Budget for second call for Ukraine reconstruction proposals for Swiss companies doubled due to strong interest – Ambassador
The call for proposals for Swiss companies for projects in the field of post-war reconstruction and reconstruction of Ukraine aroused great interest and therefore the budget for the second call, which will be held in early 2026, was decided to double, Ambassador of Switzerland to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova Félix Baumann has said.
"At the beginning of this year, we launched a call for proposals with a total budget of CHF 100 million, inviting Swiss companies already present in Ukraine to submit projects for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. Together with the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy, the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, and colleagues from my team, we selected 12 projects in the fields of housing, health, mobility, and energy. Final contract clarifications are now underway, with the aim of starting implementation in early 2026. This scheme has generated so much interest that a second call for proposals along similar lines is planned for early 2026, with a volume of CHF 200 million," Baumann said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
He also expressed his willingness to include Swiss companies that are not yet present in Ukraine, but noted that this requires a new legal basis. "A state-to-state agreement was signed in Rome at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025, and the ratification process is now underway. We hope this agreement can enter into force in the second half of 2026, enabling even larger projects with companies new to Ukraine. In the meantime, we are already informing interested companies about opportunities and challenges of doing business in Ukraine. For example, in April, we organized a business mission with the representatives of 16 Swiss companies and associations visiting Kyiv, Lviv, and Vinnytsia," the ambassador said.
According to him, private investments are also being made without state participation, especially from companies already operating in Ukraine. "The four largest investments made in 2024-2025 alone amounted to over CHF 100 million in the consumable goods industry and infrastructure management. I want to commend these companies for their strategic vision and trust in the Ukrainian market," Baumann added.
The ambassador said most Swiss companies present in Ukraine in February 2022 did not leave the country and, despite the difficulties, adapted their business models, retained employees, jobs and continued to pay taxes.