Grants for Social Impact Projects

The competition is organized by SOS Children's Villages Ukraine Charitable Foundation within the project "Strengthening Social Cohesion and Community Resilience through Social Protection of the Most Vulnerable Children and Their Families in Ukraine", funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). The call supports social impact projects implemented by civil society organizations to improve access of children, youth and families to quality social services, strengthen communities, promote social inclusion, protect children's rights and increase community resilience in selected target regions of Ukraine.

The competition is open to civil society and charitable organizations that have been legally registered in Ukraine for at least one year at the time of application and hold nonprofit status in accordance with Ukrainian legislation.

Key eligibility requirements include:

• project staff with experience relevant to the competition's thematic area;
• proven experience in implementing at least two completed and fully reported projects;
• previous cooperation with international organizations is considered an additional advantage;
• willingness to comply with the organizer's internal policies, including child protection, ethics, anti-fraud, anti-corruption, and safeguarding policies.

Project team requirements:

• the team should include a project manager, an accountant or financial specialist, and other relevant experts;
• team members should have appropriate education, Ukrainian language proficiency, and experience relevant to project implementation;
• applicants should be prepared to cooperate with local authorities and other project partners.

Projects will be implemented in the Ivano-Frankivsk, Poltava, and Kharkiv regions. Target groups include foster families, family-type children's homes, guardian families, families with children affected by the war or facing vulnerable circumstances, internally displaced persons, and professionals working with children.

Applications from individuals, commercial entities, government institutions, local self-government bodies, trade unions, political parties, religious organizations, or organizations that do not meet the established eligibility requirements will not be considered.

The programme provides grant funding ranging from UAH 800,000 to UAH 2,200,000 for project implementation.

Grant funds are disbursed in two instalments:

• 80% at the start of the project;
• 20% after verification of the interim financial reporting documentation.

Eligible expenditures include:

• salaries for the organisation's staff and contracted experts;
• goods and services required for project implementation;
• communication, information, and consultancy services;
• venue rental and services related to project events;
• printing and publishing services;
• consumable materials and office supplies;
• transport and other project-related expenses;
• remuneration of the project manager and financial specialist/accountant.

Ineligible costs include project application preparation, debt repayment, compensation for exchange rate fluctuations, international travel, costs financed by other programmes, and office rent and utility expenses. Administrative costs may not exceed 18% of the total project budget. Humanitarian assistance and direct cash assistance are also not eligible for funding.

The grant programme supports social impact projects focused on child protection and mental health support for children. Eligible initiatives may include the following activities:

• training local specialists to strengthen their capacity to provide child protection and psychosocial support services;
• organizing child protection training for social workers, teachers, and community representatives;
• implementing activities for children, including internally displaced children, as well as safe and diverse recreational programmes;
• supporting existing child-friendly spaces and providing social, speech therapy, psychological, and educational services for children and their families;
• conducting learning sessions, play activities, workshops, and other initiatives aimed at developing practical skills, resilience, and self-help;
• promoting youth initiatives, student self-government, and local civil society development;
• training on safe behaviour around explosive hazards and first aid;
• establishing and equipping child-friendly spaces, sensory rooms, and specialist offices while ensuring accessibility and inclusion for children with disabilities.

The programme follows a structured timeline covering the application, evaluation, and project implementation stages.

Key milestones include:

• announcement of the grant competition;
• application submission deadline: 10 August 2026, 23:59;
• evaluation of applications after the submission period closes;
• notification of successful applicants following the completion of the evaluation process;
• implementation of selected projects after the grant agreements have been signed.

Additional information:

• the complete application package must be submitted in Ukrainian;
• the minimum project implementation period is 3 months.

To participate in the competition, the organization must prepare and submit a complete application package (Items 1–4) in Ukrainian.

Main steps:

• submit the application package *as a single email with one .rar archive attachment to partner-im@sos-ukraine.org;
• use the subject line: IP_2026_NORAD_Organization Name;
• submit the application by 10 August 2026, 23:59;
• after submission, the organizer verifies the application for compliance with the competition requirements, and eligible applications are forwarded to the selection committee.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

If applicants have questions while preparing their project proposal, they should send them in writing to partner-im@sos-ukraine.org using the subject "IP_2026_NORAD: Information Request". Responses are provided within 1–2 working days, and inquiries should be submitted no later than 48 hours before the application deadline.

Project proposals are assessed through a multi-stage evaluation process that includes eligibility verification, legal review, and a substantive assessment of the proposed project.

The evaluation process includes:

• verification of programme eligibility and compliance with the competition requirements;
• legal review of applicants who successfully pass the initial screening;
• substantive assessment of the project proposal, including the proposed budget and activities, based on their relevance to the programme objectives and eligible activities;
• where necessary, applicants may be invited to an online presentation or asked to submit a short project video;
• following the evaluation, the Evaluation Committee selects the successful projects.

Where appropriate, applicants may be invited to revise and improve their project proposals based on the committee's recommendations.

Applicants are notified of the results by email. Application materials are not returned, final decisions are not subject to appeal, and reasons for approval or rejection are not provided.

To participate in the competition, the organization should submit a complete application package, including:

• Application Form (Microsoft Word format) containing the organizational plan and project implementation plan.
• Project Budget (Excel format) prepared in the national currency (UAH).
• Integrity Form (Annex 3) completed in full.
• Scanned copies of:
  • the registration certificate or official registry extract;
  • the certificate confirming nonprofit status;
  • the certificate confirming the availability of a bank account in Ukrainian hryvnia;
  • the certificate confirming the absence of outstanding payment liabilities administered by the competent authorities.
• Documents confirming compliance with the technical eligibility requirements, including:
  • CVs of the proposed project staff and experts;
  • letters of support from local self-government authorities or territorial communities (if available, they are considered an advantage).

Grant recipients are required to report on project implementation in the format established by the grant provider and to participate in monitoring and evaluation activities.

Key reporting requirements include:

• submitting monthly interim reports describing implemented activities, achieved results, and financial information in accordance with the grant agreement;
• providing brief reports upon request whenever additional project information is required;
• submitting a final report that includes a summary of project activities, achieved results, and a financial report covering the entire implementation period;
• submitting interim and final communication reports with photo and video materials, as well as links to publications and other project communication outputs.

The grant provider monitors project implementation through report reviews, meetings, site visits, and other monitoring activities, and reserves the right to conduct monitoring for up to three years after the project has been completed.

The grant programme is implemented by SOS Children's Villages Ukraine, a nongovernmental charitable organization that is part of the SOS Children’s Villages International (SOS Kinderdorf) federation, operating in more than 130 countries worldwide.

The organization has been working in Ukraine since 2003, focusing on preventing child abandonment, supporting families, children without parental care, and young people transitioning from alternative care.

Project implementation is based on a territorial approach, promoting partnership and cross-sector cooperation to achieve effective results and create a sustainable impact within local communities.