Project “VIDNOVA”: Grants for Economically Disadvantaged People for Training (Retraining)

The Czech humanitarian organization “People in Need”, with financial support from Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, announces a microgrant competition for economically disadvantaged individuals for training (retraining) up to 2,000 USD. Grants are paid in UAH equivalent at the official NBU rate on the date of the agreement. Priority is given to persons with disabilities, IDPs, single parents/caregivers, pre-retirement and older adults, ethnic minorities, and veterans

Individuals who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply:

• permanent residents or internally displaced persons living in the project’s targeted districts (cities);
• individuals with a low income*, who lost their job or business as a result of the war;
• individuals planning to acquire a new profession (retraining);
• applicants aged 18 or older.
• Low income refers to the total average monthly income per household member over the last six months, which does not exceed 2.5 times the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons (UAH 7,570). An individual who had no income during the last six months is considered as having received no income.

Grant funding up to 2,000 USD is intended to cover training or retraining costs, according to the applicant’s proposal and budget

Payment for training/retraining (offline or online)

Applications are evaluated in two rounds:

• first: assessment of eligibility and compliance; 
• second: interview with shortlisted candidates. 

Final decision by a selection committee.

To participate in the competition, applicants must complete the grant application form in ActivityInfo.

It is important to fill out all sections of the application clearly and in full, as this will directly affect the final evaluation outcome!

Please note that only one application per household may be submitted for the microgrant competition.

Applications that do not meet the above requirements will not be evaluated. The selection committee may contact applicants who do not meet the technical requirements in order to request or clarify information, if the errors made are, in the committee’s view, minor and will not hinder the implementation of a potentially strong project. If, after such communication, the applicant fulfils all technical selection requirements, their application will be included in the shortlist for expert evaluation

Applications will be evaluated in two rounds. The first round involves assessing the application’s compliance with the project requirements and the eligible categories of applicants, taking into account the project’s priorities. Pre-selected candidates will be invited to the second round, during which staff of the Czech humanitarian organization “People in Need” will conduct interviews with the applicants. The final decision on awarding the grant will be made by a specially appointed selection committee.

In the first round, the submitted information will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• the presence of a completed application form;
• confirmed intention to undergo training/retraining;
• economic vulnerability (the total average monthly income per household member over the last six (6) calendar months (after taxation) before submitting the Application for participation in the Project does not exceed 2.5 times the subsistence minimum for able-bodied persons in Ukraine (UAH 3,028), i.e. UAH 7,570; applicants without income are considered as having received no income during the last six (6) calendar months before submitting the Application);
• compliance with the eligible territory;
• confirmed understanding of the project’s time limitation (6 months);
• accuracy of the information provided in the application;
• no previous grant support received from the Czech humanitarian organization “People in Need”.

In the second round, participants will receive a score-based evaluation according to the following criteria:

• motivation and purpose (assessment of the justification for choosing the course, its relevance to the applicant’s skills, interests, and career goals, as well as the potential for employment after training);
• relevance to labor market needs (the course must aim at acquiring skills that are in demand in the labor market);
• feasibility of the proposal (the duration of the program must be realistic and achievable within the 6-month period);
• certification and outcome (obtaining a certificate recognized by state bodies or the private sector will be an advantage);
• belonging to vulnerable population groups (persons with disabilities; internally displaced persons; single mothers/fathers/guardians; people of pre-retirement age (50+) or older (60+); representatives of ethnic minorities; veterans);
• preference will be given to participants who have not received grant support from other organizations or from the state during the past year.

• motivational letter: the participant submits a justification of the purpose of the training and a description of potential employment opportunities;
• certificate or proof of training: the participant is required to provide a certificate or another official document confirming the successful completion of the course;
• completed grant application form;
• agreement: the participant must be prepared to sign a tripartite agreement between themselves, the service provider, and the Czech humanitarian organization “People in Need.”

Requirements for the educational institution: the organization must be officially registered in Ukraine and must have the appropriate economic activity codes (KVED 85.59; 85.32; 85.42) that permit it to provide educational services