About the Project
The project envisages the establishment of a processing hub for the “Shchedre Opillia” Cluster in the communities of the Opillia ethno-region in Ternopil Oblast. The hub will be equipped with modern freezing, sorting, and storage technologies for fruit and vegetable products, as well as a solar power plant to ensure energy autonomy.
This will enable cooperatives and MSMEs to improve product quality, reduce processing costs, increase added value, and access international markets.
The project is expected to increase processing volumes to approximately 4,000 tons per year (compared to the current 800 tons), raise producers’ incomes through an additional premium of around UAH 16 per kg, and create approximately 30 new jobs, with priority given to women and vulnerable groups.
Objectives
- Establish a cluster-based processing hub with modern freezing, sorting, and storage capacities for fruit and vegetable products, ensuring its energy autonomy.
- Strengthen the region’s economic resilience through enhanced cooperation, increased tax revenues, and investment attraction.
- Increase producers’ incomes through in-house processing and access to direct export contracts with the EU.
- Create 30 new jobs, prioritizing the employment of women and vulnerable groups.
Key Problems and Opportunities in Focus
Challenges:
- Processing capacities within the “Shchedre Opillia” Cluster are not keeping pace with the growing acreage of berry plantations.
- A shortage of freezing capacity forces producers to sell more than 10 tons of fresh berries daily at reduced prices.
- Loss of added value and dependence on intermediaries.
Opportunities:
- Rapid growth of the global berry market (tenfold increase over the past 20 years).
- Ukraine’s leading position in Europe in frozen raspberry exports.
- Potential to increase revenues through in-house processing and the export of finished products.
Expected Impact
- Ensure a full value chain – from cultivation to deep processing and export of berries.
- Eliminate the shortage of freezing capacity within the cluster.
- Increase frozen product volumes to 4,000 tons per season.
- Expand storage capacity to 1,770 tons.
- Create 30 new jobs and extend seasonal employment (including for IDPs).
- Enable cooperatives to access direct export contracts with the EU and increase profitability.
- Strengthen the region’s economic resilience through additional tax revenues and the development of related services.
- Generate up to 340,000 kWh of green energy annually.
- Reinforce the position of “Shchedre Opillia” as an innovative and socially responsible industry leader.
Donor / Investor Engagement Format
- Grant funding
- Co-financing
- Co-implementation
Readiness Status - investment-ready
Existing Elements:
- Established partnerships
- Preliminary studies conducted
- Institutional framework in place
- Available infrastructure resources
Infrastructure and Cooperative Cluster Project
2 years
Total Budget: EUR 1,313,000
Structure: Grant Financing (Equipment - 60% of total budget)
- Blast freezing chambers – EUR 500,000 (grant / loan)
- Storage facility (1,500 tons) – EUR 350,000 (grant / cooperatives)
- Optical sorter – EUR 250,000 (grant / cooperatives)
- Solar power plant (250 kW) – EUR 110,000 (grant / cooperatives)
- Transformer substation – EUR 60,000 (cooperatives / local budget)
- Berry sorting line – EUR 40,000 (grant / cooperatives)
- Business plan and export strategy – EUR 3,000 (grant / regional support program)
Zboriv, Kozova, Pidhaitsi, and Berezhany districts of Ternopil Oblast, which are part of the Opillia ethno-geographical region.
- Residents of rural areas
- MSMEs
- Individuals from vulnerable groups (IDPs, combat veterans, persons with disabilities, unemployed individuals)
- Small business representatives seeking further development opportunities, including access to international markets
KU AK «Fayni Hazdy»
- “Faini Gazdy” Cooperative Association
- “Faina Polyana” Agricultural Cooperative (AC “Faina Polyana”)
- Ternopil Agricultural Advisory Service
- Dnipropetrovsk Regional Public Organization “Agricultural Advisory Service”
- “Cooperative Academy”
- “Rural Women’s Business Network”
- Kozova Territorial Community
- Saranchuky Territorial Community
- Zboriv Territorial Community
- Pidhaitsi Territorial Community
- Ternopil Regional Development Agency
- West Ukrainian National University
- Kozova Office of the Ternopil Branch of the Ternopil Regional Employment Center
- Ukrainian Cluster Alliance
- Donor and financial institutions (EBRD, USAID, EU4Business, SOCODEVI, CDP (RESCO))
To discuss partnership opportunities:
Contact person:Taras Andriichuk
Email: Andriychuktarst@gmail.com