Deadline: 26-Aug-25
The International Renaissance Foundation is accepting applications for Small Grants Competition within the Impulse Project which aims to enhance the capacity of Ukrainian civil society organizations (CSOs) to set and achieve development goals that will contribute to the early restoration and reform of democratic governance in Ukraine.
The Small Grants Competition provides support for local and regional community initiatives that will promote recovery, inclusiveness, gender equality, and environmental sustainability in communities in regions most affected by hostilities.
Purpose
- To involve civil society organizations from the most affected regions in the processes of planning the recovery of Ukraine, which takes into account multidimensional aspects, and advocacy for the principles of sustainable development, human rights, non-discrimination and gender equality, transparency of governance in recovery strategies and development plans of territorial communities.
- To provide opportunities for organizational development of teams through the implementation of small grants and involvement in the training program and development of partnerships.
Funding Information
- The optimal budget for one project is from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 hryvnias.
- Project duration: total duration – up to 12 months.
Eligible Activities
- Types of activities that can be included in the project implementation plan (the list is not exhaustive):
- Increasing awareness and demand among residents of territorial communities for inclusive, nature-based, people-centered solutions when planning the recovery of Ukraine, in particular at the level of territorial communities.
- Actively engage local residents in recovery planning and advocacy processes, with representation from diverse stakeholders and vulnerable groups of citizens, such as internally displaced persons, veterans, persons with disabilities, and others.
- Development of a local/regional community network, participation in community network initiatives and actions.
- Analysis of vital problems of the territorial community, with the development of conclusions and recommendations and the implementation of appropriate advocacy activities.
- Communication activities that accompany the project and are based on materials from one’s own activities (including research, observations, analysis).
- Measures to increase the institutional capacity of your CSO, in particular the strategic planning of the applicant organization’s activities, taking into account the principles of sustainable development, non-discrimination and gender equality.
Eligible Projects
- Eligible project budget expenses are those that:
- necessary for the implementation of project activities;
- will actually arise during the project implementation period;
- comply with the principles of appropriateness and cost-effectiveness, including the principles of “best quality for the lowest price” and cost-effectiveness;
- can be correctly documented, justified and understandable, as well as supported by appropriate financial and accounting documentation.
Ineligible Projects
- Ineligible are project budget expenses related to:
- preparing a project proposal for participation in the competition;
- creation and registration of an organization;
- payment of debts;
- reimbursement of expenses related to exchange rate fluctuations;
- providing direct fiscal support to government authorities;
- political activity or religious propaganda;
- activities that lead to direct or indirect discrimination against any social groups;
- projects aimed at generating profit from activities;
- construction or repair work;
- equipment procurement, which accounts for more than 15% of the project budget;
- procurement of humanitarian aid and/or military equipment;
- purchase of vehicles and/or luxury items and related services;
- providing financial assistance to third parties (regranting).
Eligibility Criteria
- Participants of the competition are local or regional public organizations, public unions, charitable foundations, self-organization bodies of the population that actively contribute to the recovery processes in their communities (or regions) and directly involve such target audiences as: veterans, internally displaced persons, persons with disabilities, other vulnerable groups of citizens.
- The applicant organization must be registered in the following regions: Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Chernihiv. Organizations registered in the territories controlled by the government of Ukraine in the above-listed regions as of February 24, 2022, as well as during a full-scale war, but provided that at least 6 months have passed since the date of their initial registration (applies to all applicants).
- The organization may not currently be physically located in its place of registration and may be re-registered in the territory controlled by the government of Ukraine if it had to relocate due to intense hostilities or occupation.
- The relocated applicant organization must have experience in engaging in community initiatives relevant to the region where it was registered (e.g., participation in post-occupation recovery planning processes, remote monitoring of the situation in the territory of its home.
- The applicant organization’s team members must be physically located in Ukraine and be willing to participate in the organizational development program in person.
For more information, visit International Renaissance Foundation.