Small Grants Competition within the “Impulse” Project

The International Renaissance Foundation, together with the East Europe Foundation and with the support of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) in partnership with Sweden (Sida), is implementing the three-year project “Impulse: Expanding Civil Society Capacities for Ukraine’s Resilience and Recovery.”

The project aims to strengthen the capacity of Ukrainian civil society organizations (CSOs) to define and achieve development goals that contribute to Ukraine’s early recovery and democratic governance reforms.

The initiative addresses key challenges faced by CSOs, including:

• lack of resources;
• insufficient skills;
• limited engagement;
• low visibility and networking opportunities.

The project is also intended to strengthen civil society and support Ukraine as a resilient and inclusive European democracy during the country’s recovery from the consequences of the war.

Local and regional civil society organizations, unions, charitable foundations, and self-organization bodies are eligible to participate in the grant competition if they actively support community recovery initiatives and engage with target groups.

Applicants are expected to:

• be registered in Ukraine and operate within the specified regions;
• work with veterans, internally displaced persons, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups;
• have at least one year of operational experience from the date of registration;
• have been officially registered for no less than 12 months before applying.

Relocated organizations may also participate if they maintain engagement with communities in their original regions and demonstrate relevant civic involvement.

Members of the applicant organization’s team must be physically located in Ukraine and ready to participate in the organizational development programme.

Within the grant programme, eligible expenses are those that:

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

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

Non-eligible expenses include:

• preparation of the project proposal;
• establishment or registration of an organization;
• debt repayment;
• political activities or religious propaganda;
• construction and renovation works;
• procurement of humanitarian or military aid;
• purchase of vehicles or luxury items;
• provision of financial assistance to third parties (regranting).

Projects focused solely on institutional development, psychological support, or profit generation are also not supported.

Within the grant programme, the final deadline for submitting project proposals is set for August 27, 2026, at 3:00 PM Kyiv time.

The competition results are expected to be announced approximately one and a half months after each submission deadline.

Supported projects are expected to begin implementation around two months after the relevant application deadline.

The overall project duration may last up to 12 months.

To participate in the grant competition, applicants must register their project proposals together with all attachments through the “Electronic Competition” service on the International Renaissance Foundation website.

Applicants should follow these submission requirements:

• all documents must be uploaded in .doc, .docs, .xls, .xlsx, or .pdf formats;
• the maximum file size for each attachment must not exceed 8 MB;
• applications submitted after 3:00 PM Kyiv time on the indicated submission dates will be transferred to the next review cycle;
• project proposals submitted after 3:00 PM on August 27, 2026, will not be considered.

Project proposals within the grant programme will be assessed according to several criteria related to project quality, feasibility, and alignment with the competition objectives.

Key evaluation criteria include:

• alignment of the project proposal with the goals of the competition and local recovery plans;
• a focused project objective and consistency across all sections of the application;
• feasibility of implementation and clearly defined expected results;
• the projected impact of the initiative on both the applicant organization and the community;
• the presence of a structured communication component;
• consideration of sustainable development, inclusion, and gender equality principles;
• a well-balanced budget and clear correspondence between expenses and planned activities;
• involvement of partners in project implementation, including representatives of territorial communities.

To apply for the grant programme, applicants are required to prepare and upload a set of mandatory documents.

The checklist includes:

• a budget plane;
• the application form;
• a conflict of interest policy;
• organizational transparency requirements.

Documents may be uploaded as separate files through the designated application platform section.

Within the grant programme, project expenses and implementation activities must be properly documented. All information should be justified, clear, and supported by appropriate financial and accounting documentation.

Particular attention is given to:

• proper documentation of expenditures;
• justification and transparency of financial information;
• availability of supporting documents;
• maintenance of financial and accounting reporting in line with programme requirements.