Deadline: 27-Mar-25
The Social Capital Program of the International Renaissance Foundation announces a competition to support educational and cultural projects in the deoccupied and frontline territories of Ukraine that have a significant impact on the local community and contribute to the resilience and cohesion of local communities.
It focuses on supporting initiatives that strengthen social cohesion, improve community capacity to overcome conflicts, and build skills to overcome social divisions.
Education and culture are important components of this process, as they are the areas through which local communities can be engaged, civic engagement strengthened, and opportunities for constructive dialogue created. These initiatives contribute to the development of democratic processes by providing people with the tools and resources to actively participate in addressing issues of public importance.
Restoring cultural and educational life in these regions not only helps to regain what was lost, but also allows people to become participants in changes that reduce social gaps and conflicts. This is an important factor in developing resilience and the ability of the community to adapt to new conditions, supporting national identity and local patriotism.
Funding Information
- The total budget of the competition is 18,000,000 hryvnias.
- The optimal grant size is 1,000,000-1,200,000 hryvnias.
- The maximum grant amount is 1,800,000 hryvnias.
Duration
- The project implementation period is up to 12 months. The estimated start date of the projects is June 15, 2025.
Competition Priorities
- Priority 1: Creating a cultural and/or educational product that responds to the challenges caused by the war and promotes social cohesion. Projects should be focused on producing a product/content that reflects the lived experience of de-occupied and frontline regions, and has the potential to mobilize local communities, strengthen their social cohesion, and enhance participation in democratic processes.
- Priority 2: Project activities should be focused on communities in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa regions, and/or be directed at internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
- Priority 3: The project should have a social impact: be recognized and supported by local communities, promote dialogue and cooperation with different communities and target audiences. It should influence the development of national identity, local patriotism and correspond to democratic values, such as human rights, inclusion, diversity, environmental sustainability and European integration of Ukraine, which are priorities of the International Renaissance Foundation.
- Priority 4: The project must be unique and cannot be part of another grant project that has already received funding from other donors.
- Priority 5: The project must be original and innovative, using new approaches, methods or tools that meet the needs and realities of the region. Preference will be given to projects that offer effective, fresh ideas that can bring real results in strengthening the resilience and development of local communities.
Eligibility Criteria
- Project activities should be carried out exclusively within the territories controlled by the authorities of Ukraine
- Project activities should include broad public awareness of the project’s progress and results, in particular through the dissemination of success stories.
- Contest Participants
- Public organizations, unions, associations, societies and other associations registered in the territories controlled by the government of Ukraine, in accordance with current legislation as non-profit or charitable organizations.
For more information, visit International Renaissance Foundation.