Bookstores will begin to receive rent compensation from the budget

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a mechanism for state compensation of rental expenses for bookstores. The program, provided for by legislation several years ago, will actually start working from the fourth quarter of 2026.

At the first stage, independent bookstores operating in communities with a population of up to 100,000 people will be able to receive a subsidy. Applications will be accepted by the Ukrainian Book Institute.

Compensation will be paid for the previous quarter. Therefore, stores will be able to receive the first payments in the first quarter of 2027 — for rent of premises in October–December 2026.

At the same time, state-compensated funds will not be freely directed to any business expenses. Bookstores must use them for purchasing new books or settling accounts with publishers for already sold editions. The Ministry of Culture expects that this support will simultaneously work for both retail sellers and publishers.

One of the main conditions for participation will be the presence of a certificate of conformity issued by the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting. Ukrainian Book Institute should announce specific application dates and detailed conditions separately.

The right of bookstores to a state subsidy for reimbursement of rental expenses was enshrined in a law adopted in 2022. However, the mechanism actually did not work for a long time. The law provides a number of requirements for program participants, including specialization of the store in selling books and restrictions on product range.

During 2026, the program launch was postponed several times. In the spring, the authorities expected to start payments from July, and in the summer a pilot format for small towns was discussed. Now the Cabinet of Ministers has adopted a resolution that directly allows the start of subsidy payments.

The program became part of broader support for the Ukrainian book industry after Russian attacks on printing houses, publishing houses, and book warehouses. The Ministry of Culture states that this summer alone, the industry lost more than a third of its annual book circulation.

In addition, the draft state budget for 2027 provides for an increase in funding for Ukrainian Book Institute programs to 667.6 million UAH against 284.9 million UAH in 2026. For the first time since 2021, funds are separately provided for purchasing new books for public and school libraries.

Source: Ministry of Culture of Ukraine