Competition for Support of Veteran Initiatives “Stay in Formation”, Fifth Wave

The competition is implemented within the “Civil Resilience” program of the International Renaissance Foundation.

Its goal is to help veteran organizations develop expertise and professionalism, strengthen and maintain their organizational and institutional sustainability, improve the effectiveness of support for veterans, and contribute to social cohesion, reintegration and self-organization.

After years of full-scale war, veteran organizations remain key support centers for veterans returning to civilian life, helping with rehabilitation, reintegration, and support for their families. According to state estimates, there are already more than 1.5 million veterans in Ukraine.

The competition aims to support organizations that, together with their communities, contribute to strengthening social cohesion and services for veterans.

Who can apply

• The competition invites veteran organizations, including centers, hubs, foundations, associations, spaces, unions, networks, patronage services, or other organizations working in the support sector.
• These are civil society organizations that support veterans and their families, focusing on rehabilitation, reintegration, and service provision.

Main requirements for applicant organizations

Eligible applicants are charitable and non-profit public organizations that:

• can demonstrate at least one year of experience working on projects supporting veterans, their families, families of prisoners of war, or families of the fallen or missing;
• can confirm experience in receiving and managing charitable contributions, supported by public financial and narrative reporting;
• have experience cooperating with local authorities, government institutions, or military-civil administrations, confirmed through memoranda, letters of support, or examples of joint activities.

Additional advantages

Applications may receive additional consideration if they include:

• direct involvement of veterans in project implementation;
• attention to inclusion and accessibility;
• networking and cooperation with partner veteran organizations;
• confirmed co-financing from government, communities, or businesses;
• a focus on sustainable results that do not require future donor funding.

Maximum funding amount

• As a general rule, one organization cannot receive more than EUR 60,000 in total support within the EU project (2025–2027).
• In justified cases, this amount may be increased up to EUR 100,000.
• The total budget for the competition is 20,000,000 UAH.
  
• Minimum grant amount: 1,000,000 UAH.
  
• Maximum grant amount: 1,300,000 UAH.

Main budget requirements

• The project budget must include only costs necessary for implementing project activities.
• All expenses must be reasonable, clearly justified, and supported by appropriate financial documentation.
• The budget should follow the principles of cost-effectiveness and value for money, including “best quality for the lowest price.”

Eligible expenses

• Projects may include costs related to project activities aligned with the competition priorities.
• Activities related to organizational development are also allowed, including:

• • strategic planning;

  • training;

  • legal support;

  • development of internal procedures and standards;

  • team support and communication components.

• Part of the budget may be used for institutional support, including:

  • staff salaries and expert fees;

  • administrative and logistical costs;

  • rent;

  • purchase of necessary equipment, materials, or software;

  • communication services.

Ineligible expenses

Grant funds cannot be used for:

• preparation of the application or creation and registration of an organization;
• debt payments or compensation for currency exchange fluctuations;
• direct financial support to government authorities;
• political or religious activities;
• activities leading to discrimination against social groups;
• profit-oriented commercial projects;
• construction or renovation works;
• furnishing premises with furniture, sports equipment, or similar items;
• procurement of humanitarian aid or military equipment;
• purchase of vehicles or luxury goods;
• providing financial support to other organizations (regranting).

Additional conditions

• Only non-profit civil society organizations are eligible to apply.
• Support is provided to organizations working in communities under the control of the Government of Ukraine.

Project proposals should include meaningful activities aligned with one or several thematic priorities of the competition, including:

• provision of legal, social, psychological, informational, and rehabilitation services for servicemen and women, veterans, and their families;
• development and implementation of local reintegration tools, as well as preparing communities for the return of veterans;
• support for families of servicemen, including families of prisoners of war, the fallen, or the missing;
• creation of professional veteran support hubs or spaces aimed at delivering quality services and promoting effective solutions for the veteran community;
• strengthening communication and constructive cooperation between the veteran community, the state, local governments, and other social institutions.

Submission procedure

• The deadline for submitting project proposals is April 3, 2026, until 17:00.
• The competition results are expected to be announced after April 30, 2026.
• Applications must include an application form, a project budget, and other required documents.

Application process

• Project proposals must be registered on the website of the International Renaissance Foundation using the “Electronic Competition” system.
• Documents may be submitted in .doc, .docs, .xls, .xlsx, or .pdf formats, with each attachment not exceeding 8 MB.
• Applications submitted after 15:00 Kyiv time on April 3, 2026, will not be considered.
• Proposals submitted by any other method than the specified electronic system will not be reviewed.

Additional requirements

• The applicant organization must provide a publicly accessible online link to its activity reports.
• Only one application may be submitted per organization.
• Grant recipients will be required to submit reports in the format defined by the International Renaissance Foundation.
• Selected organizations may be invited to grant recipient meetings and other networking events aimed at strengthening organizational capacity.

Important notes

• Materials submitted to the competition will not be returned or reviewed.
• The results of the competition will be announced publicly and communicated directly to the applicant organizations.
• The decision on project proposals is final and cannot be appealed, and reasons for rejection are not provided.

• Alignment of the project with the thematic priorities of the competition, taking into account the specified requirements and preferences.
• Experience and capacity of the project team to successfully implement similar initiatives.
• The number of people who will receive support or benefit from the project activities.
• Feasibility of achieving the expected results and consistency between the proposed activities and the stated objectives.
• Consistency of the proposed budget with the planned activities and expected project outcomes.

Main reporting requirements

• Grant recipients are responsible for monitoring the implementation of the project and evaluating its results.
• They must also ensure compliance with EU communication and branding policies.

Submission of reports

• The grant recipient is required to submit reports in the format defined by the International Renaissance Foundation.
• Reports should reflect the progress of project implementation and the achieved results.

Transparency requirements

• Organizations must demonstrate public financial and narrative reporting, confirming their experience in receiving and using charitable contributions.
• Applicants must provide a link to publicly available reports about their activities published online.