Call for grant applications for the project “Public Investment Control 2.0”

The project “Public Investment Control 2.0” is aimed at supporting the system of civil society monitoring of the reform of public investment management in Ukraine in order to strengthen efficient, transparent and accountable public finances.

The project is implemented by the NGO Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting (IER) in partnership with the NGO Centre for Economic Strategy and the NGO Technologies of Progress, with the support of the European Commission.

The project will be implemented from 2 February 2026 to 1 February 2027.

The objective of the grant programme is to increase the effectiveness and performance of the new public investment management system by engaging civil society organisations in monitoring the implementation of the reform and the execution of public investment projects at the local level.

Within the grant programme, only eligible costs may be financed. All expenses must be included in the project budget (Annex B) and supported by appropriate documentation.

Key requirements for eligible costs

Costs are considered eligible if they:

• are incurred during the project implementation period defined in the Grant Agreement;
• are included in the approved project budget;
• are necessary for the implementation of the project;
• can be identified and verified through accounting records of the beneficiary;
• comply with applicable tax and social legislation;
• are reasonable, justified and cost-efficient.

Examples of eligible costs

Eligible costs may include:

• personnel costs for staff involved in project implementation (including taxes and social contributions);
• travel and subsistence costs for project staff;
• costs for purchase or rental of equipment and materials required for the project;
• office-related expenses, such as office rent, utilities, office supplies, internet and postal services;
• other costs necessary for implementation, including expert services, printing services, public events and banking services.

Non-eligible costs

The following costs are not eligible for funding:

• expenses outside the approved scope and budget of the project;
• costs incurred before the Grant Agreement is signed;
• representation and entertainment expenses;
• donations or contributions to third parties;
• gifts, bonuses, alcohol and tobacco products;
• fundraising campaign expenses;
• provision of sub-grants or financial support to other projects;
• debts, interest payments, penalties or fines;
• provisions for potential future losses or liabilities;
• purchase of real estate (land or buildings);
• costs already financed by other EU-funded programmes;
• corporate income tax, loans or credits to third parties;
• costs related to entities subject to sanctions or linked to aggressor states;
• salaries of employees of Ukrainian public authorities.

Step 1. Submission of the grant application

Applicants must prepare and submit a grant application consisting of:

• Application Form (Annex A);
• Project Budget (Annex B);
• a scanned copy of the project registration form, signed and stamped by the organisation;
• additional supporting documents specified in the call announcement.

The application must be submitted by email.

Step 2. Evaluation of applications

After the application review by the Grant Committee:

• applicants receive a notification letter with further instructions;
• the committee may award the grant with a requirement to revise certain elements of the proposal, such as:

• • clarification of the project budget;

  • possible reduction of certain activities.

Such adjustments may concern budget or activity details only and do not change the core of the project.

Step 3. Grant agreement

After fulfilling the requirements of the Grant Committee:

• a grant agreement is concluded between the applicant and the programme organiser;
• the agreement is sent to the applicant by email in PDF format.

Key timeline

• Application deadline: 14:00, 27 March 2026.
• Expected Grant Committee meeting: April 2026.
• Expected project start date: 15 April 2026.
• Project duration: 8 months.

Project proposals must be submitted electronically in accordance with the established requirements.

Main steps for submitting an application:

• The project proposal and all attachments must be sent in a single email to pim@ier.kyiv.ua.
• The email subject line should include “Monitoring of Public Investments”.
• All attachments must be submitted in .docx, .xlsx or .pdf formats, and each attachment should be sent as a separate file.

Additional documents:

• applicants must include CVs of the project team members who will implement the project;
• information about the organisation’s experience in implementing technical assistance projects should also be provided.

If the files are too large:

• the application materials may be uploaded to a file-sharing service, and the download link should be sent to pim@ier.kyiv.ua.

Additional information:

• submitted materials will not be reviewed or commented on;
• the competition plans to support 10 grant projects.

Decision-making process:

• the decision on approval or rejection of applications is taken by the Grant Committee;
• the committee may provide recommendations for revising the application;
• the final decision cannot be appealed, and reasons for rejection are not disclosed;
• the results of the competition will be announced publicly, and successful applicants will be notified directly.

Application registration

• Applications are registered by the IER.
• After registration, applicants receive an email notification with the registration number of their application.
• Applications submitted after the deadline may be refused registration.

Grant Committee

A Grant Committee is established to review applications. It includes:

• representatives of IER;
• experts from civil society organisations;
• researchers;
• representatives of media and donor organisations.

The committee is responsible for:

• reviewing submitted documents;
• selecting the winning projects.

Eligibility verification

Before the quality evaluation stage, applications undergo verification against eligibility and qualification criteria.

To be admitted to the competition, the proposal must:

• be complete and properly filled in;
• include the application form and project budget in the required format;
• be submitted by a non-profit organisation officially registered for at least 6 months;
• foresee a project duration of up to 8 months;
• have a budget within the maximum limit defined by the call.

Applications that do not meet these requirements are not considered further.

Quality assessment

Eligible applications undergo expert quality assessment.

The evaluation includes:

• analysis of the proposed project budget;
• assessment of the financial and managerial capacity of the applicant;
• preparation of an expert recommendation to approve or reject the proposal.

The results are summarised in a grant evaluation report submitted to the Grant Committee.

Decision-making

• The final decision on grant awards is made by the Grant Committee by majority vote.
• The committee may request revisions to the proposal, such as budget clarification or reduction of certain activities.
• After the meeting, applicants receive official notification of the results.

Grant agreement

• If the decision is positive, the applicant receives a notification letter within 5 working days.
• After the required revisions, IER prepares the grant agreement and sends it to the applicant.
• The agreement is signed electronically using a qualified electronic signature.

Core documents:

• Application Form (Annex A) completed clearly and accurately to enable proper evaluation of the proposal.
• Project Budget (Annex B) prepared according to the recommended budgeting guidelines.
• Scanned copy of the project registration card, signed and stamped by the organisation.

Supporting documents (in Ukrainian):

• a copy of the extract from the Unified State Register (EDR) (mandatory);
• a copy of the State Tax Service decision confirming inclusion in the Register of Non-Profit Organisations (mandatory);
• letters from partner organisations confirming their willingness to participate in the project (if the project is implemented in partnership);
• information about the organisation, including:

  • period of operation;

  • mission and objectives;

  • governance structure;

  • number of staff members;

  • availability of office space and technical equipment;

  • CV of the project manager;

• financial statements demonstrating the need for grant support, including information on the organisation’s total budget for the previous year;
• copies of additional reports on NGO funds usage (mandatory for civil society organisations);
• information on the organisation’s experience in implementing donor-funded projects during the last year (if such experience exists).

Within the programme one call for grant applications will be announced.

Within the grant programme, beneficiaries must comply with reporting requirements, financial accountability and monitoring procedures.

Project reporting

Grant recipients must submit analytical and financial reports to IER on project implementation.

Key requirements include:

• monthly reports submitted by the 5th day of the following month;
• reports describing activities carried out and progress towards expected results;
• interim reports if required by the grant agreement;
• a final report submitted within 10 calendar days after project completion.

Financial reports must include detailed information on grant expenditures and copies of supporting documents.

Report verification

• IER reviews submitted reports within 10 working days.
• If comments are issued, the beneficiary has 10 working days to respond and provide additional documents.

IER may revoke approval of a report if an audit or verification reveals inconsistencies.

Verification of project expenditures

Grant recipients must spend grant funds strictly in accordance with the approved project budget.

Key rules include:

• budget modifications require prior written approval from IER;
• reallocations within 10% of a budget line may not require additional approval;
• changes to staff costs or payments to individual contractors (sole proprietors) cannot be made without permission.

Costs incurred outside the approved project implementation period are not eligible.

Any unused grant funds must be returned to IER.

Monitoring and evaluation

Beneficiaries are responsible for monitoring project implementation and assessing results.

IER may conduct monitoring through:

• review of submitted reports;
• meetings with project staff and partners;
• monitoring visits;
• participation in project events organised by beneficiaries.

The grant is provided as targeted non-repayable financial assistance. The Grant Committee decides on the winners. The Chair of the IER Board may veto the decision before signing the grant agreement.