Pyriatyn Community strengthens local economy and cohesion with EU Support
The Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Ukraine visited the Pyriatyn Community to mark the completion of a three-year project under the EU’s "Mayors for Economic Growth" (M4EG) initiative. During the visit, the EU delegation, met with local government representatives, including Deputy Head Mykhailo Melnuchenko, educators, entrepreneurs, and visited key facilities supported by the EU.
The project, which ran from 2022 to 2025, aimed to strengthen the local economy, support small-scale agricultural production, create jobs, foster youth entrepreneurship, and enhance the community's social cohesion. Despite the full-scale invasion that began shortly after the project's launch, the Pyriatyn community managed not only to adapt to the new realities but also to expand the initially planned outcomes.
With support from the EU, the community created new jobs through opening a meat processing workshop, modernising a bakery, and introducing new technologies in livestock farming, processing, and logistics. They established modern coworking spaces in six school locations, which now serve as platforms for entrepreneurial education, practical skills development, and youth-led initiatives. More than 11,000 children and young people have taken part in a range of educational and production activities.
The Pyriatyn community also expanded the area for growing berries, vegetables, and fruit trees to 56 hectares, with irrigation systems now covering over 15% of the land. They introduced a shared grain storage service using polymer sleeves, enabling the preservation of over 10,000 tonnes of produce. They also built 67 greenhouses and launched a small-scale mechanisation service that now supports more than 300 households annually. The community actively supports internally displaced persons (IDPs), providing shelter for over 10,000 people—of whom 4,000 have chosen to settle permanently.
As part of the Ukraine Facility, the EU supported the New Ukrainian School reform initiative in Pyriatyn. This funding has enhanced digital learning in six rural schools through the provision of laptops, while seven schools have each received interactive touchscreen smartboards kits to foster engaging and modern education. Berezovorudska School now hosts a photo-video studio to inspire student creativity, and the town lyceum has been upgraded with a digital physics lab and new equipment for chemistry and biology, creating a comprehensive, digital-first learning environment.
During the visit, EU representatives toured culinary and sewing coworking spaces, as well as the meat processing and biomass briquettes production facility. A meeting with project beneficiaries was also held to discuss achievements, challenges, and prospects for scaling the solutions to other Ukrainian communities.
"Despite the war, the Pyriatyn community has demonstrated how cohesion, education, and business support can drive development even in difficult times. This is a good example of how EU–local community partnerships in Ukraine can work," said Henrik Huitfeldt, Head of the Public Finance, Business Support and Social Policies Section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.
"We received not only equipment or support — we gained a new logic of action, a new vision, and new leaders. We are now integrating all of this into our local policies. Pyriatyn is already a different community," emphasised Mykhailo Melnuchenko, Deputy Head of the Pyriatyn community.
Background information
The project “Development of Pyriatyn community value chains in dairy and berry clusters to support youth and rural residents economic empowerment and enable local green growth” was implemented in 2022–2025 with funding from the European Union as part of the "Mayors for Economic Growth" (M4EG) initiative. The EU grant support amounted to over EUR 870,000. The project was implemented by the Pyriatyn Community in partnership with the NGO "Civil Society Institute".
The project's achievements are already being integrated into the Social and Economic Development Program for 2025–2027, the Comprehensive Community Recovery Program, and the new Development Strategy. Updated courses in culinary arts, economics, and financial literacy have been introduced in school coworking spaces. Smallholder Innovation Groups (SIGs) have been established to support rural development and ensure the long-term sustainability of innovative farming initiatives.
The M4EG programme is an EU regional initiative that helps local authorities implement innovative approaches to local development, support entrepreneurship, create jobs, and strengthen local economies. The initiative operates in the Eastern Partnership countries.
For media inquiries: delegation-ukraine@eeas.europa.eu