Social Initiatives Competition “Time to Act, Ukraine!”

The grant program is aimed at supporting communities and fostering local initiatives in response to current challenges.

Overall objective:

• To address key social challenges in communities through funding local initiatives.
• To provide grants in response to wartime challenges in communities where the Fund’s strategic partner — MHP Company — operates, as well as in other priority communities.

Geographic coverage:

• The program covers 13 regions of Ukraine, including Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions.

Key objectives of the call:

• Identification and support of initiatives with significant socio-economic impact.
• Bringing together resources of authorities, businesses, and civil society.
• Supporting activities of NGOs and local governments through funding.
• Dissemination of best practices in community development.
• Capacity building of communities, including training in project management.

Who can apply:

• Local self-government bodies, municipal enterprises, institutions, civil society and charitable organizations.
• Applicants must be registered in specified regions of Ukraine (including Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Lviv, Poltava, Sumy, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Chernihiv regions, and Kyiv city).

Key application requirements:

• Submission within the established deadline and required format.
• Complete application package with no missing documents.
• Accuracy and reliability of all provided information.
• Requested funding must not exceed program limits.

Ineligible applications:

• Submitted by individuals or political/religious entities.
• Commercial projects aimed at profit generation.
• Applications with incomplete documentation or false information.
• Projects already funded by other donors for the same costs.

Financial conditions:

• Mandatory co-financing of at least 100% of the requested grant amount.
• Projects must align with the priorities of the selected lot.

Participation rules:

• Each applicant may submit up to 3 applications.
• Participation in the competition is free of charge.
• Submission implies acceptance of all terms and conditions.
• Applicants bear full responsibility for participation risks.

Funding within the grant program:

• Funding is based on the decision protocol of the конкурс committee and a signed agreement with the winner.
• The fund’s resources are used exclusively to finance selected projects.

Grant amount:

• Minimum: UAH 50,000
• Maximum: UAH 500,000 (depending on the lot)

Funding mechanism:

• For local authorities:

  • financing through three-party agreements;

  • payments are made by the fund directly to suppliers based on supporting documents.

• For charitable and civil society organizations:

  • financing via two-party agreements;

  • funds are transferred to the organization’s account;

  • expenses must be cashless and properly documented.

Disbursement:

• In some cases, funding is provided in installments (tranches).
• Full disbursement must be completed within 3 months after signing the agreement.

Key conditions:

• In case of violations (misuse of funds, false information, failure to implement the project), beneficiaries are required to repay the funds.
• Breach of conditions may lead to termination of the agreement.

The program supports projects across several key areas:

1. Reintegration and rehabilitation of veterans:

• psychosocial support and adaptation for veterans and their families;
• development of veteran hubs and support centers;
• education, retraining, and professional development of veterans;
• physical rehabilitation and recovery;
• social integration through adaptive sports.

2. Community recovery and development:

• restoration of social infrastructure (schools, hospitals, kindergartens);
• modernization of public services;
• creation of public spaces and recreation areas;
• educational and youth spaces.

3. Energy security and resilience:

• implementation of alternative energy solutions;
• improving energy efficiency of buildings;
• development of backup energy systems.

4. Inclusion and accessibility:

• improving accessibility of public spaces;
• establishment of inclusive education and rehabilitation centers;
• ensuring access to services for vulnerable groups.

5. Culture and heritage:

• preservation and promotion of cultural heritage;
• restoration of cultural sites (including war-damaged ones);
• documentation of intangible heritage;
• development of cultural centers and museums.

Additional notes:

• Project topics may vary but must be clearly justified and relevant to community needs.
• Projects should include a realistic plan for addressing identified challenges.

• 03 March 2026 — official launch of the call.
• 03 March – 15 April 2026 (until 23:59 Kyiv time) — submission of application packages.
• 16–19 April 2026 — eligibility screening against technical criteria.
• 20 April – 22 May 2026 — project evaluation and online pitching.
• June 2026 — announcement of winners on the program website.
• 08–30 June 2026 — information meetings and contract signing.
• June – November 2026 — project implementation and reporting.

Application package includes:

• Project proposal (application form) — up to 12 pages (A4 format, with specified formatting requirements).
• Co-financing guarantee letter in PDF format signed by authorized representatives.
• Certificate of completion of the online course “How to implement a community social project” (PDF).

Submission process:

• All documents must be submitted electronically (PDF format) via the official competition website.
• Applications must be submitted within the established deadline.

Key requirements:

• Full compliance with program criteria and priorities.
• Complete application package with no missing documents.
• Budget must align with project objectives.
• Documents must be in Ukrainian (or translated accordingly).

Additional note:

• All funding sources, including co-financing, must be clearly indicated in the application.

Evaluation criteria and scoring system:

• Applications are assessed individually by experts based on defined criteria.
• Scoring scale: 1 to 10 points per criterion.
• Maximum total score per application: 50 points.

Key criteria:

• Project relevance: alignment with priorities, societal importance, benefits for target groups.
• Social impact: target audience reach, community benefits, capacity strengthening.
• Feasibility: clarity and realism of implementation.
• Budget: transparency and justification of costs, efficient use of funds.
• Sustainability and communication: long-term impact and quality of communication strategy.

Evaluation procedure:

• Each proposal is reviewed by two experts; if scores differ by ≥15 points, a third expert is involved.
• Final score is calculated as the average of expert scores.
• A regional coefficient is applied at the final stage to rank projects.

Selection stages:

• Stage 1: scoring and ranking; projects with ≥35 points from one expert proceed to pitching.
• Stage 2: final ranking based on adjusted scores.

Governance:

• The Expert Committee conducts evaluations and records results.
• The Competition Committee:

• • organizes project presentations (defenses);

  • approves rankings and selects winners.

• Application.
• Guarantee letter.
• Training certificate.

Reporting:

• Beneficiaries must submit a final report upon project completion (in the required format).
• The report includes:

  • narrative results and achievement of objectives;

  • financial report on fund usage.

• Supporting documents must be provided (bank statements, payment orders, accounting records).
• For certain projects (Lot 2), an interim report is required before the next tranche is approved.
• Reports must be submitted in both electronic and paper formats.

Responsibility:

• Beneficiaries are responsible for the proper and efficient use of funds.
• They are also accountable for obligations to third parties and accuracy of reported data.

Control and monitoring:

• The Fund conducts verification and analysis of reports and may request additional documents.
• Continuous monitoring includes:

• • achievement of results;

  • budget compliance;

  • efficiency of resource use.

• Monitoring may continue up to 3 years after project completion.

Compliance requirements:

• Double funding of the same costs is prohibited.
• Without prior approval, beneficiaries cannot:

• • change budget allocations beyond 10%;

  • modify timelines or project scope.

• In case of violations or misuse, funds must be repaid.

Financial and procedural rules:

• All payments must be cashless.
• Procurement above UAH 50,000 requires competitive selection.
• Accounting must comply with Ukrainian legislation.

Communication obligations:

• Acknowledgment of the Fund’s support is mandatory in communications.
• Use of specified hashtags and disclaimers is required.
• Visual materials must be согласовані (approved) by the Fund.