Grants of the President of Ukraine for Youth from Small Territorial Communities

The grant contest of the President of Ukraine for youth from small territorial communities is developed and implemented by the Ukrainian Youth Foundation (UYF) in accordance with the tasks of state target programs in the field of youth policy. The procedure for providing grants and the selection rules are regulated by Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 159/2026 and Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1252 of October 1, 2025. The main goal of the program is to create conditions under which young people from small communities (with a population under 10,000 residents) can implement their own socially important initiatives, enhance local community resilience, develop non-formal education, security, culture, and volunteering, as well as participate in Ukraine’s recovery processes. Over 200 youth projects across the country are expected to be supported within the competition.

The program is administered by the Ukrainian Youth Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine. The competition targets individuals aged 14 to 35 who are registered or reside as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in small Ukrainian communities. Supported projects must aim to achieve concrete, measurable results for the community — ranging from setting up youth spaces and organizing educational camps to launching local micro-initiatives and environmental activities.

• Applicants: Individuals who are Ukrainian citizens aged 14 to 35 (inclusive as of project completion — until August 01, 2027).
• Residency Requirement: The applicant must be officially registered or registered as an IDP in a small territorial community (up to 10,000 residents) for at least 1 year prior to the competition announcement date.
• Restrictions (Ineligible Persons):
  • Persons with unextinguished or unspent criminal records.
  • Persons subject to NSDC sanctions.
  • Debtors in active enforcement proceedings or persons with open lawsuits/unfulfilled court decisions in favor of UYF.
  • Persons actually residing in active warzones or temporarily occupied territories of the Russian Federation (with no determined completion date).
  • Persons with overdue tax liabilities.
  • Persons who violated copyright, integrity declarations, or grant agreements with the Foundation within the past year.

The budget grant for a single project ranges from 50,000 to 200,000 UAH.

• Eligible Expenses:
  • Remuneration for hired specialists involved in project preparation and implementation.
  • Meals for direct project participants during events (up to UAH 300 per day per person).
  • Rental of premises, grounds, facilities, and equipment/office technology.
  • Transport services for conveying participants, organizers, and equipment.
  • Printing services, production of branded promotional materials, and acquisition of stationery, household supplies, and first aid materials.
  • Information services, media promotion, advertising, targeting, and online live broadcasts.
  • Purchase of equipment and inventory costing up to UAH 24,000 (incl. VAT) per unit (if useful life exceeds 1 year, assets must be registered on the balance sheet of a local legal entity in the community).
• Ineligible Expenses:
  • Goods, works, or services unrelated to project implementation.
  • Payment for intermediary services or costs of grant application preparation.
  • Expenses already funded from other sources, state aid, or budget programs.
  • Implementation of projects aimed at making a profit.
  • Purchase of mobile phones, household appliances, and vehicles.
  • Payment of fines, penalties, interest on debt obligations, and auditing services.
  • Direct cash transfers to individuals (bonuses, scholarships, financial aid).
  • Purchase of goods/equipment costing UAH 24,000 or more (incl. VAT) per unit.
  • Transactions between related parties (except remuneration for team members).

• Equipping youth spaces, rooms, and hubs in schools or local community centers.
• Organizing educational courses, trainings, workshops, camps, and forums on non-formal education, leadership, and civic participation.
• Launching social and micro-businesses for youth (bakeries, coffee shops, repair workshops, service provision, craft production).
• Agricultural projects (greenhouses, growing vegetables/herbs/berries, mushroom production, mini-farms).
• Training youth in remote work, SMM, and online employment skills.
• Volunteer initiatives aimed at supporting community residents and vulnerable social groups.
• Environmental projects, tree planting, landscaping, and creating recreational areas.
• Sports events and setting up sports grounds / gyms.
• Civil safety, first aid training, and supplying emergency medical kits.
• Cultural events, film screenings, and local tourism development (tours, photo zones).

• November 02, 2026: Official start of application submission.
• December 02, 2026 (by 23:59): Application submission deadline via website and email.
• First working day after deadline: Start of technical screening of submitted projects.
• Within 1 working day after technical screening: Publication of screening results on the website and email notifications.
• Within 5 working days: Appeal period for technical screening results.
• Following technical screening: Expert evaluation on a 5-point scale and creation of the ranking list.
• Up to 5 working days after expert decision: Notification of applicants regarding results and comments.
• Within 5 working days: Appeal period for expert evaluation results.
• Following complaint resolution: Remote discussions of expert recommendations between Foundation management and ranked applicants.
• Finalization: Submission of winner list to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, issuance of Presidential Decree, and signing of grant agreements via the "Vchasno" system.
• March — July 2027: Implementation period for youth projects.
• Within 10 calendar days post-implementation: Submission of the final report.

1. Review the Applicant Guidelines on the official website https://uyf.gov.ua/.
2. Fill out electronic application forms according to official templates: Application Form (Annex 1), Project Budget (Annex 2), and Implementation Plan (Annex 3).
3. Prepare the full package of mandatory supporting documents.
4. Sign application documents via manual signature or QES: Application (4 signatures + full name and date written out), Budget (2 signatures), and Plan (1 signature).
5. Scan all documents into individual PDF files and submit an online application via the official UYF portal https://uyf.gov.ua/.
6. Mandatory: send the Budget file in Excel format to the Foundation email: uayouthfoundation@gmail.com.

Expert evaluation is conducted on a 5-point scale according to the following criteria:

• Relevance of the Youth Project: Justification based on community needs and verified social demand.
• Expected Results: Clarity, specificity, and measurability of target indicators.
• Efficiency of Budget Utilization: Accuracy, rationality, compliance with budget legislation, and appropriateness of expenditure items.
• Applicant's Capacity: Verified youth work experience and capacity to execute proposed steps.
• Impact on Small Territorial Community: Scale of positive changes for local youth and community residents.
• Sustainability of Results: Clear operational plan and preservation of project outcomes beyond grant funding.

• Application Form for the competition (Annex 1).
• Project Budget Estimate (Annex 2).
• Project Implementation Plan (Annex 3).
• Recommendation letter from regional/district state (military) administration or local self-government body.
• Applicant youth work experience description (free-form with event details, links, and recommendations).
• Copy of Ukrainian citizen passport (pages 1, 2, 3–6, and residency extract) or e-passport.
• Copy of territorial community registry extract (issued no earlier than competition announcement date, with registration period not less than 1 year).
• Copy of IDP certificate (if applicable, with registration period in the community not less than 1 year).
• Copy of Taxpayer Identification Number (RNOKPP).
• Written consent statement from child's legal representatives confirming participation and grant management (for applicants aged 14 to 18).

• Reporting Deadline: Final report (substantive and financial) must be submitted within 10 calendar days after project completion.
• Financial Report Composition: Must include copies of bank statements, primary accounting documents, as well as asset acceptance certificates or commissioning orders for placing acquired fixed assets on a legal entity's balance sheet.
• UAH 20,000 Procurement Threshold: For purchases of goods/services from legal entities or FOPs totaling UAH 20,000 or more (incl. VAT), vendor selection must be justified by 3 commercial price quotes or proof of uniqueness.
• Dedicated Bank Account: All financial operations must be conducted strictly via cashless transactions using a dedicated bank account.
• Compliance with UYF Branding: Mandatory placement of the Foundation logo on all materials, inclusion of official disclaimer text in public speeches and publications, tagging @uyf.gov.ua on social media, and pre-approval of layout designs with UYF.

• Single Application Rule: One applicant may submit only one project within the contest program.
• Non-Profit Nature: The project must not pursue profit generation or maintenance of individuals/legal entities.
• Double Funding Prohibition: The project must not receive funding from other state/local budgets or international technical assistance.
• Electronic Execution: The budget grant agreement is concluded electronically via the "Vchasno" document management platform.
• Disbursement Schedule: Funding is disbursed in two tranches — 75% advance payment and 25% upon interim monitoring and compliance fulfillment.
• Balance Sheet Registration: Fixed assets costing up to UAH 24,000 with a useful life exceeding 1 year must be officially registered on the balance sheet of a local legal entity in the community.
• Unilateral Cancellation & Refund: In case of misrepresentation or terms violation, the Foundation cancels the agreement unilaterally, and grant funds must be refunded within 15 working days.