Mini-grants for Women's Business in the Children's Services Sector

The mini-grant competition is aimed at supporting and developing private children's spaces founded by women through the creation of new or the improvement of existing programs, services, working formats, and opportunities for children. Funding is provided for initiatives in the fields of extracurricular education, creativity, and child development (private kindergartens, development centers, educational and creative studios, clubs, and schools).

Participants can be female citizens of Ukraine with a registered sole proprietorship (FOP) who have been operating for at least 3 months or hold IDP status in case of relocation after February 24, 2022, provided they conduct activities in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa, Poltava, or Cherkasy regions. The maximum grant amount is up to 70,000 hryvnias (including taxes paid by the Foundation).

Funds can be used to purchase equipment, materials, literature, technical means, and other resources directly necessary for project implementation and achieving results for children. Grant funds do not cover administrative expenses, rent, utilities, salaries, or general premises repairs.

Applications are accepted from September 7 to September 25, 2026, via an online form, and project implementation must begin no later than 30 days after signing the agreement. Application evaluation takes into account the urgency of community needs, idea quality, expected impact on children, budget realism, applicant capacity, and result sustainability.

• Female citizens of Ukraine who are owners of active private children's establishments or spaces (kindergartens, development centers, studios, clubs, circles, schools).
• Holding a registered sole proprietorship (FOP), with the business having operated for 3 months or more, or having been relocated after February 24, 2022, with an existing IDP status.
• Permanent residence in Ukraine and conducting operations exclusively in government-controlled territory (excluding occupied territories).
• Absence of business ties and contracts with Russia and the Republic of Belarus, as well as no financial debt to the state budget.
• No grant assistance received from the "Women's Opportunities in Ukraine" Charitable Foundation within the last 18 months.
• Conducting entrepreneurial activity or planning project implementation in one of 10 designated regions: Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa, Poltava, or Cherkasy.

• Grant Size: Up to 70,000 hryvnias for project implementation in a private children's space.
• Payout Structure: The amount consists of funds for purchasing necessary resources and taxes (personal income tax and military levy), which the Foundation pays independently as a tax agent.
• Co-financing: Not a mandatory requirement, though the presence of a personal contribution (financial, material, or organizational) is welcomed and demonstrates the applicant's readiness to maintain the space after grant completion.
• Eligible Expenses: Purchase of materials, literature, equipment, technical means, furniture, and other resources directly necessary for creating, launching, or developing a new program, service, or environment for children. Purchases must serve as a supplementary component of the project.
• Budget Priority: Expenses for content enrichment (literature, educational and developmental materials, tools for creative activities). The budget must be balanced; the cost of furniture and furnishings cannot constitute the main portion of funds.
• Ineligible Expenses: Payment for premises rent and utilities, repayment of loans, debts, and fines, payment of salaries and fees, purchase of goods for resale, expenses incurred before receiving the grant, general premises repairs without a direct connection to the project goal, and expenses not provided for in the budget.

• Creation of a new or development of an existing educational, creative, reading, cognitive, or socialization program, course, circle, or club for children.
• Creation of an inclusive and accessible environment, adapting services or spaces to the needs of children with disabilities and special educational needs.
• Creation of a safe and supportive environment that improves the physical and psychological safety, comfort, and well-being of children.
• Adaptation of programs, services, and environments to the needs of children affected by the war (who have experienced forced displacement, loss of familiar surroundings, or traumatic events).
• Purchase of equipment, materials, books, specialized tools, and other resources directly necessary for implementing the stated initiative and achieving outcomes for children.

• September 7 – September 25, 2026: Submission of project applications via the online form.
• By October 9, 2026: Technical review of submitted applications.
• By October 19, 2026: Expert evaluation and selection of winners.
• By October 23, 2026: Official announcement of competition results.
• Within 30 days after signing the agreement: Commencement of approved project implementation.

1. Applications must be submitted within the established deadline from September 7 to September 25, 2026 (inclusive).
2. Complete the specialized online application form for female entrepreneurs participating in the competition.
3. All sections of the form intended for applicants must be filled out correctly, as in the event of incorrect completion, the Foundation will not clarify information or supplement the application.
4. Attach the mandatory materials and documents to the online form in accordance with the competition requirements.
5. Submit the application before the established deadline, as late applications will not be considered for review.

• Relevance and compliance with the needs of children and the community (clarity in defining the need and addressing it taking into account age and space conditions).
• Quality of the project idea (creation of a new or substantial improvement of an existing program, service, or environment with a clear understanding of outcomes for children).
• Expected impact and outreach (number of children who will benefit from the results, duration of participation, and positive impact on their development, learning, creativity, or safety).
• Realism of implementation and budget (alignment of activities with timelines and resources, justification of expenses, and a direct link between purchases and results).
• Applicant's capacity (operational experience of the space, availability of a team, specialists, and premises for high-quality implementation of the idea).
• Sustainability of the result (potential for continuing the program or utilizing the created result after the grant support concludes).
• Social impact (initiatives supporting the "ripple effect" principle, readiness to share results with a broader circle of children, parents, or the community).

• Submission of financial and narrative reports on the achievement of planned results within the deadlines established by the grant agreement.
• Provision of copies of primary documents (invoices, waybills, cash receipts), bank payment documents, and commercial proposals from suppliers.
• Inclusion of photo and video materials of the implementation process, activities following the "ripple effect" principle, and social media publications tagging the Foundation.
• Implementation of monitoring by the Foundation regarding the targeted use of funds and evaluation of project results within 18 months after the grant is awarded.
• Mandatory participation of winners in Foundation surveys and provision of information regarding the use of funds to evaluate the program's effectiveness.

• Applicants must be female citizens of Ukraine who permanently reside in Ukraine and have a registered sole proprietorship (FOP).
• The business must have been operating for 3 months or more, or have been relocated after February 24, 2022, with a confirmed internally displaced person (IDP) status.
• The activities of the children's space must be carried out exclusively in government-controlled territory of Ukraine (individuals in temporarily occupied territories are not eligible to participate).
• Applicants must not have business ties or contracts with Russia and the Republic of Belarus, and must have no tax debt to the state budget or a suspended sole proprietorship status.
• Female entrepreneurs who have received any financial support from the "Women's Opportunities in Ukraine" Charitable Foundation within the last 18 months are not eligible to participate.
• Geographically, operations must be conducted or planned within 10 designated regions as of August 2026: Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Sumy, Chernihiv, Odesa, Poltava, or Cherkasy.