Competition "Culture. Unity. Resilience 2.0"

The “Social Capital” grant program of the International Renaissance Foundation is aimed at supporting cultural and educational projects in de-occupied and frontline territories of Ukraine, contributing to strengthening social trust, community development, and resilience.

Key features of the program:

• The main objective of the program is to support cultural and educational initiatives that contribute to community recovery, institutional capacity building, and long-term resilience.
• The program supports projects that strengthen the cultural and educational sector, including advocacy, research, network development, partnerships, and promotion of cultural initiatives.
• Culture and education are viewed as key tools for recovery and development, helping to enhance cooperation between communities, local authorities, and civil society.
• Special priority is given to projects that bring together multiple organizations and sectors, with clear roles, shared responsibilities, and the creation of sustainable partnerships or networks.
• The program aims to restore the cultural and educational ecosystem, support communities as active agents of change, and reduce social fragmentation while fostering a shared vision for the future.

The eligibility criteria and participation requirements of the grant program define the types of organizations that may apply, the conditions for submission, and the mandatory components of project proposals.

Eligible applicants include civil society organizations, unions, associations, and other entities that are officially registered under Ukrainian law and have non-profit or charitable status. In addition, project activities must be implemented exclusively within territories controlled by the Government of Ukraine, which is a mandatory eligibility condition.

Preference will be given to project proposals that address a broader range of the competition’s priority areas and include appropriate public communication and dissemination of project results, such as sharing outcomes, success stories, and other outreach activities. Proposals that do not meet the established requirements will not be considered by the selection committee.

Where applicable, project applications may include supporting materials such as:

• research tools or methodologies;
• draft programs of planned activities;
• letters of support from partner organizations or public authorities, confirming their involvement in project implementation.

At the same time, certain entities are not eligible to receive funding. Specifically, grants will not be awarded to political parties, religious communities, private individuals, state or municipal enterprises, or for-profit entities.

The grant program provides financial support for the implementation of cultural and educational projects aimed at community recovery and development.

Funding Amount

The total competition budget is UAH 17,000,000, enabling support for a significant number of initiatives within the defined priorities.
The optimal grant size ranges from UAH 900,000 to UAH 1,000,000, while the maximum grant amount is up to UAH 1,500,000 per project. The final grant amount depends on the project scope, budget justification, and expected results.

Eligible Expenses

Grant funds may only be used for expenses that:

• are directly necessary for project implementation;
• are incurred during the project implementation period;
• comply with the principles of cost-effectiveness, relevance, and efficient use of funds;
• are properly documented and supported by financial and accounting records.

These requirements ensure transparent and accountable use of grant funding.

Ineligible Expenses

Grant funds may not be used for expenses unrelated to the project or that contradict the program rules. In particular, funding cannot be used for:

• preparation of the application or establishment of an organization;
• repayment of debts or compensation for currency exchange fluctuations;
• political or religious activities;
• profit-generating activities;
• construction or renovation works, or the purchase of furniture, equipment, or vehicles;
• procurement of humanitarian aid or military equipment;
• provision of financial support to third parties (regranting).

Priority 1. Reframing War Experience, Community, and Resilience

Projects aimed at (re)interpreting individual and collective experiences of war, including their cultural and educational reflection, as well as strengthening community capacity for recovery, mutual support, and long-term resilience. Special attention is given to initiatives working with memory, trauma, identity, and the formation of a shared vision of the future through culture and education, involving diverse community groups in co-creation and dialogue.

Priority 2. Network Building, Partnerships, and Cross-Sectoral Cooperation

Projects that create or strengthen sustainable networks, collaboration platforms, and partnerships among organizations from different sectors (civil society, cultural, educational, research), including the involvement of military personnel, veterans, and volunteers. These projects should include joint planning, shared responsibilities, and institutionalized cooperation in the form of active associations, unions, or long-term partnership formats. Such cooperation will be considered a competitive advantage of the project proposal.

Priority 3. Cultural Promotion and Community Engagement

Projects that increase the visibility of cultural and educational initiatives, promote active community participation and co-creation, support the development of participatory formats and a culture of civic engagement, and contribute to building shared responsibility for the cultural and social development of territories.

Priority 4. Target Communities and Territorial Focus

Project activities must be focused on communities in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odesa regions, and/or be aimed at internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.

Priority 5. Effective Models, Tools, and Innovative Approaches

Projects proposing already tested models, tools, or approaches must clearly demonstrate their effectiveness through qualitative and quantitative impact indicators (including descriptions of achieved results, outreach, changes in communities or organizations, and examples of implementation).

At the same time, priority is also given to innovative projects that propose fundamentally new approaches or solutions “from scratch,” provided they include a well-justified logic of change, a clear description of expected impact, and a realistic implementation plan for piloting and scaling the proposed model.

• The application submission deadline is March 4, 2026, at 15:00 (Kyiv time).
• After the application period closes, proposals will undergo evaluation and selection. The competition results will be announced by May 4, 2026, after which selected organizations will receive official funding confirmation.
• The expected start date for project implementation is May 20, 2026.
• The project implementation period is up to 12 months, allowing organizations to fully implement project activities, achieve the expected results, and ensure a sustainable impact on target communities.

• Project proposals (application form with attachments) must be registered on the website of the International Renaissance Foundation using the “Electronic Competition” service. All proposal documents must be submitted in .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, or .pdf format. The maximum file size for each attachment must not exceed 8 MB.
• Project proposals registered on the International Renaissance Foundation website after 3:00 PM Kyiv time on March 4, 2026, will not be considered.
• Project proposals submitted by any method other than the one specified above will

• Compliance of the submitted project proposal with the objectives and priorities of the competition;
• clarity of the project proposal’s objective and alignment of its activities and tasks with the stated goal;
• expected impact of the project in achieving positive changes;
• comprehensive approach to addressing the identified problem;
• relevant prior experience of the applicant in implementing similar activities;
• feasibility of project implementation and the availability of a clear implementation plan;
• sustainability and viability of the project after its completion.

• Project description.
• Work plan and budget.
• Extract from the register of non-profit. organizations
• Team CVs.

The grant recipient is responsible for monitoring the project implementation and evaluating its results, as well as complying with the communication policy and branding requirements of the International Renaissance Foundation.

The grant recipient must submit reports in the format specified by the International Renaissance Foundation.

Materials submitted to the competition will not be returned or reviewed.