Grant for improving the response to crisis situations

The “Partnership for a Strong Ukraine” (PFRU) program, implemented by Kimonix, has announced a grant competition as part of its “Safe Community: Preparedness for Life in Wartime 2.0” initiative. PFRU is a long-standing donor program funded by the governments of Canada, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The goal of the initiative is to enhance the preparedness of frontline and border communities to respond to crisis situations by conducting practical training sessions on first aid, mine safety, responding to drone threats, providing psychological first aid, and training local trainers (ToT). The project includes training for local government officials and emergency response personnel, conducting practical exercises and simulations, purchasing first-aid kits and training equipment, establishing a mentoring support mechanism, preparing printed and digital materials, evaluating training outcomes, collecting feedback, and preparing a final analytical report. The project also includes communications support, posts on social media and in local media, documenting success stories, and summarizing the lessons learned.

The grant programme provides one grant with an implementation period of up to 8 months.

Key funding conditions include:

• the grant type may be either a reimbursement grant or a fixed-amount / milestone-based grant; both funding modalities require financial reporting;
• the expected grant amount is up to GBP 134,000 (equivalent to UAH 8,100,000);
• the final grant amount will depend on the proposed activities and the outcome of the final negotiations and may be either lower or higher than the indicative amount.

Only costs that:

• are directly related to project implementation and necessary for carrying out project activities;
• comply with the legislation of Ukraine;
• are reasonable, justified, and incurred within the approved implementation period;
• are properly documented and recorded in the beneficiary's accounting records,

are eligible for funding.

The programme also establishes specific procurement restrictions. In particular, participants may not procure goods or services from companies subject to the specified restrictions, and purchases of products from certain manufacturers identified in the programme conditions are prohibited.

The grant programme follows a defined timeline covering the period from the official launch of the competition to the application deadline.

Key milestones include:

• 6 July 2026 — official launch of the grant competition;
• 23 July 2026 at 10:30 (Kyiv time) — online pre-application workshop for prospective applicants;
• 11 August 2026, 23:59 (Kyiv time) — deadline for submitting questions regarding the competition;
• 16 August 2026, 23:59 (Kyiv time) — application submission deadline.

To participate in the grant programme, applicants are required to prepare and submit a complete application package in the prescribed format before the application deadline.

The main steps include:

• completing the online application form with basic information about the organisation and the proposed project;
• preparing and signing the Grant Proposal Form (Annex A);
• completing the Project Budget (Annex B) using the required template;
• completing the Applicant Self-Assessment Form (Annex C);
• preparing the Risk Matrix (Annex D).

Applications that pass the eligibility screening are forwarded to the Competition Committee for evaluation. The maximum score is 100 points, and applications scoring at least 70 points may be further considered by the Selection Committee for negotiations and the due diligence process.

Applications are evaluated across four categories:

• Project Methodology and Design – 40 points. This category assesses the quality and feasibility of the proposed methodology, alignment with the technical assignment, project viability, and integration of the GEDSI approach.
• Technical Expertise and Experience – 30 points. Evaluation considers the applicant's organisational experience, examples of previous projects, staff qualifications, references, and the relevance of prior experience to the proposed activity.
• Budget and Value for Money – 20 points. Reviewers assess whether the budget is well justified, realistic, complete, and demonstrates efficient use of available resources.
• Risk Management – 10 points. The assessment focuses on the quality of the risk matrix and the proposed measures to mitigate budgetary, environmental, and security risks.

Before the scoring stage, applications are also checked against formal eligibility requirements, including timely submission, the applicant's legal status, organisational verification, and the inclusion of all required supporting documents.

The grant proposal must also be accompanied by copies of the documents requested in the self-assessment form, including:

• an extract from the Unified State Register (and re-registration documents, where applicable);
• proof of non-profit status;
• the organisation's statute;
• the organisational structure and CVs of key personnel;
• existing organisational policies;
• financial statements and, where available, audit reports.

All application documents must be submitted in Ukrainian using the prescribed templates and sent electronically to the designated email address. Applications submitted after 16 August 2026, 23:59 (Kyiv time) or those that do not meet the eligibility requirements will not be considered.

PFRU will hold an online pre-application workshop on July 23, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. Kyiv time on the Teams platform.
This workshop will provide interested participants with an opportunity to ask questions about the Call for Proposals and receive instructions on how to complete the application form, the self-assessment form, or regarding any other requirements listed in this Call for Proposals.

To join, follow this link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/28314677483243?p=rtMnhN5Uy39nuE8Ekq

Following the award of funding, the grant recipient is expected to ensure proper reporting, maintain supporting documentation for project implementation, and comply with the programme's communication and financial requirements.

Key requirements include:

• the final payment, representing 5–10% of the total project budget, will be released only after submission of 100% of the required reports, including documentation confirming all financial transactions;
• upon completion of the training activities, the grant recipient must prepare one consolidated report summarising the main results, lessons learned, and recommendations for further capacity development;
• communication activities form an integral part of the project and are not limited to reporting on project implementation;
• all public communication materials must be coordinated with the PFRU RRM team and the PFRU Strategic Communications team and comply with security requirements;
• the grant recipient is expected to communicate project progress through social media or other appropriate information channels, including updates on implemented activities, project results, and practical recommendations;
• all communication materials must comply with the programme's approved branding and publication requirements.