Small Grants Competition under the "Impulse" Project.

The competition is being held as part of the three-year project “Impulse: Empowering Civil Society for Ukraine’s Sustainability and Recovery,” which is being implemented by the International Renaissance Foundation in collaboration with the Eastern Europe Foundation, with support from the Norwegian Agency for Development and Cooperation (Norad) in partnership with Sweden (Sida). The goal of the competition is to engage civil society organizations from the most affected regions in the planning of Ukraine’s recovery, to advocate for the principles of sustainable development, human rights, non-discrimination, gender equality, and transparent governance, and to strengthen the organizational capacity of teams through small grants, training, and partnership development.

The competition is open to local and regional non-governmental organisations, public unions, charitable foundations, and community self-organisation bodies that actively contribute to community recovery and work directly with the programme's target groups.

The target groups include:

• veterans;
• internally displaced persons (IDPs);
• persons with disabilities;
• other vulnerable population groups.

Applicant organisations must:

• be registered in Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Chernihiv, Kirovohrad, Poltava, or Cherkasy regions;
• be registered in territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine;
• have been originally registered at least 12 months before applying;
• have at least one year of organisational experience.

Relocated organisations are also eligible, provided they have experience supporting civic initiatives in the region of their original registration.

Members of the applicant organisation's team must be physically present in Ukraine and be ready to participate in the organisational development programme.

The recommended budget for a single project ranges from UAH 1,000,000 to UAH 1,500,000.

Eligible costs are those that:

• are necessary for project implementation;
• are incurred during the project implementation period;
• comply with the principles of reasonableness, cost-effectiveness, and value for money;
• are properly documented and supported by financial and accounting records.

Funding cannot be used for costs related to:

• preparing the project proposal or establishing and registering an organisation;
• debt repayment;
• construction or renovation works;
• the purchase of equipment exceeding 15% of the project budget;
• the purchase of humanitarian aid, military equipment, vehicles, or luxury items;
• providing financial support to third parties (regranting).

• Submission of project proposals by August 27, 2026, at 3:00 p.m.
• Review of applications.
• Announcement of results—one and a half months after the deadline (for the fifth round, the page specifies October 19, 2026).
• Start of implementation for funded projects—approximately two months after the deadline.
• Maximum project duration—up to 12 months.

Project proposals are assessed against a set of criteria that evaluate the overall quality of the project, its alignment with the competition objectives, and its expected impact.

The evaluation considers:

• the project's alignment with the competition objectives and its connection to the recovery plans of specific communities;
• the clarity of the project objective, consistency between proposal sections, and the feasibility of the implementation plan;
• the expected impact of the project on positive change within the applicant organisation and the communities it serves;
• a structured communication component;
• consideration of the principles of sustainable development, inclusiveness, non-discrimination, and gender equality;
• the appropriateness of the proposed budget and planned expenditures;
• the involvement of additional partners in project implementation, including representatives of local communities.

The programme is subject to the following legal conditions:

• The International Renaissance Foundation does not provide grants to political parties, religious organisations, territorial communities, private individuals, or business entities operating for profit.
• Project proposals submitted by any method other than the prescribed procedure will not be considered.
• Submitted application materials will not be returned or reviewed.
• All applicants will be informed of the competition results by email.
• The final decision on a project proposal is not subject to appeal or review.
• Reasons for declining a project proposal are not disclosed.