 2-4 jobs depending on the grant amount
🔹 Changing the hired worker – possible through the employment center without penalties
Three tips on where to find grants
To the question “where to look for grants?” Kateryna answers specifically:
– Join communities and associations. Do not hesitate to voice your ideas and dreams. If you don’t voice them, no one will know about them.
– Visit the Gurt website (gurt.org.ua). There you can find current grants in all areas – from agricultural to student scholarships – with clear deadlines and requirements.
– Check the Diya Business and embassy pages. Programs appear there that are not found in any Facebook groups.
Lyudmyla Zubareva, a grant consultant at the All-Ukrainian Farmers Congress, adds: you can subscribe to the weekly digest of grant proposals for farmers on the organization’s website. “I always recommend: in the morning, before coffee – visit Gurt. Grant proposals appear almost every day.”
Common mistakes of beginners
Kateryna names the main trap that farmers fall into at the start:
“First of all – study the intended use of funds literally, point by point. If the grant is for equipment, and you describe that you are spending it on services, you will receive a 100% refusal. These simple things need to be considered,” says Kateryna.
Another common mistake is writing an application without a clear idea.
“Without a clear idea – it’s not worth starting at all. You can learn finances, hire an accountant. But the idea comes first,” emphasizes the farmer.
Regarding writing on your own: it is possible, especially when the donor provides a mentor or curator in the second round of selection. The All-Ukrainian Farmers Congress compensates 75% of the grant consultant’s service cost within the small farmers support program in partnership with Mercy Corps.
Grants change mindset, not just the bank balance
In response to the concluding question of the webinar – “grants: is it about money or mindset?” – Kateryna answered without hesitation:
“Probably more about mindset. Grants unite like-minded people and friends who support you – regardless of whether you are in different districts, regions, or even countries. It’s new knowledge because reforms and changes will not decrease, but rather increase,” says Kateryna Skrylnyk.
Today, the farm “Fortuna 2015” has 101 animals (42 cows), a family cheese factory, workshops for schoolchildren, excursions for guests from Kremenchuk, Poltava, and Kharkiv, and over 10 hired employees. And it all started with the scary and incomprehensible first step towards a grant.
The event took place within the Farmer Assistance Program, implemented by the All-Ukrainian Farmers Congress in partnership with Mercy Corps with financial support from the Howard G. Buffett Fund.