Updated Criteria for Reserving Employees of Enterprises of Significant Importance in the Social Protection Sector

Ukraine continues to refine the framework governing the reservation of military-liable employees by updating sector-specific criteria for determining enterprises whose activities are of significant importance to the national economy. The latest changes concern the social protection sector, where the demand for rehabilitation services, social assistance, and the provision of technical and other rehabilitation aids has increased significantly during martial law.

To address these needs, the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine adopted Order No. 194 dated 23 June 2026, approving a revised version of the Criteria for determining enterprises, institutions, and organizations of significant importance to the national economy in the field of social protection. The new Order replaces the previous Criteria approved by Order No. 575-Н dated 10 December 2024.

The updated Criteria introduce clear quantitative indicators for manufacturers of prosthetic and orthopedic products, including prostheses, orthoses, and orthopedic footwear, establish acceptable thresholds for substantiated customer complaints, and further specify the eligibility requirements applicable to social service providers, including minimum service delivery volumes and relevant business activity classifications (NACE/KVED).

In addition, the revised Criteria recognize the activities of enterprises supplying technical and other rehabilitation aids to individuals located in active combat areas and temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Overall, the updated framework places greater emphasis on measurable performance indicators, objective assessment criteria, and increased transparency in determining whether an enterprise qualifies as being of significant importance to the national economy and is therefore eligible to obtain Critical Enterprise status for the purpose of reserving military-liable employees from mobilization.