The World Bank estimates total costs of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine as of the end of December 2023 amounted to USD 486 billion. To support Ukraine on the recovery path and strengthen Swiss-Ukrainian economic relations, the SECO has allocated 50 million Swiss francs for projects from Swiss companies working in Ukraine. The projects will cover pressing needs of Ukraine and be aligned with Ukraine’s strategic priorities for reconstruction and recovery. The selected projects are to create important economic and social benefits to Ukraine, such as job creation or preservation, educational opportunities, or public infrastructure improvements. The projects will be co-financed between funds from SECO and from the partner companies themselves.
A call for proposals for Swiss companies operating in Ukraine will be published by SECO in January 2025 with the aim to start the implementation of selected projects already in July 2025. The Ukrainian Government, SECO, and the Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine will evaluate the proposals to allocate a total of CHF 50 million between several projects.
“The recovery needs of Ukraine are estimated at over $500 billion. We hope that the driving force behind this recovery will be the private sector. Ukraine deeply values the contribution of Swiss businesses in supporting our economic resilience. Before the full-scale invasion, Switzerland was among the top five investor countries in Ukraine's economy. Today, we are deepening our cooperation. I am grateful to Switzerland for the decision to allocate 50 million francs as part of a broader support package for development projects. This memorandum is just the beginning, and we expect more recovery projects to be supported in the future. We encourage Swiss businesses to apply and strengthen their presence in Ukraine”, said the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Yuliia Svyrydenko.
Almost three years of the full-scale Russian military aggression against Ukraine resulted in a high number of civilian casualties, vast displacement, and severe destruction of vital infrastructure in Ukraine. The Swiss private sector can play an important role in Ukraine's recovery, giving its expertise and specialist knowledge. The Swiss Federal Council decided to allocate 500 million Swiss francs for these measures in total till 2028. The funds will come from the 1.5 billion Swiss francs earmarked for Ukraine in the International Cooperation Strategy 2025–2028. A holistic set of measures is foreseen to support recovery and reconstruction, including through measures involving the Swiss private sector.