Start-ups and innovative organizations in Kyiv can join the Berlin Innovation Fellowship program, which opens up opportunities to establish cooperation with entrepreneurs and Berlin’s innovation ecosystem. This has been announced by the Department of Economy and Investment of the Kyiv City State Administration.

The program will be useful for companies planning to enter the German market and already having potential partners in Germany. Currently, 10 places are available for Kyiv-based start-ups, scale-ups, business support organizations and ecosystem managers. The deadline for applications is 15 April.

Program participants will receive a bespoke schedule of business meetings tailored to their business objectives and needs. This format will enable ‘informal’ discussions with potential partners, investors and relevant organizations in Berlin, which could form the basis for further long-term cooperation.

Each entrepreneur determines the duration of their participation independently – the program will run from June to November 2026.

An online information session will be held on 19 March 2026 for potential participants, where you can find out more about the eligibility criteria and the selection process.

To take part, please register at https://luma.com/okwc57dy .

The Berlin Innovation Fellowship is a continuation of the Ecosystem Connectors Berlin Kyiv initiative, which aims to connect Ukrainian business support organizations and start-ups with Berlin’s innovation ecosystem.

The project is funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is implemented by the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH through the ‘Bund-Länder-Program – German Government and Federal States Program (BLP)’ in cooperation with the innovation agency betahaus X .

In Ukraine, the initiative is being implemented with the support of the EU’s STEP IN 2 program as part of the EU4Business initiative, which is co-funded by the governments of Germany and Norway and the European Union, and implemented by the German federal agency ‘Deutsche Gesellschaft für International Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH’.

With the aim of expanding partnerships, deepening economic cooperation and strengthening innovation ecosystems between Kyiv and Berlin, the Kyiv City State Administration and the Department for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises of the Berlin Senate signed a Joint Declaration of Intent during the Kyiv City Investment Forum in 2025.