In Lviv region, producers cannot apply for state grants due to technical failure in Diia

Ukrainian manufacturing companies have effectively lost access to state grant support due to a technical error in the Diia portal. The problem has been going on for almost two months and is particularly acute at the level of regional businesses, particularly in Lviv region.

The Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association has been approached by representatives of local processing companies that are unable to apply for participation in the program provided for by the Cabinet of Ministers’ Resolution No. 739. This is a support tool that is supposed to stimulate the modernization of production and economic recovery in times of war.

Under the terms of the program, the state finances up to 70% of the project cost, while at least 30% must be provided by the business itself. However, in practice, the system blocks applications: at the final stage, users receive a notification that their own contribution must be at least 50%.

This requirement does not meet the conditions of this particular grant program and was probably technically “pulled up” from other areas of funding. As a result, companies find themselves in a situation where the program formally exists, but it is impossible to use it.

For businesses, this means not only lost time but also postponed or canceled investment decisions. Some companies were counting on these funds to upgrade equipment, launch new production lines, or expand capacity. In a wartime economy, such delays have a systemic effect: they hinder employment, reduce tax revenues, and weaken the competitiveness of Ukrainian producers.

Another issue is institutional trust. Digital services of the state, in particular Diia, are positioned as a key element of deregulation and simplification of access to services. However, prolonged neglect of a technical error, despite numerous requests from businesses, creates the opposite effect – a sense of unpredictability and lack of feedback.

The Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association emphasizes that the situation requires immediate intervention. It is not only about fixing the technical failure, but also about a broader management approach, including the introduction of an alternative mechanism for submitting applications while the problem is being resolved.

Among the key requirements are a technical investigation, a public explanation of the reasons for the failure, a timeline for its elimination, and an estimate of the number of applicants who have suffered losses. The organization also states that it is ready to provide additional materials, such as screenshots of errors and company contacts, to speed up the resolution of the situation.

The context of this story goes beyond the scope of a single program. It is about the effectiveness of the state production support policy as such. If the instruments declared as priorities do not work in practice, this calls into question the ability of the state to implement its own economic strategies.

For Lviv region, where the processing industry is an important component of the regional economy, the problem is particularly important. As long as the technical error remains uncorrected, businesses are forced to operate in uncertainty – without access to a resource that is already included in government policy.