Competition "Voice: Participation that Shapes Decisions" ("Civil Resilience" Program)

The competition "Voice: Participation that Shapes Decisions" is implemented and funded by the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF) within the framework of the "Civil Resilience" Program. The initiative is aimed at implementing the tasks of the State Policy Strategy for Internal Displacement for the period up to 2030.

he main goal of the program is to strengthen the capacity of people with displacement experience and civil society to influence decisions in the field of internal displacement, facilitating the transition from formal participation to real impact on their formulation, implementation, and monitoring. The competition focuses on the "VOICE" priority (the right to participation), supporting non-governmental organizations and partnerships working on long-term systemic solutions.

Main efforts are directed towards advocacy, dialogue in communities, data collection and research, as well as creating mechanisms for IDPs to influence key policy areas (housing, economic capacity, social services), while projects do not provide for the provision of direct humanitarian or social services.

• Non-governmental organizations, public associations, and charitable organizations are invited to participate in the competition.
• The applicant must have a formed team and at least one year of verifiable practical and systematic work experience in the field of internal displacement.
• The organization must have experience interacting with local self-government bodies and/or a clear vision for such cooperation within the proposed initiative.
• A mandatory condition is to provide a link to publicly available activity reports on the Internet.

Funding and Co-financing Details

• The total budget of the competition is 11,150,000 UAH.
• The optimal budget for a single project ranges from 1,000,000 to 1,300,000 UAH.
•  The project budget must include exclusively those expenses that are necessary for the implementation of project activities, can be correctly documented, justified, and understood, and are supported by appropriate financial and accounting documentation.
• Financial expenses must fully comply with the principles of expediency, including the principles of cost-effectiveness and "highest quality at the lowest price". Co-financing of the initiative is not mandatory under the terms of this competition.

Eligible Expenses Covered by the Grant

• Expenses that are directly necessary for the implementation of the planned project activities, agreed upon in the estimate, and supported by proper primary financial and accounting documentation.

Ineligible Expenses

• Preparing a project proposal for participation in the competition.
• Paying off any debts.
• Reimbursing losses associated with exchange rate fluctuations.
• Traveling abroad.
•  Creating and officially registering an organization.
•  Providing direct fiscal support to public authorities.
• Carrying out any political or religious activity or propaganda.
•  Any activity leading to forms of discrimination or human rights violations.
•  Implementing projects aimed at generating direct profit from activities.
•  Conducting construction or performing any repair work.
• Purchasing vehicles and/or acquiring luxury items and related services.
•  Providing financial assistance to third organizations, i.e., executing sub-granting.
• Providing direct humanitarian or other social assistance to IDPs and other categories of the population.

• Advocacy and monitoring of policies and decisions: advocacy for the inclusion of IDP needs and proposals in local and state policies, programs, strategies, regulatory acts, and budget decisions; monitoring of their implementation; development of partnerships, coalitions, and joint advocacy campaigns at the local and national levels.
• Dialogue and joint decision-making in communities: development of a systematic dialogue between IDPs, other community residents, authorities, and civil society; joint identification of community development problems and priorities.
• Research, data, and IDP experience for impact: research on needs and barriers, documentation of IDP experiences, analysis of policies and programs, collection and use of data as a basis for advocacy, improvement of programs and services, as well as policy and decision changes.
• Influence of IDP experience on decisions in key policy areas: creation or development of mechanisms through which the experience and needs of IDPs can influence decisions regarding housing, economic capacity, social services, memory, and ties with communities of origin, as well as other issues important for people with displacement experience.
• Note on restrictions: specifically, mechanisms of influence on such decisions are supported, whereas the direct provision of housing, social, or humanitarian services is not supported.

1. Prepare the project proposal, formatted in accordance with the application form and relevant annexes.
2. Register and submit the project proposal on the official website of the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF) using the specialized "Electronic Competition" service.
3. Please note that project proposals submitted in any other way (for example, by email or mail outside the system) will not be considered.
4. Applications must be submitted no later than October 9, 2026, at 15:00 Kyiv time.

• By October 9, 2026 (15:00 Kyiv time): Deadline for submitting project proposals and application packages via the "Electronic Competition" service on the International Renaissance Foundation website.
• By November 6, 2026: Announcement of the competition results, public notification of participants, and sending information via email.
• Three weeks after the announcement of results (November 2026): Estimated start of implementation of approved projects.
• For a period of up to 9 months: Implementation of project activities, execution of initiatives, and submission of reports in the format specified by the IRF.
• Substantive compliance of the project proposal with the goal and priorities of the competition.
• Relevant team experience in the field of internal displacement, professional competencies, and the capacity to implement the initiative.
• Compliance of the proposed solutions with the actual problems, needs, and experiences of people with displacement experience.
• Relevance of the project, realism, presence of a clear plan, expected practical results, impact on target audiences, and objective indicators of success and sustainability of results.
• Presence of a communication component to disseminate information about the results among the general public.
• Consideration of the diversity of people with displacement experience and barriers that may limit their participation.
• Compliance of the budget with the stated activities and its justification.

• Completed project application in electronic form via the "Electronic Competition" service on the official website of the International Renaissance Foundation.
• Project budget compiled in accordance with the requirements and limitations of the competition.
• Link to the applicant organization's publicly available annual substantive and financial reports for the previous calendar year on the Internet (in accordance with the organization's openness requirements, Appendix 2).
• Completed and signed Declaration of Compliance with the IRF Conflict of Interest Policy (Form UP 12), submitted at the time of signing the agreement with the Foundation.

• The organization submitting a project proposal must provide a link to its publicly available activity reports on the Internet.
• The grant recipient is required to submit reports in the format specified by the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF).
• Grant recipients may be invited to participate in grantee meetings and other events organized by the IRF for networking, training, and strengthening the organizational capacity of project partners.
• Materials submitted to the competition are not reviewed or returned.
• Individual consultations and advice on the substantive content of project proposals are not provided.
• All participants will be notified of the competition results publicly and via email.
• The final decision regarding a project proposal is not subject to review, and the reasons for refusal of support are not disclosed.

• Activities within the framework of the competition are regulated by the statutory documents of the International Renaissance Foundation and internal procedures for the implementation of grant programs.
• The preparation and submission of project proposals are carried out in accordance with the competition requirements and by completing the official application form via the "Electronic Competition" service.
• The grant recipient is obliged to ensure compliance with the current legislation of Ukraine during the implementation of project activities, particularly regarding reporting and financial and accounting record-keeping.
• All submitted materials must comply with human rights principles, prevent any forms of discrimination, and exclude any political or religious propaganda.