Microproject grant from the Embassy of Germany

The microprojects program from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kyiv is aimed at supporting autonomous initiatives with a short implementation period. The main goal of the initiative is to provide targeted financial assistance to Ukrainian non-governmental organizations, public associations, and self-help groups for the implementation of measures that they are unable to finance independently. The maximum grant amount is 25,000 euros per project. An important condition for participation is the attraction of own funds or co-financing from third parties (e.g., businesses or municipalities), as well as the completion of all implementation stages by the end of 2027.

For 2027, the focus of attention is on the following priority areas:

• Medical care and neonatology: improving obstetric care and the work of maternity wards in order to maximize the chances of newborn survival, reduce neonatal mortality, and provide inclusive obstetric care for women with disabilities.
• Economic resilience for single mothers: promoting financial independence through skills upgrading and providing business startup consulting. The goal is to enable mothers to have stable economic prospects for the future of their children.

In general, the grant supports the following areas of activity:

• Meeting the basic needs of the local population, with a special emphasis on helping vulnerable groups.
• Improving the living conditions of communities in a sustainable way, provided that the confirmed benefit from the project results will last for at least 3 years.
• Procurement of materials and equipment necessary for the project, which must be carried out exclusively within the territory of Ukraine.

Grant funds have a strictly targeted purpose. They cannot be used to cover the regular operating or administrative costs of the organization itself, such as staff salaries, rent of premises, payment of utility services, or current consumables. The program also does not finance the purchase of any vehicles, support for individuals, privileged groups, military or police structures, or measures for state institutions that do not bring direct benefit to the local population.

• Who is eligible: Ukrainian institutions, in particular non-governmental organizations (NGOs), public associations, and self-help groups.
• Who is not eligible: Applications from commercial enterprises or unregistered organizations are not eligible for funding.
• Quantity limit: One organization or institution can submit only one grant application.

• Maximum grant amount: As a rule, it is up to 25,000 euros per project.
• Own contribution and co-financing: Applicants must primarily attract their own funds. Co-financing by third parties (e.g., private donors, municipalities, local entrepreneurs) is also possible. The minimum share of own funds or third-party funds is not set.

Eligible expenses and procurement conditions:

• • Materials must be purchased exclusively in Ukraine.
  • A mandatory condition for each procurement is an economic, frugal, and transparent approach.
  • In the case of purchasing technical equipment, it is necessary to provide confirmation regarding the provision of its regular maintenance.

Not eligible for financing:

• • Operating costs of the project implementer: personnel costs (salaries, fees) and administrative costs (rent, energy carriers, consumables).
  • Purchase of vehicles.
  • Financing of individuals, privileged groups, police or military structures.
  • Measures in favor of state institutions that do not have a direct benefit for the local population.
  • Double financing (Germany/EU).
  • Uncovered subsequent costs on the part of the project implementer.

• Autonomous measures and projects with a short implementation period.
• Initiatives aimed at improving the basic needs of vulnerable groups of the population and providing a long-term effect.
• Measures that Ukrainian institutions are unable to finance independently.

• Application submission: The submission of a brief project description takes place no later than October 21, 2026.
• Confirmation: After receiving the documents, the organizer will send a confirmation.
• Selection: Only those applicants whose projects have been selected for funding will receive a notification about the next steps (individual rejections are not sent).
• Implementation: The implementation of the project measure must not have already started at the time of submission, and it must be completed by the end of 2027.
• Reporting: The use of the grant must be confirmed within six months after achieving the grant goal, but no later than the end of the sixth month following the approved period. If the goal is not achieved by the end of the financial year, an interim report is submitted by April 30 of the following year.

• All sections must be filled out in the form: a brief description of the organization, the initial situation and the goal of the project, specific measures, as well as a detailed financing plan (indicating own funds and the requested amount).
• The completed brief project description is submitted by email to: wi@kyji.diplo.de.
• After sending, the organizer sends an acknowledgment of receipt. Applicants are requested to refrain from inquiring about the status of their applications.
• Completed form "Brief project description for microproject application".

The decisive criteria for making a decision on the feasibility of financing a project are:

• Clear definition of the project goal.
• Consistency of the project measures.
• Adequate own contribution of the organization.
• Confirmed benefit of the project for at least 3 years (sustainable effect).

Completed form "Brief project description for microproject application".

• Reporting requirements: The report on the targeted use of funds consists of a factual report (description of implemented measures, achieved results, and assessment of goals) and a quantitative report (chronological list of receipts and expenses with a list of supporting documents).
• Document retention: The grant recipient must keep the original supporting documents, invoices, and contracts for five years after the completion of the report verification.
• Inventory: The grant recipient must conduct an inventory of items purchased to achieve the grant goal, the cost of which exceeds 800 euros (excluding VAT). These items must be used for their intended purpose and cannot be alienated until the expiration of the commitment period.
• Anti-corruption measures and procurement: When placing contracts, it is necessary to adhere to the principles of economy, transparency, and equality. If written local legislation is absent or unclear, the open tender procedure applies for purchases from 10,000 euros (construction works) or from 25,000 euros (goods/services). Usually, for smaller amounts, it is necessary to collect at least three proposals.
• Sanctions: Violation of procurement rules, misuse of funds, or failure to submit reports may result in a demand for the return of the entire grant or part of it, with the accrual of annual interest at a rate of 5% above the base rate.

• Regulatory framework and contractual obligations: The relationship between the grantor and the grant recipient is regulated by the "Special Supplementary Provisions of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany" (BNBest-AA-Ausland, valid from 01.01.2025), which are an obligatory integral part of the grant agreement.
• Applicable law and jurisdiction: The agreement is exclusively governed by German law. The official place of jurisdiction for resolving any disputes is the city of Berlin. In case of discrepancies in the interpretation of the Ukrainian and German texts of the documents, the German version shall prevail.
• Requirements for the legal status of the organization: Only officially registered Ukrainian non-profit organizations (NGOs, CSOs, etc.) can participate. Commercial enterprises and unregistered initiatives are not allowed to participate.
• Legal status of property and permits: A project is not eligible for financing in the presence of undefined legal relations or the absence of mandatory official permits for carrying out the works. In addition, double financing from other German state funds or EU programs is strictly prohibited.
• Rules for owning and using purchased property:
  • All items and materials purchased with grant funds must be used exclusively for their intended purpose with care.
  • The grant recipient has no right to alienate, sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of them until the end of the commitment period established by the agreement.
  • Items worth more than 800 euros (excluding VAT) are subject to mandatory inventory with the indication of the inventory number and the owner on the item itself. Writing off or changing the purpose of such items is possible only with the prior written consent of the grantor.
• Compliance with procurement procedures (tender law):
  • The placement of contracts for the execution of works, the provision of services, or the supply of goods must be carried out on the basis of transparency, equality, and fair competition.
  • To prevent corruption, the organizational separation of the processes for determining the need, placing the contract, and settlements is mandatory.
  • When purchasing goods or services worth from 25,000 euros (or construction works from 10,000 euros excluding VAT), an open tender is mandatory. For smaller amounts, a request for at least three commercial proposals is mandatory.
• Right of audit and revision control: The grantor, persons authorized by them, and the Federal Court of Audit of Germany (Bundesrechnungshof) have the unconditional right to conduct on-site inspections, demand original accounting documents, contracts, and bank statements both during implementation and within 5 years after the completion of the report verification.
• Grounds for termination of the agreement and return of funds:
  • The grantor has the right to unilaterally stop payments or demand a full or partial return of the grant if: funds were not used for their intended purpose, false information was provided, reporting deadlines were violated, bankruptcy proceedings of the organization were initiated, or doubts arose regarding the proper conduct of activities.
  • In case of violation of the terms of use of funds or a demand for return, an annual penalty of 5 percentage points above the base interest rate of the Deutsche Bundesbank is charged on the relevant amount.
• Corruption prevention and blocking list: The organization is obliged to take organizational measures to eliminate corruption risks. Violation of the supplementary provisions of the agreement entails the mandatory entry of the organization into the centralized blocking list of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, which blocks any further financing.
• Protection of personal data and confidentiality: Data processing is carried out in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the German Federal Data Protection Act. The applicant guarantees obtaining consent for the transfer of personal data of all participants mentioned in the reporting documentation.