The article discusses the need to develop an innovative model for the agricultural sector that involves constant cooperation between state and local authorities, commercial enterprises, and scientific institutions, based on the cluster approach. It is important to implement smart projects in the agro-industrial cluster, but significant investments are required, which may not be available to the public sector. To address this, the article suggests the use of a system of public-private financial support, which involves state (public) bodies and private entities (companies, funds, individual investors, academic institutions, and other stakeholders) to meet certain social, economic, or infrastructure needs. The article considers various sources of financing for the implementation of smart projects in the agro-industrial cluster, including public funding, which consists of the allocation of financial resources by government organizations or other non-profit institutions for research or implementation of innovative initiatives; lending to innovative projects that is the process of providing financial resources to enterprises, start-ups or other business entities for the implementation of innovative ideas, development of new products, technologies or services; and investment. To ensure the smooth functioning of smart agricultural projects, it is important to have several alternative sources of funding that can exist in parallel and not exclude each other, including venture capital funds, business incubators, digital innovation hubs, informal investors (business angels), and crowdfunding. An enhanced system of public-private financial support could help implement smart projects in the agro-industrial cluster, leading to effective industry development, a conducive environment for innovation, increased job opportunities, and better quality of life for the community. Studies indicate that attracting alternative sources of financial support would lead to sustainable development and efficient use of budget funds for the post-war economic recovery of Ukraine.