Briefly
Program description
The grant competition “GROW: developing and renewing communities with care for people” was created to support communities affected by the war in their recovery, strengthening ties between different stakeholders, and exploring new opportunities for life and well-being.
Organisations selected for funding will also receive:
- an opportunity to strengthen their capacity through organisational development training on participant-prioritised topics, as well as interregional exchange of experience;
- support in communications and visibility, in particular for 20 organisations (within the 1st and 2nd rounds of the competition), including the creation of high-quality communication materials and showcasing their recovery stories.
The grant contest is implemented by ISAR Ednannia within the "Unity for Community" project, co-funded by the European Union and the Minderoo Foundation.
Main Information
Eligibility
Within the grant competition, project proposals prepared in accordance with the requirements of the “Invitation” are accepted from organisations that simultaneously meet the eligibility criteria and participation requirements.
Eligibility criteria for applicants
- applicants may be organisations officially registered in accordance with the Laws of Ukraine “On Public Associations”, “On Charitable Activities and Charitable Organisations”, or “On Associations of Local Self-Government Bodies”, and included in the Register of Non-Profit Organisations under the relevant non-profit status code (0032, 0036, 0038, 0039);
- applicants must be registered in the community where the project will be implemented, or in neighbouring communities, provided that their activities also extend to the community where the project is planned.
Organisations with limited project implementation experience and/or those requiring stronger competencies in the recovery field may receive mentoring support from recovery and development consultants within the “Yednannia for Community” project.
Geographic requirements and limitations
- organisations implementing local initiatives in communities within the project’s target oblasts are invited to apply: Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia;
- projects may target either one community or a group of neighbouring communities;
- projects implemented in temporarily occupied territories or in areas where active hostilities are taking place cannot be supported (according to the official list published by the Ministry for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine).
Applicants must clearly indicate the specific community or group of communities where the project will be implemented.
Financing
Funding under this grant competition предусматриває, що most supported projects will have a budget of up to UAH 400,000. This amount may be adjusted by the Selection Committee depending on the expected project duration, the scope of planned activities, etc. The project budget must be prepared in UAH.
All budget line items must be detailed and properly justified in line with the project’s objectives, tasks, and activities. All justifications must be based on the market value of goods and services in Ukraine. The budget must indicate the percentage of time allocation under the project for each involved implementer, as well as their full name (if required). For experts and consultants, the budget may предусмотреть hourly or daily remuneration, or a monthly rate with the percentage of their involvement indicated.
Costs for each activity must be described separately and in detail (e.g. venue rental, equipment rental, etc.). Administrative costs (telephone, banking services, postal costs, internet, office rent, accounting services) must also be clearly listed and broken down. The recommended total amount of administrative costs should not exceed 10% of the requested grant amount.
In this competition, expenses are considered acceptable if they:
- are justified in terms of expediency and the ratio of volume/quality to the cost of services received;
- are correctly documented and supported by relevant financial and accounting documentation.
Ineligible costs that cannot be financed include expenses related to:
- providing subgrants;
- providing charitable assistance or paying endowments;
- purchasing premises;
- construction and major renovation of premises;
- repayment of debts;
- supporting initiatives related to religious or terrorist activities;
- payment of salaries and fees to civil servants or employees of local self-government bodies, law enforcement agencies, prosecution offices, or courts;
- purchasing luxury items or goods and services that exceed a reasonable and justified level of expenditure.
Supported Activities
The grant competition aims to strengthen local civil society organisations working in five target oblasts by providing resources, knowledge, and support to help restore social infrastructure, launch new services, and ensure active citizen participation in community life.
Supported activities by priorities
| Priority | Priority title | Objective | Examples of supported activities |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | intergenerational interaction and mutual care | to reduce social isolation and ensure access to care services for different age groups | establishing mutual support and care networks (care communities), including childcare and support for older community members; organising clubs and informal groups to connect different generations; joint initiatives involving young people and older adults (cultural events, small daytime care groups, etc.); |
| 2 | basic and mobile community services | to make medical, social, and administrative services more accessible | introducing stationary and mobile medical, educational, cultural, and social services, including “social taxi”; completing “frozen” facilities and carrying out minor repairs to restore service provision; |
| 3 | economic activation and integration of new community members | to strengthen the local economy and create new jobs, including by leveraging the experience, skills, and entrepreneurial potential of IDPs and veterans | establishing training and production spaces (craft hubs, workshops, re-skilling centres); implementing integration programmes for IDPs, veterans, and local residents to support employment and economic activity; creating social enterprises (sewing workshops, bakeries, service provision, etc.); |
| 4 | safety | to increase the level of protection and awareness of the population regarding threats | setting up and equipping shelters and safe spaces; establishing alert systems and platforms for sharing verified safety information; developing and implementing digital monitoring and alert tools; |
| 5 | social cohesion spaces | to provide residents with safe places for communication, mutual support, and joint initiatives in order to strengthen trust and interaction in the community | setting up or restoring community centres, hubs, libraries, parks; organising cultural, educational, and integration events; creating coworking spaces or interest-based clubs for youth, veterans, IDPs, and local residents; organising mobile or temporary meeting spaces in remote settlements; |
Mandatory requirement for priorities 2, 4, and 5: projects must be implemented in cooperation with local self-government bodies or relevant structural units (e.g. social protection departments, the State Emergency Service, or other relevant institutions). Applications must include a support letter or confirmation of readiness for such cooperation.
Organisations may submit no more than two project proposals, but only one application per organisation may be supported.
Roadmap
| Stage | Date / period | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Application submission (2nd round) | by 11 February 2026, 17:00 | Submission of applications under the 2nd round of the grant competition. |
| Information webinar | 27 January, 14:00 | Webinar held on ICAP Yednannia’s YouTube and Facebook platforms. |
| Indicative project duration | 4–5 months | Approximate project implementation period. |
| Indicative project start date | no earlier than 1 month after the deadline | Project implementation starts after the application deadline. |
How to Apply
Submitting an application to the grant competition is done through the ISAR Ednannia online system and includes several steps.
- The applicant must register the organisation via the relevant link (if it has not been registered yet) and wait for the administrator’s reply, which will be sent to the email address provided during registration. If any registration issues occur, the applicant should contact office@ednannia.ua, indicating the organisation’s EDRPOU code and describing the problem.
- After the account is activated, the applicant must log in to the personal workspace on the website using the email address and password provided during registration.
- The applicant then needs to complete the application form in the “Applications” section by selecting the open CSO grant competition “GROW: developing and renewing communities with care for people”, and click “Submit application” to ISAR Ednannia. Once submitted, the application is saved on the server and the option to edit it is locked.
- An ISAR Ednannia grant manager reviews the application after it is saved on the server. If the application requires revisions, its status will be changed to “Requires revision”, and the applicant will be able to edit the application.
- If the application is completed in full, its status will be changed to “Under review by the ISAR Ednannia Grant Committee”.
Project proposals that do not meet the stated requirements or are submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation of applications under the grant competition is carried out in several stages.
1. Technical screening by the ISAR Ednannia Grant Committee
The ISAR Ednannia Grant Committee checks submitted proposals for compliance with the requirements of the “Invitation” and prepares them for review and assessment by the Selection Committee. If a project proposal does not meet the requirements of the “Invitation”, ISAR Ednannia reserves the right not to forward the application for further consideration as it does not meet the formal eligibility criteria.
The technical screening includes verification of the following:
- compliance with the required application format (all questions are completed in the required format);
- alignment of the application with the competition priorities;
- compliance of the applicant with the established eligibility criteria;
- submission of the full package of required documents;
- compliance with the specified budget limits.
2. Selection by an independent Selection Committee
An independent Selection Committee is established under the competition. Guided by the “Invitation” and the “ISAR Ednannia Grant Guide”, it evaluates the project proposals. The Committee includes representatives of reputable institutions and experienced experts in organisational development and civil society development.
Before starting the work, each Committee member must confirm the absence of any conflict of interest and commit to assessing applications fairly and impartially. Employees of ISAR Ednannia, members of its governing bodies or permanent experts, as well as representatives of the European Commission and the Minderoo Foundation, may not be members of the Selection Committee.
During this stage, the ISAR Ednannia team also conducts interviews with applicant organisations to become familiar with their teams and clarify any necessary information. It is expected that at least 3–4 members of each project team will participate in these interviews.
Proposal evaluation criteria (for all lots)
Project proposals are assessed based on the following criteria:
- project relevance — alignment with the current needs of the community and the urgency of the problem it addresses;
- clarity and feasibility of planned activities — internal coherence between the objective, tasks, implementation strategy, work plan, expected results, and anticipated impact;
- justification and balance of the budget — alignment of the budget with the project objectives;
- social cohesion and community engagement — the project’s ability to strengthen trust, inclusion, and cooperation among different community groups in order to enhance resilience.
Submitted project proposals are not subject to review, and in case of rejection, ISAR Ednannia reserves the right not to provide explanations for the reasons for refusal.
Required Documents
- Completed online application
- Detailed budget in UAH
- Letter of support from local government or partner institution (for priorities 2, 4, 5)
Updates / Announcements
A webinar on the grant contest will be held on January 27 at 14:00 on ISAR Ednannia's YouTube and Facebook platforms.
Reporting and Compliance
Grant recipients are responsible for submitting project and financial reports on the implemented activities to the ISAR Ednannia office:
- a project report, including copies of all developed documents or printed materials;
- a financial report, including copies of supporting documents (all primary accounting and other documentation specified in the agreement and its annexes).
Legal Terms
Compliance with the donor’s and ISAR Ednannia’s policies and procedures is a mandatory condition for grant implementation. These requirements will be detailed in the grant agreement and its annexes. Such conditions include, but are not limited to, the following:
Procurement (tender) procedures
The selection of all service providers (excluding the project team listed in the application) and goods under the project shall be carried out through tender-based procedures, ensuring a transparent and competitive procurement process. This includes announcing the tender, collecting proposals from potential suppliers, evaluating them against defined criteria, and selecting the most optimal offer based on quality, cost, and compliance with the project requirements.
Monitoring and evaluation
ISAR Ednannia will conduct monitoring and evaluation of the project. This may be carried out either independently or with the involvement of other organisations or external experts. Applicants are required to track the implementation of planned indicators, regularly conduct internal monitoring activities for the implemented actions, and assess their results. Monitoring and evaluation shall be based on the indicators for achieving the expected results as defined by the applicants in the project application.