“Capable of Making a Difference-2” Small Grants Competition

The project “Ukraine: Strengthening Democracy through Civil Society” aims to support Ukrainian CSOs through a system of small grants, training programs, analytical support, and networking. The project is implemented by a consortium comprising the Kyiv Human Rights Hub, the Center for Civil Liberties, and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, in partnership with Ukrainian and international organizations. Support focuses on developing the organizational capacity and advocacy potential of CSOs in the areas of human rights, democratic governance, anti-corruption, education, and support for vulnerable groups in wartime conditions. Priorities also include women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, anti-corruption efforts, and investigative journalism. The project includes grants, training, advocacy campaigns, strategic planning, emergency grants, leadership development, anti-corruption activities, documentation of human rights violations, and participation in forums, an analytical academy, and networking events.

The grant programme is open to specific categories of non-profit organisations registered in Ukraine and meeting the established eligibility requirements.

Eligible applicants include:

• charitable organisations, including charitable foundations and charitable institutions;
• public associations, including non-governmental organisations and unions of NGOs;
• higher education institutions registered as legal entities in Ukraine.

Applicant organisations must be included in the Register of Non-Profit Organisations under the relevant non-profit status categories.

The following entities are not eligible to apply:

• business entities, including both legal entities and sole proprietors;
• state authorities and local self-government bodies;
• municipal institutions;
• political parties;
• religious organisations.

In addition, an applicant organisation must not be undergoing bankruptcy or liquidation procedures at the time of application.

Grant funding cannot be awarded to organisations that, at the time of signing the grant agreement, have a registered legal address in temporarily occupied territories or in settlements where Ukrainian state authorities are temporarily unable to exercise their powers.

Within the competition, organisations may apply under one of two funding lots depending on their project implementation experience.

• LOT 1 is intended for organisations registered from 15 May 2023 that have implemented at least one project. The grant amount is NOK 70,000.
• LOT 2 is intended for organisations registered before 15 May 2023 that have implemented at least three projects. The grant amount is NOK 150,000.

The programme plans to support up to 20 projects.

Grant funds will be transferred in Norwegian kroner in one or two instalments, depending on the grant amount. Project budgets must also be prepared in Norwegian kroner.

Administrative costs are eligible up to 7% of the total grant amount. These may include banking fees, office rent, utility costs, office supplies, internet services and communication expenses.

All budget lines must be clearly detailed and properly justified in relation to the planned project activities. Budget justifications should be based on the market value of goods and services in Ukraine.

The grant programme supports projects that fall under one thematic area only:

• promotion of human rights, equal rights and non-discrimination;
• strengthening the organisational capacity of human rights NGOs and developing regional human rights networks;
• support for civic education at the regional level;
• support for advocacy initiatives related to regional and national human rights agendas.

For projects under the advocacy theme, priority is given to applications submitted in partnership with other organisations.

Eligible activities may include:

• provision of psychosocial, legal and other forms of support to people affected by war;
• monitoring of peaceful assemblies, court proceedings and activities of public authorities;
• development and advocacy of policy proposals related to democratic governance reforms;
• public awareness and information campaigns;
• monitoring and documenting cases of discrimination;
• planning and implementation of advocacy campaigns at national, regional and local levels;
• expanding access of vulnerable groups to legal and advisory support services;
• initiatives aimed at strengthening communities of marginalised groups;
• activities promoting cross-sector cooperation and networking in the human rights field;
• public monitoring, assessment and expert review related to democratic governance reforms;
• development of civic education programmes focused on equality and non-discrimination;
• organisation of public lectures, discussions and civic engagement activities;
• creation and dissemination of educational materials on human rights, citizen participation and anti-corruption topics.

At the same time, grant funds may not be used for political or religious activities, debt repayment, taxes and fees, proposal preparation, training activities, purchase of used equipment, or other ineligible costs defined by the competition rules.

The grant programme includes several key stages related to the competition and project implementation process.

• 18 May 2026 — official launch of the small grants competition.
• 26 May 2026 — an online information session is planned to present the programme conditions and application requirements to potential applicants.
• Applicants may submit questions regarding the competition and application process until 12 June 2026 via the email address provided by the organisers.
• 14 June 2026 at 23:59 — application submission deadline.
• The expected start of project implementation is September 2026.
• Project implementation may last for up to 9 months.

The roadmap outlines the main milestones from the competition announcement through the start of project activities and subsequent implementation period.

Project proposals submitted under the small grants competition are assessed through a two-stage evaluation process, conducted separately for each lot.

Stage One — Technical Screening

During the technical review, the following aspects are verified:

• timely submission of the application, budget and required annexes;
• compliance of the applicant organisation with the competition requirements;
• completeness and correctness of the application form and budget;
• availability of all mandatory supporting documents;
• compliance of the requested funding amount with the maximum grant limit;
• compliance of the proposed project duration with the maximum period of 9 months.

Applications that fail to meet any of the technical requirements are not advanced to the next stage.

Stage Two — Evaluation by the Independent Selection Committee

Applications that pass the technical screening are assessed by independent experts based on the following criteria:

• relevance of the proposed project;
• the project’s ability to address or contribute to solving the identified problem;
• alignment with the thematic priorities of the competition;
• clarity, practicality and feasibility of the proposed activities and expected results;
• experience and capacity of the project team;
• reasonableness and justification of the proposed budget.

Funding decisions are made based on the results of this two-stage evaluation process.

In addition to the completed project application form (Word) and budget (Excel), applicants are required to submit the following documents:

• a copy of the State Registration Certificate or an extract from the Unified State Register;
• a copy of the Extract from the Register of Non-Profit Institutions and Organisations;
• a copy of the Report on the Use of Income (Profits) of the non-profit organisation and the annual financial statements for 2025;
• CVs of personnel proposed for project implementation;
• a memorandum-related letter in the case of a consortium application.

An additional mandatory attachment applies to applicants submitting projects in partnership under the thematic area “Support for advocacy activities related to the regional and national human rights agenda”, where a memorandum of cooperation document must be provided.

An online information session is scheduled for May 26, 2026, to provide details about the terms of the small grants competition and explain the requirements for project applications. To participate in the event, please register by clicking this link.

The “Capable of Making a Difference-2” small grants competition is administered by the Kyiv Human Rights Hub in partnership with the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, with financial support from the Government of Norway.