VARTO: 4 years of support.

The competitive selection of projects is conducted by the Ukrainian Veteran Foundation.

The goal is to select the most promising projects aimed at supporting the entrepreneurial activities of veterans, implemented with the financial support of the Fund. 

Within the framework of the competition, grants may be awarded to war veterans who are duly registered in accordance with Ukrainian legislation as individual entrepreneurs or who conduct independent professional activities and are registered with the tax authorities as self-employed persons. Legal entities under private law (excluding public and charitable organizations) may also apply, provided they were registered no later than three months before the application submission date and that war veterans are the ultimate beneficial owners or hold a qualifying ownership stake (100% or at least 15%) in such entities.

The spouse, parents, or children of a war veteran may also be eligible under conditions defined by law. A mandatory requirement for successful applicants is registration in the Unified State Register of War Veterans and submission of the relevant supporting documents.

Applicants are not eligible if they:

• carry out activities prohibited by law or related to certain excisable goods, financial services, gambling, currency transactions, or other licensed activities without proper authorization;

• are subject to bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings, or have overdue tax or budget liabilities;

• are registered or operate in temporarily occupied territories or in states officially recognized as aggressor states;

• are subject to corruption-related court decisions or sanctions;

• have received other state-funded grants within the past three years (except in cases expressly permitted).

Additional requirements include the absence of outstanding tax liabilities, no insolvency procedures, and compliance with the conditions of state support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Programme Funding

Under the programme, the following grant thresholds are established:

• Minimum grant amount: UAH 500,000
• Maximum grant amount: UAH 1,500,000

Funding is provided in accordance with a signed grant agreement and transferred in the national currency of Ukraine to a separate bank account opened specifically for project implementation.

Grant funds are disbursed in tranches:

• the first tranche may amount to up to 30% of the total grant and is dedicated exclusively to equipment procurement;
• the overall share allocated at the initial stage may not exceed 60% of the total grant amount;
• subsequent tranches are transferred only after approval of interim reports and confirmation of proper use of previously disbursed funds.

Specific expenditure caps apply to certain cost categories, including rental costs and expenses for materials and renovation works.

Eligible Costs

Eligible costs are those that:

• are directly related to project implementation;
• are included in the approved project budget;
• are incurred within the project implementation period;
• comply with the terms of the grant agreement and financial regulations;
• are properly documented and supported by accounting evidence.

Ineligible Costs

Grant funds may not be used for:

• activities not directly linked to the project;
• covering operational costs of organisations not involved in the project;
• payment of salaries to the regular staff of the grant recipient (salary financing from the grant is explicitly prohibited);
• repayment of debts, interest, penalties, or other financial liabilities;
• purchase of real estate;
• covering exchange rate losses;
• financing other programmes or reimbursing previously incurred expenses;
• any obligations arising prior to the grant award.

The winner of the competitive selection shall return any unused budget funds within the framework of the project implementation by the time of approval of the final report and financial report.

Projects aimed at supporting the entrepreneurial activities of veterans and promoting their employment in any field, except for projects in the areas of food production and processing, food storage and transportation, and food service, are eligible to participate in this programme.

The stages of project implementation in all documents must coincide and correspond to the reporting period (quarter – 3 months). The total duration of the project should be 6, 9 or 12 months, respectively.

To participate in the competitive selection process, the applicant must complete the following steps:

• fill in the application form in the Fund’s CRM system;
• upload all mandatory documents required under the terms of the call for the relevant category of applicants;
• sign the submitted documents with their own electronic digital signature (EDS) directly within the CRM system;
• ensure that each uploaded document does not exceed 10 MB in size.

Only applications submitted through the CRM system and complying with the specified technical and formal requirements will be considered.

Eligibility Requirements for the Application Package

To be admitted for evaluation, an application must:

• be submitted within the established deadline;
• include a complete set of required documents;
• comply with the objectives and priorities of the programme;
• be prepared in Ukrainian (or accompanied by a translation, where required);
• be submitted through the designated electronic system.

Applications submitted after the deadline or not meeting formal requirements are not considered.

Evaluation Stages

The selection process consists of several sequential stages:

1. Technical Screening

At this stage, applications are checked for completeness and compliance with formal requirements. If minor deficiencies are identified, applicants may be given an opportunity to correct them within a specified timeframe.

2. Expert Evaluation

Applications that pass the technical review are submitted to the Expert Council for substantive assessment. Experts evaluate:

• alignment with the programme priorities;
• relevance and feasibility of the proposed activities;
• clarity of the implementation plan and expected results;
• cost-effectiveness and budget justification;
• expected impact of the project.

The financial department additionally reviews the proposed budget and provides recommendations.

3. Project Presentation

Shortlisted applicants present their projects at an open session. The presentation allows applicants to defend their proposals, clarify implementation details, and demonstrate how expert recommendations have been addressed.

4. Final Scoring and Ranking

Following the presentations, experts assign final scores. Based on the overall ranking, a list of selected projects is formed and approved by the Fund’s management.

Scoring System

Applications are evaluated using a structured scoring system in accordance with the approved methodology. Each evaluation criterion carries a specific weight, and the total score determines the project’s position in the ranking.

Projects recommended for funding are those that:

• meet the programme priorities;
• achieve a sufficient overall score;
• present a realistic and well-justified budget;
• demonstrate a clear and achievable implementation logic.

Final Decision

The final funding decision is made based on the ranking results and formally approved by the Fund. The results are published on the official website, after which grant agreements are concluded with the selected beneficiaries.

Applicants must submit the full application package through the Foundation’s CRM system and sign it with a qualified electronic signature. All documents must be valid at the time of submission and comply with the established requirements.

1. Registration and Statutory Documents

• extract from the Unified State Register (or equivalent official registration document) issued no earlier than 15 calendar days before submission;
• copy of the organization’s charter or a description with an access code to its latest version (for legal entities);
• decision of the authorized governing body approving participation in the конкурс (if required under the charter);
• certificate confirming the formation of share capital (for legal entities).

2. Project Documentation

• project application form (according to the Foundation’s template);
• project budget (completed in the CRM system);
• project implementation timeline (6–12 months);
• CVs of project team members;
• co-financing guarantee letter (if applicable).

3. Financial and Tax Documents

• certificate confirming the absence of tax arrears and other mandatory payments (valid at the time of submission);
• financial statements for the most recent reporting period (for legal entities);
• latest tax report of the sole proprietor (FOP) or an explanatory letter if reporting has not yet been submitted;
• guarantee letters confirming the absence of unlawful receipt of public funds and that no other state financial support is being received.

4. Documents Confirming Applicant Status

• copy of a veteran status certificate (if applicable);
• personal data of the head of the entity / sole proprietor (passport details, tax identification number, and information on founders and ultimate beneficial owners for legal entities).

5. General Requirements

• documents must be submitted in Ukrainian (or accompanied by a certified translation);
• each file must comply with the установленого size limit;
• the applicant is responsible for the accuracy of all submitted information;
• the Foundation may request additional documents for verification purposes.

The date of submission is considered the date when the application is registered in the Foundation’s CRM system and assigned the status “under review.”

After receiving funding, grantees are required to ensure targeted use of funds, regular reporting, and compliance with established monitoring, financial control, and transparency requirements.

Key reporting and compliance obligations:

• implementation of the project in accordance with the approved work plan, budget, and performance indicators;
• submission of interim (quarterly) narrative and financial reports, including supporting primary documentation and bank statements;
• submission of a final (comprehensive) narrative and financial report within the established timeframe after project completion;
• proper certification of expenses with supporting documents that clearly describe transactions and demonstrate their direct link to project activities;
• monitoring of market prices (where procurement exceeds defined thresholds) and documentary confirmation of cost-effectiveness;
• use of a dedicated bank account for all grant-related transactions;
• return of any unspent grant funds after approval of the final report;
• public presentation of project results and disclosure of information on the use of funds in accordance with applicable legislation;
• compliance with prescribed reporting formats and deadlines — failure to comply may result in suspension of funding or termination of the grant agreement.

Note.
The Fund conducts ongoing monitoring and review of reports. In case of identified non-compliance, funding amounts may be adjusted or further disbursements suspended in accordance with the grant agreement.

The applicant is responsible for the accuracy of documents. Entities in bankruptcy, under sanctions, residents of aggressor states, or those with corruption court cases are ineligible.