CraftUP Ukraine

On September 15, the finalists of the CraftUP Ukraine educational and grant project met in Kyiv. Several months of training, mentoring and work on their own business ideas are now behind them. Ahead lies a new stage in the development of their businesses, now with grant support, as well as the craft producer community.

On September 15, the finalists of the CraftUP Ukraine educational and grant project presented their business projects in Kyiv. Craft producers from different regions of Ukraine came to the capital to present ideas whose implementation will help them develop and scale up their production.

Walnuts are an almost zero-waste crop. And income can be generated not only from selling the kernels. Oil is pressed from them, macerates are produced, while the press cake left after pressing is processed into flour and other food products. Even green walnuts, partitions, shells and leaves can be put to use. Thus, a single harvest can provide a producer with several value-added products at once.

Historian and serviceman from Kharkiv Region Viktor Yesipov had been searching for original beer flavours and dreaming of his own brewery since his student years — one that would stand out from conventional breweries through its authenticity. Comparing mass-market beer with beer served in pubs, he realised that he wanted to try brewing a drink according to his own recipes, but he was not able to bring the idea to life immediately.

Green Clover is a hydroponic farm in Khmelnytskyi Region that grows basil. Today, its capacity allows it to produce up to 40 kg of fresh herbs per week. But the farm did not stop at growing: some of the basil is dried and processed into powder, while surplus fresh herbs are used to make Ukrainian pesto. The farm is also experimenting with other products — it recently produced a test batch of dried tomatoes with basil.

The Vinologist craft winery specialises in producing signature wines from local grape varieties of Bessarabia. Its founder, Mykhailo Prokopets, plans to promote wines from Odesa Region by obtaining a geographical indication and uniting local winemakers into an effective association.

After russia’s full-scale invasion, the Nahornyi family moved from Kyiv to the village of Zabolot in Zhytomyr Region. At the time, they had no clear understanding of what to do next. But their long-standing dream of having their own mill came to life in the new location and found support within the community.

Five years ago, energy professionals Iryna and Oleksandr Karabut could hardly have imagined that beekeeping would become their business. Having started with 10 beehives at their summer cottage, today they run an apiary near Kryvyi Rih with more than a hundred bee colonies and process all the honey they harvest.

Ivan Marakhonko, a displaced person from Donetsk region who is now serving in the military, relocated to Kyiv region back in 2018 due to active hostilities in his home region. It was then that he became interested in producing original adjika.

In autumn, there are plenty of apples in Zakarpattia. Sometimes, too many. They fall into the grass and lie beneath old trees. Until the 2000s, these apples could usually be sold for fairly good money. However, 15–20 years ago, people did not know what to do with their harvest. Old orchards began to decline, and local residents saw no point in taking care of the trees because they had stopped generating income. The work invested in them was no longer worthwhile, either financially or emotionally.

The story of natural ice cream under the FUNNY BEAR brand (Vinnytsia) began in 2006, when the founder of the production, Viktoriia Lukashova, went to Germany for an internship. It was there that she realised that the future belonged to natural products.

Participants in the CraftUP Ukraine educational and grant project have completed the training programme and received certificates.

The Dvir Indyka craft production business in Poltava Region raises more than 2 tonnes of turkey meat per year, of which only 20% is processed. Its product range includes sausages and frankfurters, as well as various smoked products. The farmers plan to build a fully equipped processing facility, modernise the infrastructure and produce a product unique to the Ukrainian market — jamón made from a turkey leg. To do this, they need a climate-controlled chamber.

As part of the CraftUP Ukraine educational grant programme, ten finalists have been selected to present their business ideas to the Expert Council. Following the evaluation, the most promising projects will receive funding to scale up production, implement certification, and expand into new markets.

The educational phase of CraftUP Ukraine, an educational and grant programme for craft food producers, has been successfully completed, bringing together 40 participants from 19 regions of Ukraine.

On March 19, in Kyiv, the online edition AgroPortal.ua together with Pro-Consulting and with the support of the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands presented a study of the market of craft food producers.