The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union (EU) are providing a loan-and-guarantee package to Winner, one of Ukraine’s leading vehicle importers and retailers, which includes a 20 million euros loan from the EBRD and an EU guarantee, the EBRD said in a press release on August 6.
According to the press release, the EBRD is providing the loan to complement the company’s 23 million euros investment in a sustainable expansion program. This will include the construction of new car dealerships for the Renault and Volvo brands, as well as an expansion of the company’s logistics capacity and distribution and service infrastructure, including for electric vehicles.
The EU is providing the first-loss guarantee through the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) for the municipal, infrastructure, and industrial sectors, delivered under Team Europe, a joint approach by the European Union and its partners in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new car dealerships will be designed and built according to BREEAM or EDGE green building standards, boosting the company’s energy performance. Green buildings are still rare in Ukraine and, to date, there is only one BREEAM-certified building in the entire retail sector.
Since 1992, Winner has invested more than 100 million euros in the country and is committed to significant new investments. It has undertaken an energy audit, supported by the TaiwanBusiness – EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund, and due diligence, funded by the EU.
The investment is part of EBRD and EU efforts to build more competitive businesses and preserve the environment in the EU neighborhood. The EBRD and other private-sector lenders are providing more than 500 million euros in loans for this purpose, while the EU is supporting these investments with a guarantee of 100 million euros.
