New World Bank Development Policy Operation to Boost Ukraine’s Private Sector Financing and Attract Skilled Labor to Jobs

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2026—The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the First Ukraine Jobs and Private Sector Growth Development Policy Operation (DPO) to support the Government of Ukraine’s reform agenda, which seeks to create the conditions to attract private financing and investment, help resolve labor shortages, and advance cross-border market integration.

This first operation in a programmatic series of two DPOs will provide total financing of $3.39 billion, comprised of a $1.04 billion World Bank loan that is backed by $540 million in credit enhancement from the Advancing Needed Credit Enhancement for Ukraine (ADVANCE Ukraine) Trust Fund, supported by the Government of Japan and $500 million in guarantees from the Government of the United Kingdom, and a $2.35 billion grant from the Facilitation of Resources to Invest in Strengthening Ukraine (F.O.R.T.I.S.) Financial Intermediary Fund.

“Despite extraordinarily challenging condition, Ukraine has steadily advanced on its reform agenda, creating the conditions for private investment and job creation, and steadily strengthening markets and institutions to meet its aspiration for European Union (EU) accession,” said Bob Saum, World Bank Regional Country Director for Eastern Europe. “This DPO reflects the significant reform progress that Ukraine has achieved. The World Bank Group and our partners are committed to continue supporting Ukraine’s reform agenda, its EU aspirations, and efforts to build a more prosperous future.”

The operation supports Ukraine’s private sector-led recovery by advancing reforms in three areas:

• Enabling private sector financing and investment, including through reforms to regulations governing public-private partnerships and financial intermediation for small- and medium-sized enterprises, and through efforts to advance the privatization agenda;
• Attracting skilled labor to jobs via reforms that modernize the housing policy framework, enable veteran entrepreneurship, encourage female labor force participation, and reduce skills mismatches;
• Advancing cross-border market integration by strengthening the transparency of agricultural support payments, integrating electricity market institutions with the EU, and aligning environmental monitoring requirements.

This DPO is an integral part of the international support package to help Ukraine meet its financing needs. In the last four years, World Bank-mobilized support, which includes strong protections and oversight measures, including audits to help ensure financing reaches its intended recipients, has enabled the Government of Ukraine to provide essential services reaching more than 20 million Ukrainians — including operations for health, education, energy, housing, agriculture, and small and medium enterprises.

The World Bank Group is committed to helping countries create more and better jobs as a pathway to reducing poverty and expanding economic opportunity. Across our operations, we help build the foundations for growth, strengthen the conditions for private sector development, and mobilize private investment where it is needed most.

About The World Bank

The World Bank Group has a bold vision: to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. In more than 100 countries, the World Bank Group provides financing, advice, and innovative solutions that improve lives by creating jobs, strengthening economic growth, and confronting the most urgent global challenges. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, www.miga.org, and www.ifc.org.