Ukrainian Cultural Foundation Grant Program "Local History in Dialogue"

The "Local History in Dialogue" competition is implemented by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation in partnership with the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine (PFRU) — a multi-donor initiative funded by the governments of Great Britain, Estonia, Canada, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, and Sweden. This initiative is designed to preserve historical memory, form local identity, and develop intergenerational dialogue amidst Russian aggression.

The main goal of the program is to support projects aimed at researching and promoting cultural heritage through integration into formal and non-formal education, as well as engaging children and youth in discovering the history of their own communities.

The primary requirement of the program is cross-sectoral interaction: the project product must be a comprehensive portfolio of initiatives implemented in close partnership between a cultural heritage institution (the applicant) and an educational institution. This portfolio must harmoniously combine at least three components: research (collecting materials, working with archives, mapping objects), educational (joint development of educational programs, training for educators, practical activities for schoolchildren), and creative or communication initiatives (creation of multimedia content, exhibitions, information campaigns).

Eligibility 

• Only legal entities (with non-profit organization status) registered in Ukraine for at least 1 year, whose activities are focused on the preservation of cultural heritage (museums, archives, libraries, organizations in the field of intangible heritage), can apply.
• Project implementation is possible only in partnership with an educational institution (schools, colleges, universities, youth centers, or educational NGOs), which must be confirmed by a memorandum or a letter of intent.
• The cultural heritage must relate to Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Donetsk, or Luhansk regions

Participation Restrictions

• Individuals, individual entrepreneurs (FOPs), political parties, and religious organizations are not allowed to participate in the competition.
• The participation of bankrupt organizations, persons with unexpunged criminal records, as well as those with debts to the budget or UCF, or those with open enforcement proceedings, is prohibited.
• Sanctioned individuals and companies are not allowed, as well as organizations whose ultimate beneficiaries are citizens or residents of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, or the Islamic Republic of Iran.

• Grant amount: from 500,000 UAH (the amount cannot be decreased) to 1,000,000 UAH (the amount cannot be increased).
• Co-financing: not mandatory, but possible at the expense of the applicant, partner, or other persons. In case of a proprietary contribution, all types of expenses are included in the co-financing column without the Foundation's cost limits.

Eligible costs covered by the grant:

• Remuneration for team members (in total no more than 50% of the total grant amount).
• Travel expenses for staff employees of the applicant organization.
• Rent of premises, machinery, equipment, and transport.
• Material costs, printing, and publishing services.
• Promotion services, web resource creation, and translation services.
• Purchase of equipment, tools (fixed assets with a useful life of more than one year — up to 50,000 UAH excluding VAT per unit).

Ineligible costs from the grant funds:

• Costs for purchasing intangible assets (eligible exclusively through co-financing).
• Payment for audit services (eligible only from other sources).
• Food expenses for project participants.
• Purchase of mobile phones and household appliances.
• Purchase of fixed assets costing more than 50,000 UAH (excluding VAT) per unit.
• Payment for goods or services not related to project implementation, or payment for intermediary services.
• Costs for developing design and estimate documentation, capital repairs, and construction works.
• Subgranting and awarding prizes.
• Purchase of services and goods from sanctioned companies (e.g., Huawei, ZTE, Hikvision, Dahua).

• Joint development and testing of educational programs, training modules, or extracurricular courses on local history for educators and museum workers with a focus on engaging children and youth.
• Development of professional competencies through joint trainings and workshops on participatory methods, working with sensitive topics, and inclusive education.
• Creation and dissemination of educational and methodological materials, such as lesson plans, scenarios for museum visits, educational quests, and digital resources.
• Implementation of practical educational and cultural initiatives involving youth, specifically researching archives, creating audio and video storytelling, mapping heritage sites, and organizing school-museum exhibitions.
• Introduction of digital and remote components (virtual tours, digital archives, online maps, multimedia platforms) to ensure broad access to the created educational products.

• September 7, 2026 – October 18, 2026 (until 18:00): Submission of application packages via the Foundation's official website.
• by October 20, 2026: Publication of the register of received application packages.
• October 19, 2026 – October 30, 2026: Selection of projects for compliance with technical criteria.
• by November 4, 2026: Publication of the register of projects that passed the technical selection stage.
• October 19, 2026 – December 11, 2026: Evaluation of application packages by experts from the Foundation's expert councils.
• by December 22, 2026: Publication of the rating register of all projects based on evaluation results.
• no later than December 23, 2026 – February 10, 2027: Conducting negotiation procedures and approval of decisions by the Foundation's Directorate.
• by March 1, 2027: Signing of Grant Agreements with the winners and publication of the relevant register.
• February 1, 2027 – June 30, 2027: Project implementation period, which includes the mandatory submission of final reporting by June 30, 2027.

1. Create a personal online account on the Foundation's official website or log into an existing one.
2. Select the appropriate grant program, the required LOT, the project type, and click the "Apply" button.
3. Fill out the electronic project application form (you can save it using the "Save" button and fill it out gradually).
4. Upload the completed estimate and all mandatory documents to the corresponding fields at the end of the application.
5. Apply the applicant's electronic digital signature (EDS) and click the "Submit" button, after which the application will be sent and cannot be modified.

• Technical selection: the application must be submitted on time via the personal account; the document package must be complete; the estimate must comply with the plan and the Foundation's limits; the application language must be Ukrainian; the applicant must meet technical requirements.
• Expert evaluation: detailed criteria are determined by a separate "Expert Evaluation Methodology," however, the total score is formed by five experts (maximum 300 points), with the highest and lowest scores being discarded.

• Project application in electronic form (filled out directly on the Foundation's website).
• Project work plan in EXCEL format.
• Project estimate in a special EXCEL form downloaded from the Foundation's website.
• Extract from the Register of Non-Profit Institutions and Organizations for the applicant organization.
• Extract from the Unified State Register (EDR) for the applicant in PDF format, generated no earlier than the competition start date.
• Copy of the extract from the EDR of the partner organization in PDF format.
• Scanned copy of the letter, protocol of intent to cooperate, or memorandum in PDF format with signatures and seals.

• The final report is submitted no later than the project completion date (by June 30, 2027) in both paper and electronic form, including a substantive report, a financial report (with bank statements), and a mandatory independent auditor's report.
• All materials and events must contain logos and a special disclaimer regarding the financial support of UCF and PFRU, as well as the hashtag #запідтримкиУКФ; mass events require approval from military administrations and the availability of shelters.
• According to PFRU rules, the grantee is obliged to retain all documentation confirming the proper execution of the project for 7 years after its completion for possible inspections.

• The program's activities and competitive selection are governed by the Law of Ukraine "On the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation" and the Provision on the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.
• Evaluation and implementation procedures are subject to the Procedure for the competitive selection of projects and monitoring of their implementation, as well as the Expert Evaluation Methodology.
• The grantee must comply with the Procedure for exercising control over the fulfillment of obligations to the UCF and the Procedure for reporting conflicts of interest.
• If the grantee is subject to the Law of Ukraine "On Public Procurement," they are obliged to comply with its requirements when purchasing goods, works, or services.
• It is mandatory to comply with current Ukrainian legislation on the protection of intellectual property rights and copyright when creating or using any objects within the project.