Supporting the Creation of a Community Mental Health Action Plan

General Overview

The FPSU programme (implemented by Chemonics) is a multi-year donor initiative funded by the governments of Canada, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Its objective is to strengthen the resilience of the Ukrainian government in the context of Russian aggression by supporting local communities in cooperation with public authorities, civil society, media and the private sector.

Programme Results

The programme aims to:

• enhance Ukraine’s capacity to respond to the isolation of people living in temporarily occupied territories and support long-term reintegration;
• strengthen government capacity to restore and improve priority services in vulnerable communities;
• reinforce social cohesion at both vertical and horizontal levels;
• collect and apply data and lessons learned to inform national policies and programme adaptation.

This call contributes primarily to Programme Result 3 — strengthening community capacity in the field of mental health and psychosocial support.

Geographic Scope and Activities

In communities of Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy and Mykolaiv regions, local mental health action plans will be developed under community leadership.

These plans will be based on local research and needs mapping, improved coordination between service providers and authorities, and alignment with Ukraine’s Mental Health System Development Concept to 2030.

Rationale

Growing mental health needs in war-affected regions are confirmed by available evidence, including assessments by WHO and Kantar Ukraine. Pilot projects have demonstrated that regional coordination mechanisms can be effective when adapted to local contexts.

The initiative supports implementation of the National Mental Health Action Plan 2024–2026 and the development of interagency infrastructure.

Inclusion and GEDSI Approach

Project proposals must ensure integration of gender equality and social inclusion (GEDSI) principles throughout all stages of design and implementation.

This includes:

• engagement of women and men, persons with disabilities, veterans, internally displaced persons, youth and older people;
• application of participatory approaches;

• systematic consideration of diverse needs in planning and coordination processes.

Eligible Recipients

Eligible applicants must:

• have at least 5 years of experience in mental health programming and documented experience in implementing similar projects;
• demonstrate experience in needs assessments, service mapping and analysis, and development of practical recommendations and action plans at local and national levels;
• have proven cooperation with key national institutions in the field of mental health, including coordination with relevant government bodies;
• include licensed psychologists or medical psychologists with practical experience in mental health and psychosocial support.

Eligibility Criteria and Mandatory Conditions

Applicant organizations must:

• be officially registered and recognized under Ukrainian legislation as a public organization/NGO or business support organization;
• hold non-profit status;
• be ready to undergo due diligence screening, including checks through the “Visual Compliance” system;
• employ qualified staff with experience in project management and financial reporting;
• demonstrate effective governance, internal control systems and management procedures;
• have policies on health, wellbeing and human rights protection;
• ensure appropriate duty of care toward staff and consultants;
• comply with ethical standards and the Chemonics Supplier Code of Conduct, based on the FCDO Code of Conduct.

Key Parameters

• Expected grant amount — up to UAH 11,840,000.00, with the final amount subject to negotiation and planned activities (may be lower or higher than the indicated range).
• Grant type:

  • cost-reimbursement, or

  • fixed-amount with milestones (both require periodic financial reporting).

• One grant is expected to be awarded.
• Estimated implementation period — 8 months.

Cost Eligibility Principles

Costs must:

• be directly linked to project activities and necessary for implementation;
• comply with Ukrainian legislation, including taxation and labor law;
• be reasonable, justified and aligned with sound financial management principles;
• be incurred within the defined project period;
• be properly documented and recorded in accounting records in line with applicable standards and organizational practices.

Costs must comply with Eligible Cost Guidance for Commercial Contracts and FCDO Eligible Cost Guidance for Accountable Grant Agreements.

Restrictions

• Procurement of goods from Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology, and Dahua Technology is prohibited.
• Applicants may not supply goods or services from entities suspended or prohibited from receiving funding by the governments of the United Kingdom or the United States.

1. Strengthening Local Planning and Coordination

The grant supports the implementation of a clear and practical local planning approach in the field of mental health and psychosocial support.

Activities include:

• conducting community needs assessments;
• service mapping and referral pathway analysis;
• structured consultations with key stakeholders;
• development of local mental health action plans;
• introduction of a basic monitoring system and clear allocation of responsibilities;
• strengthening coordination between service providers and authorities.

The expected outcome is an agreed coordination model and an officially endorsed community action plan.

2. Practical Support and Institutional Strengthening

The grant provides:

• hands-on support to community mental health coordinators;
• assistance in translating assessment results into concrete priorities and actions;
• facilitation of sustainable linkages between communities and government institutions.

3. Community-Based Implementation

All activities are to be carried out through:

• joint analysis;
• joint planning;
• joint implementation.

Special focus is placed on frontline and war-affected communities with increased needs.

4. Learning and Capacity Development

The programme places strong emphasis on learning during implementation.

This includes:

• regular reflection on what works and what requires adjustment;
• participation in structured learning activities;
• implementation of After Action Reviews and Action Learning Sessions;
• dissemination of lessons learned and continuous improvement of practices.

Organizations without established learning mechanisms will receive recommendations and support to develop them.

• April 06, 2026: deadline for questions.
• April 09, 2026: application deadline.
• Within 20 business days after evaluation: notification of successful participants on recommendation for the grant.

Submission Requirements

• Documents must be submitted in Ukrainian.
• Format: Word, Times New Roman, size 11, single spacing.
• Applications must be sent electronically to: pfu-grants@chemonics.com.
• The subject line must include the reference: 19-03_Mental Health Action Plan.
• Deadline: 23:59 Kyiv time, 09 April 2026.

Late or non-compliant applications may not be reviewed.

Please note that 5–10% of the total budget will be paid after submission of full reporting and confirmation of all financial transactions.

Аpplicants must submit a complete application package, including:

1. The online application form (via the provided link).
2. The Grant Proposal Form (Annex A), signed by an authorized representative.
3. The Budget (Annex B) in the prescribed format.
4. The Applicant Self-Assessment Form (Annex C), signed by an authorized representative.
5. The Risk Matrix (Annex D).
6. Letters of administrative cooperation (where possible).

The proposal form and budget must follow the provided templates and instructions.

The application must include copies of:

• an extract from the State Register;
• proof of non-profit status;
• the organization’s charter (latest version);
• organizational structure and CVs of key personnel;
• existing internal policies;
• financial statements for the last three years (if available);
• audit reports (if available).

Selected organizations will undergo an assessment of their managerial and financial capacity.

Organizations must adhere to Chemonics’ Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and FCDO guidelines. Financial monitoring and audit according to grant agreement requirements are mandatory.

1. Legal and Regulatory Framework

FPSU grants are awarded in accordance with:

• the FCDO Standard Terms and Conditions;
• the Chemonics Supplier Code of Conduct, based on the FCDO Code of Conduct.

These documents are mandatory for all funding recipients and are incorporated into the applicant self-assessment form.

FPSU ensures that funded organizations comply with these requirements under the terms of their grant agreements.

2. Donor Rights and Limitations

FCDO reserves the right to:

• reject any candidate for grant award;
• terminate grant funding, in whole or in part, at any time.

Submission of an application does not obligate Chemonics to provide funding or enter into a grant agreement with any applicant.