Grant program for skills development and employment in PFRU communities

FPSU is a multi-year donor-funded program, implemented by Chemonics and supported by several governments. Its goal is to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience by supporting local communities in cooperation with government, civil society, and the private sector.

Key expected results:

• Improved capacity to counter disinformation and support de-occupied territories.
• Strengthened ability of authorities to deliver quality services in vulnerable communities.
• Enhanced social cohesion (psychological and economic).
• Data collection and use for policy and program adaptation.
• The program supports local economic recovery, focusing on skills development and employment.
• It addresses unemployment, income loss, and economic migration.
• Provides practical training and reskilling aligned with local labor market needs.
• Encourages partnerships with national and regional institutions.
• The grant program includes three lots, jointly aimed at increasing economic resilience in target communities.

Who can apply:

• Officially registered non-profit organizations / NGOs / CSOs.
• Organizations with institutional capacity to implement projects (team, experience, systems).

Mandatory requirements:

• Willingness to undergo due diligence and compliance checks (Visual Compliance, YouControl).
• Established management systems, including financial controls and anti-corruption measures.
• Policies on human rights and safeguarding and adherence to ethical standards.
• Qualified staff with project management and reporting experience.

Key capacity criteria:

• Experience in skills development, employment, or reskilling programs.
• Ability to engage participants and work with vulnerable groups.
• Partnerships with employers and relevant stakeholders.
• Capacity for outreach, training, and participant support.

Additional advantages:

• Focus on priority groups (youth, veterans, IDPs, women).
• Demonstrated value for money (VfM).
• Gender-balanced teams (as a tie-breaker).

Ineligible applicants:

• Organizations not registered under Ukrainian law or from occupied territories without re-registration.
• Political parties, religious organizations, sanctioned or affiliated entities.
• Entities linked to sanctioned countries (e.g., Russia, DPRK, Iran).
• Organizations with a history of misuse of donor funds.

Geographic requirements:

• Activities must be implemented in target FPSU communities or in cooperation with them.
• Work in other regions is allowed if justified and accessible.
• Participants must come from designated communities (considering security constraints).

Two grant types are предусмотрені: cost-reimbursement or fixed-amount / milestone-based grants (both require financial reporting). It is expected to award one grant per each of the 3 lots, but the organizer may fund more depending on available resources and proposal quality.

Grant duration:

• up to 8 months — Lot 1
• up to 11 months — Lot 2
• up to 8 months — Lot 3
  (shorter periods are possible depending on the project scope)

Indicative funding amounts:

• up to UAH 8,700,000 — Lot 1
• up to UAH 5,800,000 — Lot 2
• up to UAH 2,900,000 — Lot 3
  (final amounts may vary after negotiations)

Cost eligibility principles:

• Costs must be directly linked to project activities and justified.
• Must comply with Ukrainian legislation and sound financial management principles.
• Require proper documentation and accounting records.
• Must be incurred within the defined grant period.
• Procurement from certain companies (e.g., Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, Dahua) and restricted suppliers is prohibited.

Lot 1: Expanding Economic Opportunities for Youth

• Targets youth aged 18–25 in target communities.
• Focuses on skills development, employment, and self-employment.

Key activities:

• Training and mentorship support (short-term, market-oriented courses).
• Job search and career development support.
• Community-level activities to increase youth engagement and awareness of opportunities.

Lot 2: Strengthening Vocational Education Capacity

• Targets adult population and training systems.
• Aims to improve access to training and employment.

Key activities:

• Capacity building of vocational training centers (VET) and adaptation to labor market needs.
• Strengthening links with employers and employment pathways.
• Communication campaigns to promote adult learning.
• Development and funding of reskilling programs aligned with local demand.

Lot 3: Flexible Reskilling and Upskilling

• Targets a broad range of beneficiary groups.
• Complements Lots 1 and 2 by covering unmet needs.

Key activities:

• Reskilling and upskilling programs based on local economic needs.
• Activities leading to measurable outcomes (employment, self-employment, income).
• Support for specific population groups and economic sectors.

• Announcement date: March 18, 2026.
• An online workshop for applicants will take place on April 2 at 14:00 (Kyiv time) via Microsoft Teams.
• Deadline for submitting questions: April 10, 2026, 23:59 (Kyiv time).
• Application submission deadline: April 15, 2026, 23:59 (Kyiv time).

1. Prepare the grant proposal in Ukrainian in Word format
   (Times New Roman, size 11, single spacing) using the provided templates (Annexes A, B, C, D).
2. Ensure the application is signed by an authorized representative of the organization.
3. Submit the full application package electronically to:
   pfru-grants@chemonics.com
4. Include the competition reference in the subject line: 23-06_Workforce.
5. Submit the application by April 15, 2026, 23:59 (Kyiv time).
6. Make sure all documents are complete and submitted on time
   (late or non-compliant applications may not be considered).

Eligibility screening (mandatory stage):

• Application submitted on time.
• Applicant is a registered NGO/CSO.
• Activities align with geographic and program priorities.
• Compliance checks completed (YouControl, Visual Compliance).
• All required documents submitted.

Eligible applications proceed to evaluation.

Scoring system (maximum — 100 points):

• Project methodology and design — 40 points
  Assesses relevance, logic, alignment with community and labor market needs, and sustainability.
• Expertise and experience — 30 points
  Considers proven track record, results, and capacity to work with target communities.
• Budget and cost-effectiveness — 20 points
  Budget must be clear, realistic, and justified, demonstrating value for money (VfM).
• Risk management — 10 points
  Evaluates identification of risks, mitigation measures, and adaptability.

Additional evaluation aspects:

• Inclusion of vulnerable groups (women, IDPs, veterans, youth, persons with disabilities).
• Practical pathways to employment or self-employment.
• Partnerships and stakeholder coordination.

Passing threshold: applications scoring above 70 points proceed to the next stage.

• Completed online application form (basic organizational and project information).
• Grant proposal form (Annex A)
  signed by an authorized representative and including a detailed project description.
• Budget (Annex B)
  prepared according to provided instructions.
• Applicant self-assessment form (Annex C)
  with supporting documents and policies, including:

  • registration documents;

  • non-profit status confirmation;

  • statute/bylaws;

  • organizational structure and key staff CVs;

  • internal policies;

  • financial and (if available) audit reports.

• Risk matrix (Annex D)
• Letters of support (if available) from partners
  — ministries, local authorities, education providers.

The project will host an online workshop prior to the application deadline on April 2 at 2:00 p.m. Kyiv time on Microsoft Teams.
Link to the meeting:

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/26364295007102?p=wPcOVYqjwZvKhkcj9D

Applicants must include clearly defined and measurable results in their proposals.

Results are expected to demonstrate improved skills, labor market readiness, and income opportunities in target communities.

Key reporting outputs:

• Training implementation materials
  (curricula, modules, methodological materials, participant data, completion and certification).
• Materials on participant outreach and selection
  (selection criteria, communication approaches, participant data with GEDSI considerations).
• Materials on partnerships and employment support
  (evidence of cooperation with employers, education providers, employment services; proof of employment or self-employment).
• Materials on results and success stories
  (employment outcomes, business start-ups, beneficiary cases, demonstrated impact).

• Grants are awarded in accordance with the FCDO Standard Terms and Conditions and the Chemonics Supplier Code of Conduct (based on the FCDO Code of Conduct).
• Compliance with these requirements is mandatory for all grantees and is included in the applicant self-assessment form.
• Organizations must ensure full adherence to all rules and provisions during grant implementation.
• The donor reserves the right to:

• • reject any application;

  • modify or cancel the competition;

  • make decisions without justification.

• Submission of an application does not guarantee funding and does not create obligations for the donor.