(within the frame of the Grant Programme in the Organic Sector supported by Switzerland)
About the company
Shans Vik LLC (TRAVKA TM) was founded in 2006 in Volyn, Ukraine, and is now a socially responsible veteran business. For this time, the company has gained more than ten years of experience in the area of procurement and processing of wild-collected herbs and berries. The company’s own procurement centre, industrial dryers and modern equipment ensure full control over the production cycle — from raw material collection to the finished product.
In 2024, the company launched a line of organic teas under TRAVKA TM, which consists of ten unique blends, including the world’s first certified organic tea with red fly agaric.
TRAVKA is not just tea, but a philosophy of caring for health, the environment and peace of mind. The products are presented on the official website, at fairs, festivals, and in HoReCa establishments that offer organic solutions for their guests.
Support within the Grant Programme and results
Thanks to the grant programme by the project “Women Entrepreneurship in the Organic Sector”, implemented with the support of Switzerland, the company was able to scale up the production and introduce TRAVKA teas in a new format — filter bags. This made the product more convenient and accessible to a wider audience.
As part of the grant, containers for storing organic raw materials and finished blends were purchased and almost 60,000 filter bags were produced. The company created presentation kits for tastings at exhibitions and HoReCa establishments, and launched an advertising campaign in social media, which significantly increased brand awareness.
The team of Shans Vik LLC also took part in the mentoring course on promoting organic products on the domestic market under the mentorship of Oleksandr Ratushniuk, an expert with over 20 years of experience in marketing and distribution (Jiva organic brand). The mentor’s advice helped to better understand the competitive environment, increase the company’s competitiveness, and expand cooperation with retail chains.
All of this, as well as participation in fairs in Lutsk, Lviv and Kyiv, attracted new customers and allowed the company to increase sales by 20%. The company signed a contract with a wholesale buyer and began supplying its products to stores in Lviv.
Implementation of the grant did not only strengthen TRAVKA’s position on the market, but also created additional opportunities for rural communities, as the company purchases wild-collected raw materials from households and microbusinesses. In this way, the company contributes to development of rural communities, creates jobs, and supports sustainable farming practices.
Plans for the future
The company plans to expand its cooperation with HoReCa establishments, offering them organic tea in an attractive format with tasting sets and branded organisers. There are also plans to expand the range of TRAVKA products, develop national distribution, and further promote the culture of organic beverage consumption.
Advice from owner:
Volodymyr Olkhovyk: In the world of organic products, each of your bold ideas is the seed of future growth. Don’t be afraid to make your most ambitious desires a reality, because they pave the way for innovation, differentiate you from your competitors, and allow your company to not only to survive, but to thrive and develop continuously.
* Grant Program in the Organic Sector is funded by Switzerland and implemented within the framework of
- the project “Women Entrepreneurship in the Organic Sector” (WEOS) implemented by ICO “Information Center “Green Dossier” in partnership with Organic Initiative Public Association, and
- the Swiss-Ukrainian Programme “Higher Value Added Trade from the Organic and Dairy Sector in Ukraine” (QFTP) implemented by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, Switzerland) in partnership with SAFOSO AG (Switzerland).