Grant competition for CSOs “Towards Life: Communities in Action”

About the Fund

The Askold and Dir Fund is a Norwegian-Swedish fund administered by ICAP Ednannia. Its purpose is to strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) to support inclusive and sustainable recovery in Ukraine, as well as to advance reforms and democratic governance.

To achieve this, the Fund:

• strengthens the organizational capacity of Ukrainian CSOs;
• expands CSOs’ opportunities to contribute to recovery at all levels of governance;
• provides tools for effective advocacy and civic oversight.

The Fund provides grants for CSO development, advocacy, research, and media campaigns, and offers educational programmes, trainings, and networking opportunities.
Activities are implemented within the project “Strong Civil Society of Ukraine – Driver of Reforms and Democracy,” funded by Norway and Sweden.

Purpose of the Grant Competition

The competition aims to support practical CSO initiatives at the local level that contribute to restoring full community life in areas affected by the full-scale war.

The objectives include:

• restoring community processes, connections, and institutional structures;
• returning communities to a sustainable development trajectory;
• strengthening trust and cooperation with local authorities.

Thematic Lots

The “Towards Life: Communities in Action” competition includes seven lots:

Lot 1. Restoration of Educational Processes
Support for initiatives restoring access to quality, safe, and inclusive education and adapting educational environments.

Lot 2. Restoration of Social Services
Improving access to social services, especially for vulnerable groups, and strengthening partnerships between CSOs and authorities.

Lot 3. Restoration of Access to Healthcare
Improving access to essential health services, adapting local healthcare systems, and ensuring equal access.

Lot 4. Restoration of Culture and Work on Memory and Identity
Support for cultural initiatives fostering social cohesion and reflection on wartime experiences.

Lot 5. Restoration of Safety
Enhancing community safety, integrating local security solutions, and strengthening cooperation with law enforcement bodies.

Lot 6. Restoration of Energy Autonomy of Communities
Planning and implementing solutions to improve local energy system autonomy and resilience.

Lot 7. Cross-Cutting Solutions for Sustainable Recovery
Support for innovative or cross-sectoral initiatives promoting comprehensive recovery, green development, inclusion, human rights protection, anti-corruption integrity, and digitalization of local services.

The competition accepts project proposals from organizations that:

• are officially registered under Ukrainian law (public associations, charitable organizations, etc.) and listed in the Register of Non-Profit Institutions;
• have at least two years of relevant operational experience in the project’s thematic area;
• have implemented at least two grant-funded projects with annual budgets of UAH 2,000,000 or more;
• are registered in, or have proven operational experience within, the community where the project will be implemented.

An organization may submit up to two project proposals, but only one proposal per organization may receive funding.

Organizations shortlisted after the initial review must undergo a due diligence procedure.

The programme supports initiatives implemented at the local level — in one or several communities.

The competition covers the entire territory of Ukraine, except:

• temporarily occupied territories;
• areas with active hostilities (according to the official list);
• territories adjacent to combat zones or with restricted security access.

Applicants must specify the target community(ies) and justify the territorial focus.

Preference is given to organizations registered or permanently operating in the proposed communities.

Funding Amount and Duration

• Most supported projects are expected to have a budget of up to UAH 4,000,000.
• The amount may be adjusted by the Selection Committee depending on project duration and planned activities.
• Project duration must be between 6 and 12 months.
• The budget must be submitted in Ukrainian hryvnias (UAH).

Budget Requirements

• All budget lines must be detailed and justified in line with project objectives and activities.
• Justifications must be based on market prices in Ukraine.
• The percentage of time allocation for each team member must be indicated, along with full name (if applicable).
• Experts/consultants may be paid on an hourly or daily basis; otherwise, a monthly rate with the percentage of engagement must be specified.
• Event-related costs must be itemized in detail (e.g., venue rental, equipment rental).
• Administrative costs (telephone, banking services, postal services, Internet, office rent, accounting) must be clearly detailed.
  It is recommended that administrative costs do not exceed 10% of the requested grant amount.

Eligible Costs

Costs are considered eligible if they:

• are justified in terms of relevance and value for money;
• are properly documented and supported by financial and accounting records.

Ineligible Costs

The following costs are not eligible for funding:

• sub-grants;
• charitable donations or endowments;
• purchase of vehicles or premises;
• capital repairs;
• debt payments;
• support to initiatives related to religious or terrorist activities;
• salaries or honoraria for civil servants, local government officials, law enforcement, prosecutors, or court staff;
• luxury goods or services exceeding reasonable and justified expenditure levels.

Lot 1. Restoration of Educational Processes

Supports:

• distance, mobile and blended learning formats;
• psychosocial support for students, teachers, and parents;
• inclusion of IDP children, veterans, and persons with disabilities;
• curriculum adaptation and teacher training;
• youth engagement and digital literacy initiatives.

Projects must cooperate with local authorities or educational institutions (except adult-focused initiatives).

Lot 2. Restoration of Social Services

Supports:

• restoration of access to social services for vulnerable groups;
• new service delivery models (mobile teams, day centres);
• awareness campaigns on social rights;
• strengthening coordination between public and civil actors.

Requires cooperation with local authorities or service providers.

Lot 3. Restoration of Access to Healthcare

Supports:

• mobile clinics and outreach services;
• innovative health solutions (telemedicine, digital tools);
• preventive health programmes;
• first-aid training;
• partnerships with medical institutions.

Projects must be implemented in coordination with local health authorities.

Lot 4. Restoration of Culture and Work on Memory and Identity

Supports:

• revitalization of cultural institutions;
• artistic events and cultural exchanges;
• documentation of wartime experiences;
• support for young cultural actors;
• adaptation of cultural spaces (excluding capital repairs).

Requires cooperation with local cultural institutions or authorities.

Lot 5. Restoration of Safety

Supports:

• community safety initiatives;
• emergency preparedness training;
• risk-awareness campaigns;
• cooperation with police and emergency services.

Partnership with relevant security bodies is mandatory.

Lot 6. Restoration of Community Energy Autonomy

Supports:

• development of local energy resilience plans;
• energy audits of public infrastructure;
• community energy hubs;
• preparation of documentation for alternative energy solutions;
• cooperation between municipalities and utility enterprises.

Funding cannot be used solely for equipment purchases; capital repairs are not eligible.

Lot 7. Cross-Cutting Solutions for Sustainable Recovery

Supports:

• integrated, cross-sector initiatives;
• environmentally sustainable practices;
• inclusive service development;
• digital solutions for local governance;
• transparency and integrity mechanisms;
• inter-community knowledge exchange.

Application Submission

Applications are accepted in several waves:

• 1 April 2026 (17:00) — first deadline;
• 1 June 2026 (17:00) — second deadline.

Selection Stages

Following the submission deadlines, the process includes:

• April–May 2026 — technical screening and expert evaluation;
• June 2026 — Grant Committee meeting and announcement of winners;
• July 2026 — signing of grant agreements and start of project implementation.

Project Implementation

• Indicative project duration: 6 to 12 months (maximum 12 months).
• Projects are expected to start no earlier than 1.5 months after the application deadline.
• Approximately 20–30 organizations are expected to receive support under the competition.

General Conditions

Project proposals must be submitted electronically via ednannia.ua.
The submission deadline is 1 April 2026 at 17:00.

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Register the organization on the website (if not already registered).
   Confirmation from the administrator is required. In case of technical issues, applicants may contact office@ednannia.ua.
2. After account activation, applicants log into their “personal cabinet” using their email and password.
3. In the “Applications” section, select the open competition “Towards Life: Communities in Action” and click “Submit application.”
   Once saved, the application is recorded in the system and editing is locked.
4. After submission, grant managers review the application. If revisions are required, editing access is temporarily reopened.
5. Once fully completed, the application status changes to “Under review by the ICAP Ednannia Grant Committee.”

Applications that do not meet the requirements or are submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

The application form with budget template is attached to the competition announcement.

Applications are assessed in several stages:

1. Technical screening by the ICAP Ednannia Grant Committee

Applications are reviewed for compliance with the announcement requirements, including:

• completeness and correctness of the application form;
• alignment with competition priorities and selected lot;
• compliance with eligibility criteria;
• relevant prior experience;
• submission of the full document package;
• compliance with budget limits.

ICAP Ednannia reserves the right not to forward applications that fail to meet formal requirements.

2. Selection by an Independent Selection Committee

The Committee consists of representatives of reputable institutions and experienced civil society experts.

The Committee:

• evaluates project proposals;
• may conduct interviews with applicants to clarify information;
• makes decisions by majority vote (with at least three members participating).

Representatives of ICAP Ednannia and donor agencies (Norad and Sida) are not members of the Selection Committee.

All proposals are non-reviewable, and reasons for rejection may not be provided.

General Evaluation Criteria (for all lots)

Proposals are assessed based on:

• relevance of the project to identified needs;
• quality and feasibility of planned activities;
• internal consistency (goal — objectives — strategy — plan — results);
• expected impact;
• experience and capacity of the implementing team;
• justification and balance of the proposed budget.

• Full grant application;
• Detailed budget in Excel format;
• Copy of the Organization's Charter;
• Extract from the Unified State Register (EDR);
• Non-profit status certificate;
• CVs of key personnel.

An information session for potential applicants will take place on March 10, 2026, at 11:00 via Zoom. The link will be published on the ISAR Ednannia website.

Monitoring and Evaluation

ICAP Ednannia conducts project monitoring and evaluation. This may be carried out directly or with the involvement of partner organizations or external experts.

Grantees are required to:

• implement internal monitoring of project activities;
• report regularly on the implementation of planned activities;
• assess results against the indicators defined in the project proposal.

Reporting Obligations

Grant recipients are responsible for submitting:

• narrative (programmatic) reports on implemented activities;
• financial reports.

Reporting documentation must include:

• narrative reports with copies of developed documents or printed materials;
• financial reports accompanied by copies of supporting (primary) financial documentation.

Compliance with the donor’s and ICAP Ednannia’s policies and procedures is mandatory for grant implementation.

The terms of the grant are defined in the agreement and its annexes; the listed conditions are not exhaustive.

Procurement Procedures

• Selection of suppliers of goods and services (excluding the project team specified in the application) must be conducted through competitive tender procedures.
• The procurement process must be transparent and competitive.
• It includes announcing a tender, collecting bids, and evaluating proposals.
• Selection is based on price, quality, and compliance with project requirements.