Grants to Strengthen the Capacity of Displaced Local Governments

The grant programme is aimed at strengthening operational capacity and improving cooperation with communities of local self-government support offices (POMS) in the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions. The initiative is designed to support institutions operating under displacement and prolonged occupation conditions while enhancing coordination and policy dialogue.

Within the programme, partners are expected to:

• develop and implement regional initiatives;
• improve the quality of services provided by POMS;
• strengthen internal processes, communication systems, and interaction with communities;
• maintain sustainable connections with communities and residents of temporarily occupied territories.

The programme places special emphasis on training and knowledge exchange. Beneficiaries will participate in structured learning activities, activity reviews, and practical learning sessions. Additional support is also foreseen for organizations introducing new practices and operational approaches.

Main eligibility criteria:

• The applicant must be an officially registered civil society organization or NGO recognized under Ukrainian legislation.
• The organization must hold non-profit status.
• Applicants must be prepared to undergo the PFRU due diligence procedure and complete a self-assessment form.
• Verification is conducted through the Visual Compliance system, including international sanctions and restricted-party screening lists.

Organizational requirements:

• The organization’s staff should include qualified professionals experienced in project management and financial reporting.
• Applicants must have effective management, internal control and financial administration systems.
• Organizations are required to maintain policies related to health, wellbeing and human rights protection.
• Participants must comply with ethical and business conduct standards under the applicable Code of Conduct.

The following entities are not eligible:

• organizations registered in temporarily occupied territories without re-registration in government-controlled areas of Ukraine;
• entities not registered under Ukrainian law;
• organizations with a history of donor fund misuse;
• political parties and religious organizations;
• organizations linked to sanctions or restricted-party lists;
• organizations registered in Russia, North Korea or Iran;
• organizations associated with persons or entities listed under Ukrainian NSDC sanctions.

Within the grant programme, PFRU plans to award up to four grants. The expected amount of each grant ranges from UAH 6,000,000 to UAH 7,000,000, depending on the scope and structure of the proposed initiative.

Applicants may include in their budgets:

• limited equipment procurement;
• minor infrastructure improvements;
• office equipment;
• digital tools;
• minor upgrades of community hubs or service premises.

The organizers specify that equipment and infrastructure support costs must be clearly justified and directly linked to the project objectives. Such expenses may not exceed 15% of the total project budget.

Eligible costs must:

• be directly related to project implementation;
• comply with Ukrainian legislation;
• be properly documented;
• be incurred within the approved implementation period;
• be reflected in the beneficiary’s accounting and reporting records.

The programme also states that procurement from certain listed companies is prohibited, and applicants may not cooperate with suppliers restricted or suspended from receiving international assistance or funding.

The grant programme supports initiatives aimed at strengthening local self-government support offices (POMS), improving community engagement and enhancing intermunicipal cooperation.

Main areas of support:

• Strengthening the operational capacity of POMS
  • optimization of administrative and internal processes;
  • implementation of digital tools;
  • development of strategies, roadmaps and operational plans;
  • improvement of service delivery mechanisms.
• Enhancing interaction with communities
  • development of communication strategies and outreach channels;
  • promotion of social cohesion;
  • involvement of IDPs and community residents in planning processes;
  • support for local identity and cultural initiatives.
• Development of partnerships and networking
  • cooperation between POMS across regions;
  • exchange of experience and joint problem-solving;
  • support for community hubs and shared-resource models;
  • cooperation with civil society organizations, associations and public authorities.
• Short-Term Technical Assistance (STTA)
  • engagement of experts in project management, legal support, communications and other fields;
  • knowledge transfer and strengthening of institutional capacity;
  • development of exit strategies for external experts.
  • Up to 30% of the project budget may be allocated to the STTA component.

Additional expectations:

• Projects are expected to demonstrate flexibility, adaptability and sustainability.
• Practical cooperation with communities and national partners is encouraged.
• Proposals should take into account changing political and operational contexts and support coordination with other PFRU initiatives.

• Call announcement date: 7 May 2026.
• Application submission deadline: 27 May 2026, 23:59 Kyiv time.
• Projects are expected to be implemented in Ukraine.
• The expected grant duration is up to 10 months.
• PFRU will organize an online pre-application workshop on 19 May at 14:00 Kyiv time via Microsoft Teams.
• Deadline for submitting questions: 22 May 2026, 23:59 Kyiv time.

• Applicants are required to complete the online application form available via the designated link.
• The application package must include:
  • the grant proposal form (Annex A);
  • the project budget (Annex B);
  • the applicant self-assessment form (Annex C);
  • the risk matrix (Annex D);
  • letters of cooperation/support from partner organizations (if applicable).
• The project proposal should contain a detailed implementation strategy and description of planned activities.
• Applications must also include supporting organizational documents, including:
  • an extract from the state register;
  • proof of non-profit status;
  • the organization’s statute;
  • organizational structure and key personnel information;
  • internal policies;
  • financial and audit reports (if available).
• All documents must be submitted in Ukrainian and formatted according to the specified Word template requirements.
• Complete applications must be submitted electronically to: pfru-grants@chemonics.com.
• The application deadline is 27 May 2026 at 23:59 Kyiv time.
• The organizers reserve the right not to review late submissions or applications that do not meet the eligibility requirements.
• The announcement also states that the final grant payment is released only after submission of 100% reporting documentation and confirmation of financial operations.

After the eligibility verification stage, applications are forwarded to the selection committee for evaluation. The assessment is conducted under a 100-point scoring system.

Main evaluation criteria:

• Project methodology and design — 40 points
  • quality and realism of the proposed methodology;
  • alignment with the competition objectives;
  • integration of GEDSI, inclusivity and gender equality approaches;
  • clear connection between activities, results and impact.
• Sustainability and partnerships — 20 points
  • sustainability strategy after the grant period;
  • quality of coordination and partnership mechanisms;
  • cooperation with local authorities, local self-government bodies and other stakeholders.
• Expertise and experience — 15 points
  • experience in implementing similar projects;
  • examples of previous activities;
  • qualifications of project personnel and references.
• Budget and value for money — 15 points
  • justification of proposed costs;
  • level of budget detail;
  • efficient use of grant resources.
• Risk management — 10 points
  • existence of a risk matrix;
  • measures to minimize financial, security and environmental risks.

Additional evaluation conditions:

• Applications must score at least 70 points to proceed to the next stage.
• Top-ranked applications may undergo additional review and due diligence procedures.
• During the eligibility screening stage, the following are also checked:
  • timely submission of the application;
  • legal registration status of the organization;
  • compliance verification in the “Visual Compliance” system;
  • inclusion of all required supporting documents.

Within the grant programme, PFRU will organize an online pre-application workshop on 19 May at 14:00 Kyiv time via Microsoft Teams:

https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/283282860052193?p=PQJxVtgdBmPSlzL1G1

During the workshop, participants will be able to:

• ask questions regarding the call for proposals;
• receive guidance on completing the application form;
• learn more about the self-assessment form and other programme requirements.

The organizers note that the workshop is intended to support potential applicants during the preparation of application documents.

• The grant programme provides funding through:
  • a reimbursement-based mechanism, or
  • a fixed-amount / milestone-based mechanism.
• Both funding formats require financial reporting from the grant recipient.
• The organizers note that the final payment amounting to 5–10% of the total project budget will be released only after the submission of complete reporting documentation and confirmation of all financial transactions.
• Budgeted expenses must comply with eligible cost requirements under:
  • the Eligible Cost Guidance for Commercial Contracts;
  • the FCDO Eligible Cost Guidance for Accountable Grant Agreements.
• All expenditures must be properly documented and aligned with financial accounting and reporting requirements.