New Horizons Programme - Advancing Innovation in Agrifood Systems (EBRD-22920)

Countries
  • Ukraine
Geographic location where the impacts of the investment may be experienced.
Financial Institutions
  • European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
International, regional and national development finance institutions. Many of these banks have a public interest mission, such as poverty reduction.
Project Status
Approved
Stage of the project cycle. Stages vary by development bank and can include: pending, approval, implementation, and closed or completed.
Bank Risk Rating
U
Environmental and social categorization assessed by the development bank as a measure of the planned project’s environmental and social impacts. A higher risk rating may require more due diligence to limit or avoid harm to people and the environment. For example, "A" or "B" are risk categories where "A" represents the highest amount of risk. Results will include projects that specifically recorded a rating, all other projects are marked ‘U’ for "Undisclosed."
Borrower
Government of Ukraine - European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
A public entity (government or state-owned) provided with funds or financial support to manage and/or implement a project.
Sectors
  • Agriculture and Forestry
  • Technical Cooperation
The service or industry focus of the investment. A project can have several sectors.
Investment Type(s)
Grant
The categories of the bank investment: loan, grant, guarantee, technical assistance, advisory services, equity and fund.
Investment Amount (USD)
Not Disclosed
Value listed on project documents at time of disclosure. If necessary, this amount is converted to USD ($) on the date of disclosure. Please review updated project documents for more information.
Primary Source

Original disclosure @ EBRD website

Updated in EWS Feb 2, 2026

Disclosed by Bank Jan 23, 2026


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Project Description
If provided by the financial institution, the Early Warning System Team writes a short summary describing the purported development objective of the project and project components. Review the complete project documentation for a detailed description.

According to the Bank’s website, the proposed Programme aims to provide support for innovation-driven investments in the agrifood sector of Ukraine - pivotal for the resilience and recovery of the national economy and for the country's EU integration. Ukraine's agrifood sector is a key contributor to the national economy as well as national and global food security. The sector has faced severe disruption due to the war, underscoring the urgent need for targeted, high-impact solutions. Investing in innovation can help Ukraine's food and agricultural sector recover by increasing efficiency and productivity, enhancing climate resilience, unlocking new markets and business opportunities, and attracting sustainable finance. These investments are not only critical for short-term recovery but also for building a resilient, competitive and future-proof food system.

The EBRD is uniquely positioned to catalyse this transformation, with its orientation toward private sector development and a strong pipeline of investments in the sector. Leveraging its financial instruments, policy engagement, and strategic partnerships, the Bank can help turn innovation into real-world impact.

The Programme will focus on targeted sector development and business support. It will combine sector-specific intelligence with opportunity mapping to guide investment decisions, enhance innovation ecosystems, and enable linkages between businesses and leading international research and development institutions to strengthen innovation capabilities. The Programme will focus on high-potential areas that are particularly relevant for Ukraine, such as alternative proteins and sustainable intensification. By supporting businesses already exploring these areas, the programme will enable the design and implementation of new investment projects that contribute to Ukraine's recovery while driving long-term transformation of the agrifood sector.

The EBRD will engage with a consultant to implement the Programme as follows:

* Scoping - research and sector diagnostics on the novel areas of opportunity to determine the most high-potential areas to focus on within the Programme activities.
* Innovation opportunity mapping - research to identify and assess specific points of entry within the selected areas of opportunity, where innovation-driven investments can deliver the greatest impact economically, and also for recovery, competitiveness, and EU integration. Mapping will also include a high-level policy alignment review to identify how innovative agrifood tech could potentially help Ukrainian agribusinesses comply with food safety, sustainability, and digital trade requirements.
* Knowledge sharing and dissemination of findings -innovation opportunities will be showcased to Ukrainian agribusiness companies during a knowledge sharing event organised by the consultant, which will facilitate engagement between innovation drivers (researchers, technology providers, startups) and established corporate businesses through innovation matchmaking.
* Innovation screening of Ukrainian agribusinesses - innovation screening of selected businesses in Ukraine will be conducted to assess opportunities for innovation along their business processes. Such screening may include assessment of current and optimal performance in key business areas, review of technical capabilities, innovation benchmarking, regulatory compliance and market readiness.
* Tailored Recommendations - actionable advice to the EBRD and selected Ukrainian agribusinesses will be delivered for opportunities for investments in innovation.

Investment Description
Here you can find a list of individual development financial institutions that finance the project.

Investment amount not available at the time of disclosure.


Contact Information
This section aims to support the local communities and local CSO to get to know which stakeholders are involved in a project with their roles and responsibilities. If available, there may be a complaint office for the respective bank which operates independently to receive and determine violations in policy and practice. Independent Accountability Mechanisms receive and respond to complaints. Most Independent Accountability Mechanisms offer two functions for addressing complaints: dispute resolution and compliance review.

No contacts available at the time of disclosure.

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can request information by emailing: accessinfo@ebrd.com or by using this electronic form: https://www.ebrd.com/eform/information-request

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF EBRD

The Project Complaint Mechanism (PCM) is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the PCM, it may assess compliance with EBRD's own policies and procedures to prevent harm to the environment or communities or it may assist you in resolving the problem that led to the complaint through a dialogue with those implementing the project. Additionally, the PCM has the authority to recommend a project be suspended in the event that harm is imminent.

You can contact the PCM at: pcm@ebrd.com or you can submit a complaint online using an online form at: http://www.ebrd.com/eform/pcm/complaint_form?language=en

You can learn more about the PCM and how to file a complaint at: http://www.ebrd.com/work-with-us/project-finance/project-complaint-mechanism.html

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How it works