Ministry of Digital Transformation and Diia block grants for military and entrepreneurs

Oleksiy Shevchuk, Chairman of the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association addressed Oleksandr Borniak, Acting Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, regarding the problem of blocking access to state grant programs for entrepreneurs and families of military personnel.

An official appeal has already been prepared and sent to the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

First of all, it is the state microgrant program provided for by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 738, which explicitly allows applicants to re-apply if they meet the established criteria.

However, in practice, entrepreneurs and citizens who have already participated in the program, fulfilled all the requirements stipulated by law, paid taxes, fees and a single social contribution are effectively deprived of the opportunity to reapply through the Diia portal.

When you try to submit documents again, the system automatically displays a message: “You have already applied,” despite the fact that current government regulations directly provide for the right to re-enter the grant program.

The UNLA emphasizes that the situation is already beyond the scope of a normal technical failure and may indicate a systemic failure of the digital infrastructure to meet the requirements of current Ukrainian legislation.

In fact, citizens are faced with a situation where the state digital service does not allow them to exercise the rights guaranteed by government decisions.

The problem is particularly acute for families of military personnel.

In accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1401 of October 29, 2025, they also received the right to participate in grant programs:

parents of fallen soldiers;
adult children;
military dependents.

However, according to lawyers and representatives of the association, these categories of citizens are not actually integrated into the functionality of the Diia portal, which is why they do not have the technical ability to apply for and receive state support.

Thus, social guarantees provided by the state for military families remain inaccessible in practice.

Experts point out that such a situation may have signs:

violation of the principle of equal access to public services;
indirect discrimination based on social status;
creation of artificial administrative barriers;
improper implementation of resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

The appeal of the National Association of Lobbyists of Ukraine to the Ministry of Digital Transformation contains a demand to immediately eliminate existing violations and bring the functionality of state digital services in line with the current legislation.

In particular, UNLA requires:

bring the functionality of the Diia portal in line with CMU resolutions No. 738 and No. 1401;
ensure the possibility of re-submitting applications;
to connect new categories of beneficiaries;
provide a public explanation of the reasons for the problem;
introduce an alternative mechanism for submitting applications until the system is fully restored.

The association also emphasizes that in times of war, support for small and medium-sized businesses and military families is of strategic importance for the economic and social stability of the state.

That is why blocking access to grant programs cannot be viewed solely as a technical problem, as it is actually a restriction of citizens’ access to state guarantees of support.

Experts also warn that the lack of a prompt response from government agencies may become the basis for further legal assessment of the actions or inaction of responsible officials.

The UNLA notes that further ignoring the problem may negatively affect not only trust in public digital services, but also call into question the effectiveness of certain elements of Ukraine’s digital transformation.

The UNLA emphasizes that digital public services should not create barriers, but provide real access to support mechanisms provided by law.

Earlier, the Ukrainian National Lobbyists Association also initiated a number of proposals to improve economic and tax legislation, including amendments to the draft of the Bureau of Economic Security on mediation procedures in cases of tax evasion.

In addition, the UNLA has developed an alternative draft law on the introduction of a value-added tax for individual entrepreneurs to protect small and medium-sized businesses under martial law and post-war economic recovery in Ukraine.