Veteran Yuriy Opalinsky expanded his business and bought a car. He used to sell building materials, but now he also sells groceries. Thanks to support from the Lviv City Council, the veteran has eased logistical issues. The city is currently recruiting for a competition to provide voucher support to defenders. Applications are accepted until 1 March.
Yuriy Opalinsky has been doing business for 14 years. Before the full-scale invasion, he had a large warehouse. But after 24 February 2022, he closed his company and volunteered for the frontline. Despite having three minor children, Yurii served in the army for a year and a half, including as a driver in the Donetsk region. Then he returned to his business.
“I found out about the voucher support for defenders from social media and decided to use it. I took part in a competition and won. Now, thanks to the car, I can directly deliver goods to customers in Lviv and the region,” says Yuriy Opalinsky.
The man advises veterans and their families to apply for the competition to get help from the city to develop their own business.
“This is a very useful support programme, because it gives people a chance to recover from their service and gives them a boost, because it would be difficult for me to buy a car on my own. So, of course, I advise other veterans to take advantage of this opportunity and apply for the programme as well,” adds Yurii.
As a reminder, the Lviv City Council is still accepting applications for the competition for voucher support for veterans and their families. Participants can receive up to UAH 300 thousand to start and develop their own business. The application deadline is 1 March 2024. Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about the competition here.
For advice, please call Yulia Trokhymchuk at 032 297 57 64 or contact the Entrepreneurship Support Centre at +380 (32) 254 60 15, +38 (067) 000 24 06.
Last year, 30 veterans and their wives received voucher support of up to UAH 300,000 to start or develop their own businesses. In total, Lviv City Council offers 13 different vouchers to help entrepreneurs. In 2023, 492 vouchers worth UAH 46.4 million were allocated from the city budget to support businesses.
Earlier, we told you about the businesses of veterans and their spouses that the city supported: a beauty salon run by veteran Liudmyla Bednarska, a rehabilitation room run by veteran Oleh Zayets, the Garden of Dreams run by veteran Andrii Drobit, a volunteer car service run by veteran Stanislav Lisovyi, an eco-farm run by veteran Roman Kachalaba, a creative workshop run by veteran Maryna Titarenko and the Spalakh photo studio run by veteran Roman Paramushchak.
More information about the voucher assistance to small and medium-sized businesses provided by the city during martial law can be found here.