“Partnership for Development” Program — Lot 1 “Cultural Paths of Communities”

The “Partnership for Development” program supports cultural partnership projects and cooperation between communities, authorities, businesses and cultural institutions. The goal is to create cultural products that strengthen cultural resilience and dialogue in Ukraine.

The “Cultural Paths of Communities” lot supports projects creating cultural routes integrating cultural heritage, traditions and historical narratives. Routes may include digital components such as interactive maps, mobile apps, VR/AR solutions and multimedia platforms.

Eligible applicants

• The competition is open to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, provided they meet the requirements set out in the Guidelines.
• Eligible applicants for the Lot may include:

• • local self-government bodies of settlements (except regional centres and the city of Kyiv) registered in Ukraine;

  • legal entities of all forms of ownership;

  • individual entrepreneurs.

• Legal entities and individual entrepreneurs must:

  • be registered in Ukraine (except temporarily occupied territories);

  • be registered for at least one year before the start of the competition;

  • have relevant experience in the cultural sector.

• For local self-government bodies, no restrictions regarding the duration of registration apply.

Ineligible applicants

The following entities are not eligible to apply, participate as team members or partners, or receive funding:

• political parties and political associations;
• religious organisations;
• legal entities or entrepreneurs declared bankrupt or involved in bankruptcy proceedings;
• organisations or entrepreneurs under liquidation or termination procedures;
• individuals with an outstanding criminal conviction;
• persons or organisations subject to sanctions under Ukrainian legislation;
• organisations whose ultimate beneficial owners are citizens of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, or the Islamic Republic of Iran;
• entities with financial debts to the Foundation, public budgets, or the Pension Fund of Ukraine;
• entities subject to enforcement proceedings related to financial claims;
• organisations or individuals that have had or currently have legal proceedings with the Foundation;
• applicants or partners who violated copyright, integrity declarations, or grant agreement conditions in previous grant cycles;
• entities whose grant agreements were terminated due to significant breaches of contractual conditions;
• individuals who are not citizens of Ukraine.

Compliance with the requirements

• Violation of these requirements by the applicant, team members, or partners may result in the project being removed from the competition at any stage.
• Such violations may also lead to termination of the grant agreement during project implementation.

Funding within the grant programme

• The total budget of the Lot is UAH 8 million, including:

  • UAH 4 million from the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation;

  • UAH 4 million from the MHP-Hromadi Charitable Foundation.

• The minimum grant amount per project is UAH 500,000.
• The maximum grant amount per project is UAH 1,000,000.
• Projects must provide mandatory co-financing of at least 10% of the total project budget.
• Co-financing must be provided exclusively in monetary form from other sources that:

• • are not prohibited by Ukrainian legislation;

  • are not grant funds from the Foundation;

  • are used for achieving the project objectives and results.

• Co-financing may be provided by:

  • the applicant organization;

  • project partners;

  • other legal entities or individuals.

Types of projects eligible for funding

The programme supports the following project formats:

• Individual project — a cultural or artistic project implemented by a single applicant.
• International cooperation project — a project in the fields of culture, arts, or creative industries implemented in partnership with a non-resident organization.

• • The applicant must be a resident of Ukraine, while at least one partner must be a non-resident.

  • Supporting documents must confirm the registration of the foreign partner and include a letter/protocol of cooperation intent.

• National cooperation project — a project implemented by one applicant together with at least one partner from another region of Ukraine.

  • Project implementation and public presentation of results must take place in the regions of both the applicant and the partner.

  • Documents confirming the partner organization’s registration and a letter/protocol of cooperation intent are required.

Partnership within projects

Partnership may take several forms of support, including:

• financial support — provision of funds for project implementation;
• media support — information coverage in media and social networks;
• material and technical support — provision of premises, equipment, transport, or materials;
• organizational support — participation in planning, coordination, and expert assistance;
• other forms of support — provision of resources or services contributing to project goals.
• For national and international cooperation projects, partnership is mandatory and must be confirmed by documents such as a letter of intent, cooperation protocol, or memorandum.

Competition schedule and project implementation deadlines

The dates specified in the Calendar of the competitive selection process and project implementation deadlines may be adjusted in
the event of force majeure circumstances, in particular in cases of power outages, security threats, epidemic restrictions, or other unforeseen situations that make it impossible to adhere to the established schedule.

Applications must be submitted electronically through the official UCF website using the applicant’s online account and digital signature.

Evaluation of application packages

• After passing the technical eligibility check, the application package is submitted for evaluation to the relevant expert council of the Foundation.
• The evaluation is conducted in accordance with:

• • the Regulations on Expert Councils of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation;

  • the Expert Evaluation Methodology;

  • the requirements of the present Guidelines.

• Applicants are prohibited from contacting experts during the evaluation process or attempting to influence their decisions.

Conflict of interest

• An expert cannot be an applicant or participate in the implementation of projects that they evaluate.
• However, experts may participate in projects of the programme provided they are not involved in their evaluation.

Evaluation procedure

• Each project is assessed in parallel by five experts from the relevant expert council.
• The maximum score from one expert is 100 points.
• When calculating the final result:

• • the highest and the lowest scores are excluded;

  • three scores are included in the final calculation.

• Therefore, the maximum possible rating score for an application package is 300 points.

Evaluation results

• The applicant receives the rating score via email and can also access:

  • expert comments;

  • the overall evaluation score
    in their personal online account.

• Ranking registers of all projects are published on the official website of the Foundation after the evaluation is completed.

Funding decision

• Project funding is determined according to the final ranking and within the available programme budget.
• Based on the ranking register and the allocated budget, the Foundation’s Directorate determines the projects admitted to negotiation procedures.
• Decisions of the expert councils are final and are not subject to revision, except in cases related to conflicts of interest.

To participate in the “Cultural Routes of Communities” Lot, applicants must submit a mandatory set of application documents.

Core application documents

• Project application form — submitted electronically and completed through the Foundation’s website.
• Project work plan — prepared using the official template provided on the Foundation’s website (Excel format).
• Project budget — a dedicated Excel table with detailed instructions for completion.
• Concept of the cultural and educational route — a PDF document describing the concept and structure of the route.

Applicant documentation

• Extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs and Public Organisations (USR) containing the full set of registry information.
• The document must be issued no earlier than the start date of the competition and submitted in PDF format.

Co-financing documentation

• Guarantee letter confirming co-financing, prepared according to the provided template.

Additional documents for national cooperation projects

Projects involving cooperation within Ukraine must include:

• a copy of the partner’s USR extract;
• a letter of intent for cooperation or a protocol of cooperation intent (PDF scan of the original document).

Additional documents for international cooperation projects

For projects involving foreign partners, the following must be submitted:

• scan of the founding documents of the non-resident partner organisation;
• official Ukrainian translation of the documents certified according to national legislation;
• a letter or protocol of cooperation intent (PDF scan of the original).

Language requirements

• Any documents submitted in a foreign language must be translated into Ukrainian and duly certified in accordance with Ukrainian legislation.

Reporting requirements within the grant programme

• The grant beneficiary must submit a final report to the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation no later than the project completion date.
• Final report documents must be submitted:

  • electronically via the applicant’s personal account on the Foundation’s website;

  • in paper format to the Foundation’s address.

• The printed package of the final report, together with materials and samples of the cultural product (if available) and the independent auditor’s report, must be delivered to the Foundation.
• The final deadline for submitting the report is 30 October 2026.

Structure of the final report

The beneficiary’s final report consists of the following documents:

• Narrative report on project implementation, describing:

  • achievement of objectives and goals;

  • key project results.

• Report on the receipt and use of funds for project implementation together with bank statements covering the entire implementation period.
• Supporting materials confirming cultural and artistic activities, including:

• • photo materials;

  • links to websites or open databases;

  • analytical reports, presentations, methodological or educational materials;

  • internal monitoring results (attendance statistics, views, etc.);

  • scripts, directing plans, synopses;

  • samples of printed materials (posters, leaflets, booklets, catalogues, programmes).

• Final products must be submitted:

  • as hard copies;

  • on electronic storage devices (USB flash drive or external HDD/SSD).

Independent auditor’s report

• The independent auditor’s report must be submitted as a separate document and bound separately from the beneficiary’s final report.
• It must comply with the Foundation’s requirements regarding accuracy and compliance of the financial report with the regulatory framework of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.

Document formatting requirements

• All pages of the submitted documents must be:

  • numbered;

  • bound;

  • certified by the signature of an authorised representative and, if applicable, the organisation’s stamp.

• If the total volume exceeds 250 pages or 40 mm in thickness, the materials must be submitted as separate volumes.

Verification of reports

• The Foundation reviews and analyses the submitted documents and may send comments or requests for clarification.
• If inconsistencies or potential misuse of funds are identified, the Foundation may request additional supporting documentation.
• Failure to submit a final report, confirmed by an independent auditor, may lead to the project being considered not implemented.

• Law of Ukraine “On the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation”
• Regulations on the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation
• Procedure for conducting the competitive selection of projects implemented with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and monitoring their implementation
• Regulations on the Expert Councils of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation
• Expert Evaluation Methodology
• Procedure for notifying about conflicts of interest arising during the competitive selection and funding of projects by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation
• Procedure for monitoring the compliance of entities receiving funding with their obligations to the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation
• Common mistakes made by applicants and grant beneficiaries when preparing documentation for participation in Ukrainian Cultural Foundation competitions