Grant to Support the Reintegration of Male & Female Veterans

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Ukraine has announced a grant competition with financial support from the Government of the Netherlands and the European Union as part of the project “Transformative Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine.” The goal of the competition is to support civil society organizations in developing and implementing local policies for the reintegration of male and female veterans, strengthening the institutional capacity of communities, fostering cross-sectoral collaboration, and creating effective models for providing services to veterans. The competition aims to implement comprehensive solutions that ensure veterans’ return to active community life.

The call is open to civil society and charitable organizations that are officially registered as legal entities and operate in territories under the control of the Government of Ukraine. Applicants must have non-profit or charitable status and meet the specified organizational eligibility requirements.

Applicants must demonstrate at least three years of relevant experience in the thematic area of the call, as well as successful implementation and reporting of at least two regional-level projects. They must also have a qualified project team, including a project manager, a finance specialist or accountant, and any other experts required for project implementation.

Project personnel must meet the required qualifications, education, and professional experience. The project manager must have at least three years of experience in the civil society sector, while the accountant must hold a relevant higher education degree and at least two years of professional experience. In addition, applicants are expected to have proficiency in the Ukrainian language, be prepared to follow the donor's procedures, and cooperate with public authorities, local communities, and project partners.

Projects may be implemented only in the designated partner territorial communities across the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, and Chernihiv regions. Any changes to the implementation location must be agreed with UNDP Ukraine.

The organizational capacity assessment will be based on the CACHE Capacity Assessment Checklist. Applications that do not meet the eligibility requirements will not be considered. Applications from individuals, commercial companies, government institutions, local self-government bodies, trade unions, political parties, and religious organizations are not eligible.

The grant programme supports projects aimed at developing and implementing local veteran reintegration policies and programmes based on community-oriented approaches, needs assessments, and cross-sectoral cooperation.

Supported activities may include:

• establishing and strengthening local coordination mechanisms involving public authorities, veteran communities, civil society organizations, businesses, and other local stakeholders;
• developing or updating local policies, programmes, and operational plans for veteran reintegration based on local needs assessments, service mapping, and resource analysis;
• delivering training, consultations, and peer learning activities to strengthen community capacity in areas such as data-driven planning, digital services, inclusiveness, cross-sectoral coordination, and partnership development;
• providing mentoring support to partner communities throughout the design, public consultation, approval, and initial implementation of local policies and programmes;
• preparing methodological guidance, templates, and practical tools for communities, including recommendations on needs assessments, coordination mechanisms, local programmes, service pathways, public participation, and data-driven approaches.

The programme is expected to strengthen community capacity, enhance intermunicipal cooperation, improve coordination among service providers, facilitate the exchange of practical experience, and create the foundation for scaling community-oriented veteran reintegration models across other communities in Ukraine.

• Submission of applications until 24 July 2026.
• Evaluation of proposals.
• Selection of successful applicants.
• Signing of grant agreements.
• Project implementation for up to 12 months.

Project proposals are assessed in two stages. First, the selection committee evaluates all submitted applications against the established criteria. Projects scoring less than 70 out of 100 points are rejected. Applications requiring improvements may be returned with recommendations and a deadline for resubmission. The committee then makes the final funding decision. Where appropriate, it may also seek independent expert opinions or consult relevant local authorities.

The maximum score is 100 points. The evaluation covers:

• relevance to the call priorities and thematic focus — up to 20 points;
• consistency between the project objectives, activities, and implementation methods — up to 10 points;
• clarity, feasibility, and expected results of the proposed activities — up to 20 points;
• the applicant organization's relevant experience — up to 20 points;
• justification of the proposed budget and required resources — up to 20 points;
• qualifications and competence of the project team — up to 10 points.

Applicants will be notified of the competition results by email. Submitted materials will not be returned or reviewed, final decisions are not subject to appeal, and the organisers will not disclose the reasons for approving or rejecting individual proposals.

To apply for the grant programme, applicants must submit a complete application package that includes the following documents:

• a completed application form (MS Word) including the organizational plan and project implementation plan (Annex 1);
• a financial proposal (budget in Excel format) prepared in US dollars according to the specified UN exchange rate (Annex 2);
• scanned copies of the registration documents, proof of non-profit status, and confirmation of a dedicated bank account in Ukrainian hryvnia for project implementation;
• documents demonstrating compliance with the technical eligibility requirements specified in Sections 3.1 and 3.2;
• a completed CACHE Capacity Assessment Checklist together with the required supporting documents (Annex 3);
• a self-assessment form on anti-money laundering compliance (Annex 4);
• CVs of the proposed project staff and experts;
• letters of support from partner organizations (if available). Where co-financing is planned, the letter should specify the amount or scope of the contribution.

After receiving the grant, the grant recipient is responsible for monitoring project implementation and evaluating its results. UNDP in Ukraine will monitor the project through the recipient’s reports, meetings with the project team, partners and beneficiaries, as well as participation in project activities.

The grant recipient must submit reports in the format established by UNDP, including:

• interim reports describing implemented activities, achieved results and financial information;
• short reports upon UNDP’s request when additional information is required;
• a final report summarising project results together with a financial report covering the entire grant implementation period.

All project activities must comply with UNDP rules, policies and procedures. In addition, the project team is required to complete mandatory PSEA training, submit the relevant completion certificates, and complete a PSEA self-assessment form where required by UNDP.

For procurement activities, goods and materials must originate only from eligible countries, including EU Member States, Ukraine, Western Balkan partner countries, Georgia, Moldova, and the European Economic Area countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway). The origin of each purchased item must be documented and included in the procurement documentation and reporting package. Acceptable supporting documents include a manufacturer's declaration of origin, a "Made in…" product label, a certificate of origin, or a customs declaration for imported goods.

Applicants must comply with the competition requirements and UNDP grant conditions. Projects must align with the programme objectives, and successful applicants must comply with the grant agreement and competition documentation.