Despite the growing need for financing, micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Ukraine still lack sufficient access to credit resources. A recent study shows that 59% of entrepreneurs are seeking long-term financial solutions, while 40% are looking for short-term loans. However, businesses encounter a number of barriers on their path to obtaining the necessary funds.
This is reported by Finway
Main Barriers to Business Financing
Among the main difficulties that entrepreneurs mention in the process of obtaining loans, high interest rates dominate — this issue was pointed out by 67% of respondents. Additional obstacles include collateral requirements (43%), complicated application procedures (31%), and a limited selection of credit products (26%).
“38% of respondents find financing difficult, and another 14% consider it completely inaccessible.”
It is worth noting that 44% of business owners do not use any credit programs at all, and more than a third of companies do not seek external financing for development. Among the programs most frequently used are working capital loans (25%), the government program “5-7-9%” (21%), and unsecured overdrafts (17%).
Trends and Expectations for 2025
Ukrainian entrepreneurs are actively moving towards digitalization: 68% of respondents would like to have the ability to apply for loans online. Additionally, a significant majority (83%) are looking for options for unsecured financing. In 2025, the greatest interest is in working capital loans, participation in international financing programs, and continued collaboration with the government initiative “5-7-9%”. At the same time, 24% of respondents do not plan to seek additional financing next year.