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RESEARCH CENTRE FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS of NAS of Ukraine (KHARKIV, UKRAINE)

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Liburkina L. M.

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SME Support Systems in the EU and Ukraine: A Comparative Analysis in the Context of European Integration Adaptation
Gron O. V.

Gron, Oleksandra V. (2026) “SME Support Systems in the EU and Ukraine: A Comparative Analysis in the Context of European Integration Adaptation.” Business Inform 5:115–130.
https://doi.org/10.32983/2222-4459-2026-5-115-130

Section: Problems of Business

Article is written in English
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UDC 334.012.64:339.923

Abstract:
The article presents a comparative analysis of SME support systems in the European Union and Ukraine in the context of Ukraine’s European integration. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that Ukrainian SMEs operate simultaneously under wartime economic instability, limited access to capital, unstable demand, labor shortages and the need to adapt to the rules of the EU Single Market. Existing academic literature has examined individual aspects of SME development, including digitalization, access to finance, public support, regulatory policy and European integration transformations. However, the integration of these areas into a coherent SME support system and its comparison with European practice remain insufficiently explored. The aim of the article is to conduct a comparative analysis of SME support systems in the EU and Ukraine across key functional areas and to substantiate directions for improving the Ukrainian model in the context of European integration, recovery and the transition from predominantly anti-crisis assistance to a coordinated development policy. Methodologically, the study is based on comparative institutional analysis, content analysis of EU and Ukrainian regulatory and policy documents, functional systematization of SME support instruments and generalization. The study found that the SME support system in the EU is institutionally established and functionally coordinated. It combines strategic planning, preventive consideration of small business needs in the regulatory process, instruments for access to the Single Market, partnership and advisory networks, guarantee-based and investment-oriented financing, digital and green modernization, as well as mechanisms for reducing administrative and information-related compliance burdens. Such a system is aimed not only at mitigating regulatory and financial constraints, but also at actively involving SMEs in innovation, sustainable development, international markets and value chains. The Ukrainian SME support system is considered hybrid, combining national loan and grant programs, international support, EU instruments, digital services, and funding mechanisms from international institutions, but it still remains somewhat fragmented. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the functional comparison of the EU and Ukrainian SME support systems and in identifying directions for Ukraine’s transition from a set of separate support programs to a coordinated SME development policy. The practical value of the study consists in substantiating recommendations for strengthening the M-Test, developing guarantee-based and blended finance, supporting digital and green modernization, expanding export support, providing advisory and financial instruments for standards, certification, CE marking and conformity assessment, and facilitating the integration of Ukrainian SMEs into EU networks and value chains.

Keywords: small and medium-sized enterprises; SME support system; European integration; SME-sensitive governance; Single Market; Ukraine; regulatory policy; digital transformation; green transition.

Tabl.: 2. Bibl.: 50.

Gron Oleksandra V. – Candidate of Sciences (Economics), Associate Professor, Associate Professor, Department of International Economic Relations and Business Security, Simon Kuznets Kharkiv National University of Economics (9a Nauky Ave., Kharkiv, 61166, Ukraine)
Email: [email protected]

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