Engaging Civil Society in Ukraine’s EU Accession Process

Ukraine is undergoing the process of accession to the EU: after signing the Association Agreement (2014), receiving candidate status (2022), and opening accession negotiations (2024), a screening of Ukrainian legislation was conducted across 33 chapters of EU policies and law; the European Commission publishes annual reports on Ukraine’s alignment with EU law.

In 2025, the Government of Ukraine approved several Roadmaps (rule of law, public administration reform, democratic institutions, protection of national minority rights) and is preparing the National Programme for the Approximation of Legislation to EU Law.

In 2024, 36 working (negotiation) groups were established to prepare Ukraine’s positions on the chapters of the EU negotiation framework, and representatives of civil society were included in their composition; the scale of tasks requires broader engagement of the active part of society.

The competition aims to: involve civil society expertise in the accession negotiations, increase the understanding of necessary legal and institutional changes among opinion leaders, support non-governmental expertise and inclusive stakeholder dialogue to improve public policy related to Ukraine’s “homework” in the EU accession process.

Expected results: strengthened capacity of NGOs to meaningfully participate in the negotiation process; increased public awareness; improved quality of public dialogue on policy and legislative changes in areas covered by the EU accession negotiations.

• Eligible applicants include: “civil society organizations, analytical centers, unions, associations, societies, and other groups registered in accordance with Ukrainian legislation as non-profit or charitable organizations.”
• The Fund does not provide grants to political parties, religious communities, private (individual) persons, or business entities whose purpose is to generate profit.
• The organization submitting the project must provide links to its annual reports (openness requirement) and comply with the conflict of interest policy.

The total budget of the competition is 35,000,000 UAH.

The minimum grant amount is 500,000 UAH.

The optimal grant amount is 1,000,000–1,400,000 UAH.

The maximum grant amount is 1,800,000 UAH.

Eligible budget expenses are those that:

• are necessary for the implementation of project activities;
• will actually be incurred during the project implementation period;
• comply with the principles of relevance, appropriateness, and cost efficiency, including the principle of “the highest quality at the lowest price”;
• can be properly documented, justified, clear, and confirmed by financial and accounting documentation.

Ineligible expenses:

• preparation of the project proposal;
• establishment and registration of an organization;
• debt repayment;
• reimbursement of expenses related to currency exchange fluctuations;
• direct fiscal support to government authorities;
• political activity or religious propaganda;
• activities that lead to direct or indirect discrimination;
• projects aimed at generating profit;
• construction or renovation works;
• procurement of humanitarian aid and/or military equipment;
• procurement of vehicles and/or luxury goods and related services;
• provision of financial assistance to third organizations (re-granting).

The cumulative support limit for one organization within the project “Joining the EU Together” is 60,000–100,000 EUR.

• Analysis of the content of EU policy documents, reports and recommendations, government program documents and plans, draft laws and draft bylaws, acts of Ukrainian legislation and the EU acquis; preparation of relevant assessments and recommendations for stakeholders, including regarding the content of public reports on progress in the negotiations.
• Analysis of the compliance of implemented reforms and policies with EU requirements, identification of bottlenecks and implementation challenges, preparation of proposed solutions.
• Facilitation of inclusive and constructive dialogue between governmental and non-governmental stakeholders in various public and closed formats (hearings, consultations, roundtables, strategic sessions, etc.) aimed at improving understanding, aligning positions, and balancing cross-sectoral interests.
• Conducting trainings and other forms of short-term education on EU law and policies for young professionals, project implementers, other civil society organizations, and civil servants involved in the negotiation process; development of training courses in cooperation with universities; experience exchanges and study visits in Ukraine and abroad (including to EU member states).
• Organization of public dialogue and exchange of experience with experts and stakeholders in EU member states and candidate countries, including assessment of potential impacts, benefits and costs of Ukraine’s accession on specific EU policies and markets, and formulation and advocacy of common interests.

• The final deadline for submitting proposals is 3 February 2026, 15:00 (Kyiv time).
• Announcement of results – by 23 March 2026.
• The end date of the competition coincides with the submission deadline – 03.02.2026.
• The implementation period for supported projects is up to 12 months, with the indicative start date no earlier than March–April 2026.
• For the overall project “Joining the EU Together”, the implementation period is 2025–2027 (in the context of the overall support limit for one organization).

• Project proposals (the application form with attachments) must be registered on the IRF website using the “Electronic Competition” service.
• All project proposal documents must be uploaded in .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, or .pdf formats; the maximum size of each attachment is 8 MB.
• Proposals registered after 15:00 on 3 February 2026, Kyiv time, as well as those submitted by any other means, will not be considered.
• After registration, the IRF may request additional materials.

• The thematic relevance of the submitted project proposal to the goals and priorities of the competition.
• The logical structure of the project: a clear thematic focus of activities, a realistic action plan; the level of engagement of stakeholders and international partners; the feasibility of achieving the expected results through the proposed activities.
• Effectiveness of activities: expected practical results, the project’s impact on target audiences / positive changes; the presence of objective indicators of success; sustainability of results.
• Availability of letters of support from the listed partners.
• Applicant’s competence: previous experience and knowledge of the topic, involvement of qualified experts, awareness of key relevant documents (including references to them in the project description).
• Awareness of stakeholders and characteristics of target audiences, legitimacy in the perception of partners and audiences; engagement of stakeholders from different sectors (government, civil society, business).
• Justification of the project budget, including the balance between costs and results.

• Completed IRF application form.
• Project budget using the required template (Excel).
• Information about the organization (brief description, project implementation experience, achievements, links to the annual narrative and financial reports for the previous year published in open access).
• A copy of the extract from the Unified State Register.
• If additional funding is available – letters of confirmation or copies of agreements with other donors indicating the amounts.
• Other attachments, if their submission is required by the terms of the competition.

• The grant recipient is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the project and evaluating its results.
• The recipient is required to comply with the EU communication policy and branding requirements for EU-funded projects; reporting must be submitted in the format defined by the IRF.
• Openness requirements: the organization must provide links to its annual narrative and financial reports for the previous calendar year, published in open access online; the annual report must include information on areas of activity, projects, organizational structure, sources of funding, expenditures, the audit opinion, contacts, etc.
• Conflict of interest policy: the head of the project-implementing organization is obliged to inform the IRF of any actual or potential conflict of interest related to suppliers of goods/services, or any personal, institutional, political, or financial benefit to them or affiliated persons. Failure to report such a conflict may lead to unilateral termination of project funding and a demand to return the funds received.

• The IRF Conflict of Interest Policy establishes the obligation of the head of the project-implementing organization to report any relationships or interests that may bring personal, institutional, political, or financial benefit to them or affiliated persons.
• If a conflict of interest is not disclosed, the IRF has the right to terminate funding, withdraw from the Agreement, and demand the return of funds; the return of funds must take place within ten banking days from the moment the written notification is received.
• Submitting materials to the competition does not guarantee support; submitted materials are not returned and are not reviewed.
• The final decision regarding a project proposal is not subject to appeal, and the reasons for denial of support are not disclosed.