Ukrainian agribusiness group Kernel and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have signed a €1 million grant agreement to develop the company’s human capital programmes.
According to Kernel’s press service, the funding will be used to train young technical specialists and create a barrier-free working environment. The partnership is based on Kernel and the EBRD’s shared belief that investment in people is essential for Ukraine’s recovery and that such steps need to be taken now with a long-term perspective.
“For us, the partnership with the EBRD is not only about financing, but above all about aligning our values. An international financial institution of this level is entrusting Kernel with the implementation of strategic social projects during wartime. We are demonstrating to the market that Ukrainian businesses can operate according to the highest global standards of transparency while investing in vocational education and inclusion directly in the regions where this is critically needed today,” Kernel HR Director Nataliia Teriakhina said.
“The EBRD supports projects that help Ukrainian businesses strengthen their resilience while investing in the country’s future. Our partnership with Kernel demonstrates the important role the private sector can play in rebuilding Ukraine’s human capital. Investments in accessibility and inclusive technical education create new opportunities for people, strengthen business resilience and demonstrate the maturity of Ukrainian companies to future international investors,” said EBRD Director for Gender and Economic Inclusion Sonya Jordan-Kirwan.
The first area of the project will involve establishing modern training laboratories at four vocational colleges in Ukraine — in Odessa, Poltava, Kropyvnytskyi and Starokostiantyniv. The laboratories will train skilled workers in professions that are currently critical for the agricultural sector, industry and renewable energy, including electricians, industrial automation specialists and other technical professionals.
The laboratories will be equipped with latest-generation equipment, enabling students to acquire practical skills that meet the requirements of the modern labour market. Over five years, the laboratories are expected to train around 600 qualified young specialists who will contribute to the recovery of Ukraine’s regional economies.
The second component of the grant programme involves modernising Kernel’s production facilities in accordance with international principles of accessibility and universal design.
The company is implementing all solutions in cooperation with veterans to ensure that they meet the actual needs of people returning to civilian employment. The initiative forms part of Kernel’s comprehensive veteran support programme, which includes workplace adaptation as well as physical and psychological reintegration.
“This agreement opens a new stage of cooperation between Kernel and the EBRD in the development of human capital and Ukraine’s recovery,” the agribusiness group said.
The initiative is being implemented under the EBRD’s Human Capital Investment Incentive (HCII), a grant programme launched in 2024 to help Ukrainian companies address workforce challenges caused by the war. The programme provides co-financing for investments aimed at creating employment opportunities, developing professional skills and improving the accessibility of workplace infrastructure.
Donor support for the cooperation between the EBRD and Kernel is provided by the TaiwanBusiness-EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund.
Kernel is the world’s largest producer and exporter of sunflower oil, Ukraine’s largest grain exporter, an operator of an extensive network of logistics assets, and a leading producer of grains and oilseeds in Ukraine. It is also one of the country’s largest producers and sellers of bottled vegetable oil and is engaged in the cultivation and sale of agricultural products.
