Deadline: 09-Jun-2026
The Critical Infrastructure Resilience Project Competition provides funding to communities and local governments in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, and Donetsk regions to strengthen essential infrastructure and improve resilience. The initiative supports projects focused on emergency service restoration, infrastructure network expansion, and energy security during blackouts, helping communities maintain critical services and improve preparedness for disruptions.
About the Competition
The Critical Infrastructure Resilience Project Competition is designed to help communities and local governments improve the reliability, accessibility, and sustainability of essential infrastructure services.
The initiative supports practical, community-driven infrastructure projects that address urgent service delivery challenges, strengthen local resilience, and improve preparedness for emergencies and energy disruptions.
By investing in critical infrastructure improvements, the programme aims to enhance community well-being, ensure service continuity, and strengthen local capacity to respond to ongoing challenges.
Program Objectives
The competition aims to:
- Strengthen critical infrastructure resilience.
- Restore essential services affected by disruptions.
- Expand infrastructure access to underserved households.
- Improve energy security during blackouts.
- Support local government infrastructure initiatives.
- Enhance emergency preparedness and response capacity.
- Improve service reliability and continuity.
- Strengthen community resilience and self-sufficiency.
Focus Areas
Projects should address one or more of the following priority areas:
Emergency Service Restoration
Support for initiatives that restore or improve essential public services affected by disruptions, emergencies, or infrastructure damage.
Examples include:
- Water supply restoration.
- Energy service restoration.
- Public utility rehabilitation.
- Community service continuity projects.
- Emergency infrastructure repairs.
Network Expansion for New Households
Support for projects that expand infrastructure access and connect additional households to critical services.
Examples include:
- Utility network extensions.
- Water and sanitation connections.
- Electricity network expansion.
- Community infrastructure upgrades.
- Service access improvements.
Winter Energy Independence During Blackouts
Support for initiatives that improve energy resilience and reduce vulnerability during power outages.
Examples include:
- Backup energy systems.
- Alternative power solutions.
- Community energy resilience projects.
- Emergency energy infrastructure.
- Energy security improvements.
Funding Information
The competition has allocated a total budget of:
- UAH 2,250,000.
Funding support includes:
- Up to $23,000 per project for newly selected winning initiatives.
- Four additional grants of $5,000 each awarded to support projects selected in the previous competition cycle.
Current Funding Results
Through the latest round of citizen-led initiatives:
- 14 winning projects received grants of up to $23,000 each.
- 4 previous winners received follow-up grants of $5,000 each.
Eligible Applicants
The competition is open to:
- Local governments.
- Municipal authorities.
- Communities.
- Community partnerships.
- Local public institutions.
- Eligible community-based infrastructure initiatives.
Applicants must be located within the following regions:
- Dnipropetrovsk Region.
- Zaporizhia Region.
- Donetsk Region.
Who Can Benefit?
The programme is designed to benefit:
- Local residents.
- Households requiring improved infrastructure access.
- Communities affected by service disruptions.
- Municipal service providers.
- Rural and urban communities.
- Vulnerable populations dependent on essential services.
Eligible Project Types
Examples of projects that may align with programme priorities include:
- Energy resilience projects.
- Emergency power solutions.
- Water infrastructure rehabilitation.
- Utility network expansion.
- Community infrastructure upgrades.
- Service restoration initiatives.
- Winter preparedness infrastructure.
- Infrastructure modernization projects.
- Local resilience-building initiatives.
How the Competition Works
The competition generally follows these stages:
- Identify a critical infrastructure challenge within the community.
- Develop a practical infrastructure solution.
- Prepare a project proposal aligned with programme priorities.
- Demonstrate expected community benefits and resilience outcomes.
- Submit the application for evaluation.
- Projects are reviewed and assessed.
- Successful projects receive grant funding.
- Communities implement approved activities.
- Results are monitored and documented.
Expected Outcomes
Funded projects are expected to contribute to:
- Improved infrastructure reliability.
- Greater access to essential services.
- Enhanced energy security.
- Faster recovery from disruptions.
- Increased community resilience.
- Improved emergency preparedness.
- Better service continuity for households.
- Stronger local infrastructure systems.
Why This Competition Matters
Reliable infrastructure is essential for community stability, public safety, and economic resilience.
This initiative helps communities:
- Maintain essential services during emergencies.
- Reduce the impact of infrastructure disruptions.
- Improve energy independence.
- Strengthen local preparedness.
- Expand service access to residents.
- Support long-term infrastructure sustainability.
- Build resilience against future challenges.
By investing in practical infrastructure solutions, communities can improve quality of life and strengthen their capacity to respond to changing circumstances.
Tips for a Strong Application
- Clearly identify the infrastructure challenge being addressed.
- Demonstrate the urgency of the need.
- Show measurable community benefits.
- Present realistic implementation plans.
- Include evidence of community support.
- Focus on sustainability and long-term impact.
- Explain how the project improves resilience.
- Provide a clear budget and implementation timeline.
Common Application Mistakes
- Submitting projects unrelated to priority areas.
- Providing unclear infrastructure objectives.
- Failing to demonstrate community impact.
- Weak sustainability planning.
- Unrealistic budgets or timelines.
- Insufficient technical details.
- Limited evidence of local need.
- Incomplete project documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who can apply for the competition?
Communities and local governments located in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, and Donetsk regions are eligible to apply.
What is the main goal of the competition?
The competition aims to strengthen critical infrastructure resilience, improve service delivery, and enhance community preparedness during disruptions.
What focus areas are supported?
The programme supports emergency service restoration, infrastructure network expansion, and winter energy independence during blackouts.
What is the total competition budget?
The competition has a total allocated budget of UAH 2,250,000.
How much funding can successful projects receive?
Selected projects may receive grants of up to $23,000, while some previous winners have received additional grants of $5,000.
What types of projects are encouraged?
Projects that improve infrastructure reliability, expand service access, strengthen energy security, and improve resilience to disruptions are encouraged.
Why is infrastructure resilience important?
Infrastructure resilience helps communities maintain essential services, recover more quickly from disruptions, and improve long-term stability and preparedness.
Conclusion
The Critical Infrastructure Resilience Project Competition provides valuable support for communities and local governments seeking to improve essential infrastructure and strengthen resilience. By funding projects focused on service restoration, network expansion, and energy security, the initiative helps communities enhance service continuity, improve preparedness, and build stronger, more sustainable infrastructure systems for the future.
For more information, visit SDS.