Abstract. Introduction<\/i><\/b>. <\/span><\/i>After the start of full-scale armed conflict, communities faced new challenges, such as the destruction of energy, social, and municipal infrastructure. This led to the need to raise additional funds to address the consequences. One solution was to seek foreign aid and bank loans. Ukrainian state banks became the leading organizations in providing loans for community needs. In addition to reconstruction, these funds can be used for social and humanitarian projects. Until 2024, however, only urban communities had access to these funds, limiting the opportunities for rural and village communities to attract funds. However, the adoption of the relevant law changed this, creating a positive trend for both banks and communities. This decision not only opens an additional opportunity for banks to earn money but also allows them to gain social points in the eyes of society. This type of cooperation benefits both parties and has great potential, as will be discussed in this article.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Purpose<\/i><\/b>. This article aims to explore the potential for collaboration between local communities and banking institutions in Ukraine to finance socio-economic development. To achieve this goal, we will reveal the nature of the interaction between communities and the banking sector, identify its primary forms and mechanisms, and outline the key advantages of such a partnership.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Results<\/i><\/b>. After the adoption of the law expanding lending to communities, the study found that the share of rural and settlement communities in the lending structure increased by 16%. The main lenders are the Ukrainian state-owned banks Oschadbank and Ukreximbank, which are supervised by the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine. Since 2018, these banks have enabled communities to implement over 1,000 projects. In 2024, they provided UAH 3,393.99 million for local government project implementation. According to the PESTEL analysis, prospects for cooperation include socioeconomic development for communities, accelerated project decision-making, new sources of profit for banking institutions, and increased public trust in banking institutions.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Conclusions<\/b>. Credit relations between communities and banks are important for expanding opportunities to attract additional resources. Currently, Ukrainian banks are leaders in providing credit services to local self-government bodies, which provides a reliable foundation for further developing these relations, which improve every year. Involving commercial banks in this process opens new opportunities for implementing strategically important initiatives.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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