Over 80% of MSME loan applications at Oschadbank are approved

Oschadbank ensures a high level of access to financing for businesses even amid a full-scale war: over 80% of loan applications from micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises are approved. This was reported by Natalia Butkova-Vitvitska, a member of Oschadbank’s Management Board responsible for MSMEs, during the Center for Economic Strategy (CES) discussion “How to Increase Lending to Businesses?”

Each year, Oschadbank receives about 10,000 loan applications and another 30,000 applications for state grant programs, ensuring that all customer requests are fully processed.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Oschadbank’s loan portfolio in the MSME segment has grown nearly fourfold. Demand for financing is steadily recovering—the number of applications has increased by 10% compared to last year. At the same time, the quality of the portfolio remains high: the share of past-due debt is less than 1%.

For the year, Oschadbank provided approximately UAH 20 billion in business loans, of which about 50% utilized guarantee instruments that significantly reduce collateral requirements. Approximately 20% of the financing is directed to frontline territories.

“Our approach is to ensure that businesses have real access to financing, even under difficult conditions. We are developing a model that integrates government programs, international guarantees, and our own instruments to make decisions based on a business's potential, rather than solely on the availability of collateral.This gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to access resources when they need them most, particularly in frontline areas,” noted Natalia Butkova-Vitvitska.

Oschadbank is actively developing business support tools:

• About 60% of loans are provided under the government’s “5-7-9%” program, with another 40% offered on standard commercial terms;
• One in ten customers receives additional support in the form of grants;
• Special programs are in place for veteran-owned businesses, women-led enterprises, relocated companies, and exporters.

A separate focus area is supporting the energy independence of businesses and communities: Oschadbank has received a €50 million credit line from the EIB to finance energy projects.

In 2026, the bank plans to further accelerate decision-making processes for investment projects and maintain the growth momentum of the MSME loan portfolio.