Ukraine - Due DiligenceUkraine - Due Diligence
Conducting due diligence on prospective business partners and customers is essential in Ukraine. It is critical to confirm the legitimate registration, financial status, and reputation of potential customers and partners, before entering into a contractual relationship or selling your products/services. Doing so requires engaging the services of a law firm or using the International Company Profile (ICP) service offered by the U.S. Commercial Service. This service provides a detailed report including a financial background report, a check of references, the company’s history, and a site visit by an American Commercial Service officer.
Although there is little reliable open source information on Ukrainian firms, there are three nationwide web-based databases that can be useful: 1) a listing of bankrupt companies; 2) a list of companies in liquidation, and 3) a list of companies and individuals under civil or criminal prosecution. Unfortunately, the databases are available in Ukrainian only. To get access, you must register online or send a written request together with the subscription fee.
Interested American companies may try:
- the Bankruptcy Information and Inquiry System, administered by the Informational Court Systems State Enterprise to verify if a Ukrainian company is in insolvency court or has been declared bankrupt by a commercial court
- the Unified State Register of Court Decisions to learn if a company or individual is under civil or criminal prosecution.