The Ministry of Economy , Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, by Order No. 6954 dated June 24, 2026 , established new criteria for determining enterprises as critical to the national economy. Many from the human resources department and mobilization department of enterprises of Ukraine immediately began searching for what new criteria an enterprise must meet in order to have the right to reserve employees in September 2026.
In this material, we have analyzed in detail the new criteria for recognizing an enterprise as “critically important” in each specific sector of the Economy, such as:
- investment projects (grants),
- industrial parks,
- machinery production,
- forestry,
- farming,
- agro-industrial complex,
- land reclamation,
- healthcare,
- environment.
To cover such a large number of different industries and a multitude of criteria, we have divided our material into 3 Sections, where:
- the first section concerns enterprises according to general economic criteria;
- the second section – agro-industrial complex and ecology and environmental safety;
- the third section is the food industry and the international element.
Section 1. General economic criteria and requirements
The first section of the new rules establishes universal requirements for a wide range of enterprises falling within the sphere of state policy formation of the Ministry of Economy, as well as specific conditions for the forestry industry.
In order for an enterprise to be considered critical, it must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- State financial support: The enterprise received grants for the creation or development of the processing industry (in accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 739 ). Compliance is confirmed by bank reports for the last calendar quarter.
- Government contracts: Performance of works or provision of services directly for the Ministry of Economy on the basis of contracts concluded for a period of at least six months .
- Management and ownership: Enterprises under the management of the Ministry of Economy, or where the state, represented by the Ministry, is the sole founder/shareholder, in other words, state-owned enterprises or with a state share.
Scaled (all-encompassing) territorial activity: Conducting activities in the territory of three or more regions of Ukraine.
At the same time, strict requirements have been established for this criterion to confirm territorial presence in several regions of Ukraine:
- Availability of owned or rented real estate in each region.
- The number of insured persons is at least 10 employees in the last month.
- The amount of taxes paid (except customs) and social security contributions for the last three months in each region must be at least UAH 24,000 .
Industrial parks: Status of a participant or management company of an industrial park included in the Register, subject to the existence of an appropriate business activity agreement.
Significant investments: Availability of a special investment agreement for the implementation of projects in the areas of processing industry, mineral extraction (except coal and oil and gas), waste management, etc.
Production of machinery and equipment: Inclusion in the list of manufacturers whose equipment costs are partially compensated by the state within the framework of the “Made in Ukraine” platform ( Resolution No. 952 ) or programs for compensating the cost of agricultural machinery ( Resolution No. 130 ).
Ensuring the needs of other critical productions: Documented production of raw materials, materials or components, the absence of which will lead to the suspension of production of other enterprises in the sphere of the Ministry of Economy.
1.2. New requirements for salary levels
Order No. 6954 of June 24, 2026 introduces differentiated coefficients to confirm the importance of an enterprise through the level of wages:
- For enterprises with at least 50 employees : the average salary for the last quarter must be no lower than the national average for the previous year, multiplied by a factor of 2 – the amount is UAH 41,307.10 .
- For enterprises with at least 20 employees : the average salary must be no lower than the national average, multiplied by a factor of 3 – the amount is from 86,445 UAH to 91,545 UAH .
1.3. Specific criteria for forestry
Forestry enterprises are recognized as critically important if they meet the criteria for forest land area and the following specified financial indicators:
- Land resources and income: The enterprise must have the right to permanent use of forestry lands with an area of at least 2,500 hectares OR have an annual net income from product sales of at least UAH 10 million for the previous year.
- Industry affiliation (KVED): The main activity must be forestry (02.10), logging (02.20) or supporting services to forestry (02.40).
- Specialized activities: This category also includes enterprises in the field of management of the State Forestry Agency with KVED in the field of IT (62.09), research in biotechnology (72.11) or natural sciences (72.19), as well as botanical gardens and reserves (91.04).
To confirm these statuses, enterprises such as LLCs, PEs, JSCs and others are required to provide copies of tax calculations, balance sheets, extracts from registers of property rights and planning and cartographic materials of forest management.
Section 2. Agro-industrial complex and environmental security of the country
This block of criteria covers institutions that ensure the preservation of the natural fund and enterprises that are the foundation of the country’s food security.
Enterprises in this industry are considered critical if they meet one of the following characteristics:
- Management of the reserve fund: This category includes nature and biosphere reserves, as well as national natural parks. The key condition is the implementation of activities to preserve natural complexes and the area of the territory is at least 800 hectares .
- Botanical Gardens: Institutions engaged in the acclimatization, study, and conservation of rare species of flora. The minimum area for recognition of status is 15 hectares .
- Scientific and technical activities: Enterprises performing a range of environmental monitoring tasks, including:
- Monitoring the state of the Black and Azov Seas (observation of biota, marine ecosystem and anthropogenic pressure).
- Development of scientific recommendations for management decisions in the field of ecology and the use of GIS technologies.
- State Register of Scientific Institutions: Enterprises included in this register that receive state support for research in the field of environmental protection, sustainable nature management, or agroforestry.
2.2. Agriculture: new criteria for scale and profitability
According to the new changes of June 24, 2026, according to the Order of the Ministry of Economy No. 6954, for an agricultural enterprise to be recognized as critically important, it must meet two or more criteria specified in paragraph 4 of the Order. The first group of these criteria concerns the scale of production:
- Land bank and intensity:
- Cultivation of agricultural land on an area of at least 1,000 hectares .
- OR processing of perennial plantings (orchards, vineyards) on an area of at least 50 hectares .
- Financial threshold: The volume of net annual income from the sale of products (goods, works, services) for the previous reporting year must be at least UAH 40 million .
2.3. Sectoral specialization in the agricultural sector (KVED)
Of critical importance are enterprises whose main activity is the production, processing or sale (export) of products according to the specified KVED-2010 codes. These include:
- Crop production: Growing of grains, legumes, oilseeds, rice, sugarcane, fiber crops, vegetables, melons, root crops, fruits, berries and nuts.
- Livestock: Breeding of cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry.
- Support activities: Seed treatment for reproduction and post-harvest activities.
2.4. Providing agricultural production with equipment and chemicals
A separate group consists of manufacturers and suppliers of means of production for the village:
- Chemicals and veterinary medicine: Production of fertilizers, nitrogen compounds, pesticides and other agrochemical products, as well as veterinary drugs.
- Agricultural machinery:
- Production of machinery for agriculture and forestry.
- Wholesale trade in agricultural machinery and equipment. An additional requirement has been established for trading companies: the annual wholesale turnover of such equipment must exceed UAH 20 million and be at least 50% of their net income.
- Rental of agricultural machinery .
Compliance is confirmed through copies of tax calculations, reports on areas and gross collections (form No. 29-сг), as well as certified copies of financial statements
Section 3. Food security, land reclamation, international representation and media
This block of criteria focuses on providing the population with food, supporting irrigation infrastructure, and integrating foreign entities into the Ukrainian economy under strict security conditions.
3.1. Food industry and processing industry
To be recognized as a critical food enterprise, it must meet the criteria for activities (KVED) that cover the full cycle of production and processing. Key areas include:
- Production of basic products: Meat and meat products, dairy products, butter, cheese, products of the flour and cereal industry, starch.
- Bakery and confectionery industry: Production of bread, bakery products, sugar, cocoa, chocolate and confectionery.
- Beverages and canning: Processing of vegetables and fruits, production of juices, mineral waters, soft drinks, as well as beer and wine.
- Feed and oil production: Production of ready-made feeds for farm animals, as well as vegetable oils and fats.
- Food industry machinery: Production of machinery and equipment for the production of food products, beverages and tobacco processing.
3.2. Fisheries and financial and scientific support for the agricultural sector
Separate criteria have been defined for entities that ensure the development of the fishing industry and infrastructural support for farmers:
- Fishing: Activities in the areas of marine and freshwater fishing, as well as aquaculture (fish farming).
- Science for Food Security: Conducting research in biotechnology, natural sciences, and engineering to improve agricultural efficiency.
- Financial instruments: Provision of financial services and partial guarantees on loans for small and medium-sized agribusinesses.
- State land management: Activities of enterprises with 100% state share that provide sublease of state agricultural land through auctions.
3.3. Land reclamation and water use
Enterprises working in the field of land reclamation are recognized as important if they have the status of a water user organization . The main requirements for them are:
- Ownership of engineering infrastructure facilities of land reclamation systems (or their parts).
- Maintenance of engineering infrastructure on an area of at least 500 hectares .
- The presence of at least 5 insured employees on the staff .
Read also: Employee Reservation 2026: How to Confirm the Criticality of an Enterprise by September 1
3.4. Criteria for foreign missions and media
The order establishes clear conditions for legalizing the critical status of foreign entities operating in Ukraine:
- Permanent representative offices of non-residents: Must have been operating in Ukraine for the past two calendar years .
- Salary: The average accrued salary must not be lower than the national average, multiplied by a factor of 3 .
- Security restrictions:
- The company and its beneficiaries should not be subject to international or Ukrainian sanctions.
- The entity must not conduct activities in the territory of the Russian Federation, Belarus, or the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
- Foreign media: Must have worked in Ukraine for at least two years or have official accreditation from units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the same period.
Analysis of Order No. 6954 demonstrates the state’s strategic approach to preserving labor resources in industries that ensure both physical survival (nutrition) and economic stability and international support for Ukraine.
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