East Europe Foundation announces a grant competition «Support for CSO Advocacy Campaigns on the Recovery of Territorial Communities and Preparation for Ukraine’s Accession to the EU» (hereinafter — the Competition) and invites civil society organizations (CSOs) to participate.

The competition is held within the framework of «Phoenix:  The Power of Communities» project, implemented by East Europe Foundation with financial support of the European Union.

The objective of the competition is to strengthen the participation of CSOs in the processes of territorial community recovery and European integration. The competition will support advocacy projects, information campaigns, and other initiatives that promote transparency and accountability in recovery processes, enhance cooperation between civil society and the public sector, and raise awareness about recovery efforts, including in the context of Ukraine’s European integration path.

Within this competition, CSO advocacy projects may be supported in the following thematic areas:

• Strengthening democratic participation of citizens in territorial community recovery processes and improving governance practices at the community level;
• Developing and implementing local targeted programs to address the most pressing issues of community recovery and development, including economic and/or socio-cultural aspects;
• Considering principles of sustainable development, human rights, non-discrimination, gender equality, and governance transparency when developing and implementing community development strategies and comprehensive recovery programs;
• Increasing transparency and accountability in the management of current and future recovery processes;
• Actively involving residents in recovery planning and advocacy activities with adequate representation of various stakeholders and interests of diverse social groups, such as IDPs, veterans, persons with disabilities, youth, elderly people, and other vulnerable populations;
• Involving citizens in the management of public finances and the use of municipal property and assets in communities;
• Developing and implementing local policies for working with veterans and their families;
• Developing and implementing local programs and initiatives to introduce EU standards and prepare communities for EU accession.

Within grant projects, organizations may plan and budget for the following activities:

• Public monitoring and assessment of recovery processes in communities, management of public finances and community resources, implementation of development strategies and comprehensive recovery programs, followed by advocacy for necessary changes;
• Development of analytical documents, including on public-private dialogue, civic participation, and implementation of relevant local policies on recovery, economic, and socio-cultural development;
• Civic evaluation of the performance of local self-government bodies and officials regarding recovery, service accessibility, and implementation of local targeted programs;
• Analysis of socially significant issues of community recovery and development with conclusions, recommendations, and corresponding advocacy activities;
• Organizing regional forums and discussions to strengthen cooperation between civil society and state institutions;
• Media support for recovery processes to increase transparency and citizen awareness;
• Information campaigns promoting EU standards in the context of Ukraine’s European integration commitments;
• Information initiatives to promote best EU practices at the community level.

All applications submitted to the competition will be reviewed and evaluated by the Expert Council according to the following criteria:

1. Justification of the project’s relevance;
2. Compliance of proposed activities with the thematic areas of the competition;
3. Realistic achievement of expected project results;
4. Potential and professionalism of the project team and involved experts;
5. Availability of relevant experience in implementing similar projects;
6. Soundness and balance of the budget.

Budget: from UAH 800,000 to 1,100,000
Expected project duration: 6–10 months
Expected start of activities: February 2026
Planned support: up to 10 organizations
Selected organizations will be offered organizational support through online courses, networking, and other formats.

Who can apply:
CSOs may participate, namely charitable organizations (non-entrepreneurial societies, institutions, funds, etc.) and public associations (public organizations, public unions) that are registered as legal entities in Ukraine and have non-profit status (codes 0032, 0034, 0036).
The applicant organization must have at least two years of experience implementing projects in the proposed thematic area.

Applications are not accepted from individuals, business entities (including legal entities and private entrepreneurs), state authorities, local self-government bodies, political parties, or religious organizations.
At the time of submission, the organization must not be in the process of liquidation or bankruptcy.
Grants are not provided to organizations registered in temporarily occupied territories or in the demarcation line area.

How to apply:
Applications can only be submitted through East Europe Foundation Grant Portal.
An informational online session will be held for those wishing to participate in the grant competition. During the session, the team will provide detailed information about the competition and the use of the Grant Portal. The event will include a Q&A session. To participate, please fill out the form at: https://forms.gle/YenGV61uNiGuUSNRA 

For your convenience, you may download the document templates in the «Documents» section of the Grant Portal, review, and fill in, and later transfer the information to the portal.
Letters of support and memorandums of cooperation with local authorities are welcome but not mandatory.

East Europe Foundation reserves the right not to provide funding if submitted applications do not meet competition requirements.

Please note:

• Applications must be submitted in Ukrainian;
• The list of expenses that cannot be supported by East Europe Foundation is provided in the project budget template. A separate «Budget Instructions» tab contains this list;
• Providing co-financing is not required and does not affect application evaluation;
• Applicants will be notified of the results via their Grant Portal account and by email;
• The decision of the competition committee is final and not subject to review;
• East Europe Foundation reserves the right not to comment on the review results.

Application deadline: October 9, 2025, 18:00

Competition results: January 2026

Contacts:Questions can be sent to [email protected]. Please indicate in the subject line which grant competition the question relates to.

Geography:
All of Ukraine (territorial communities under the control of the Government of Ukraine).