East Europe Foundation (EEF) announces a call for proposals for the RecoveryGrants Program aimed at supporting civil society organizations (CSOs) working at the level of territorial communities.

This call is part of the project «Phoenix: The Power of Communitiу», implemented by East Europe Foundation with financial support from the European Union.

The goal is to support CSO participation in the processes of territorial community recovery, adaptation to martial law conditions, and European integration. The Competition is part of activities aimed at building the capacity of CSOs under martial law. Partner organizations selected through the competition will be offered organizational support in the form of online courses, networking, and other formats.

The competition «Support for CSO Initiatives for Territorial Community Recovery» provides support in the following areas:

• Development of regulatory and/or strategic documents on recovery;
• Facilitating constructive dialogue between civil society and local authorities to coordinate recovery efforts;
• Providing support in the areas of mental health, mentorship, and employment assistance to help community members rebuild their lives.

Thematic areas of the competition  «Support for CSO Initiatives for Territorial Community Recovery» under which CSO projects may be supported:

• Assessing community needs for the restoration of social infrastructure and essential public services, developing recovery proposals, and discussing them within the community;
• Supporting territorial communities in developing new or updating existing regulatory and strategic documents on community recovery and development (e.g., community development strategies, comprehensive recovery plans, medium-term public investment priority plans, unified project portfolios of community public investments, local targeted programs, etc.);
• Improving the quality and accessibility of public services provided at the community level (social, educational, cultural, medical, public amenities, etc.);
• Strengthening social ties and cohesion in territorial communities, fostering interaction and cooperation among residents of different settlements within the same community to restore or develop the community;
• Improving access to the labor market, creating conditions for economic self-realization, encouraging entrepreneurship and self-reliance, particularly for women, veterans, IDPs, youth, and older people;
• Supporting and strengthening social infrastructure and adult education programs, including retraining opportunities;
• Creating, developing, and institutionalizing safe and inclusive public spaces for citizen interaction;
• Increasing workplace inclusivity;
• Working with veterans and their families;
• Providing psycho-emotional support and promoting mental health.

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

• Activities aimed at restoring disrupted or destroyed processes for providing public services in the community (education, healthcare, culture, social and youth work, etc.) and expanding access to such services;
• Creating and supporting broad networks, local partnerships, and platforms for direct cooperation between CSOs and local self-government bodies, between authorities, businesses, and civil society, and between residents of different settlements within the same community;
• Promoting institutionalization and application of financial tools to engage CSOs and citizens in local governance and recovery processes (e.g., participatory budgeting, school budgeting, CSO project competitions, etc.);
• Activities within the scope of social and youth work in the community;
• Activities aimed at strengthening community social cohesion, dialogue practices, and providing psycho-emotional and psychosocial support to the population;
• Activities for the social integration of veterans, IDPs, and other population groups;
• Supporting informal citizen groups not registered as CSOs and volunteer groups in addressing local issues (training, mentorship, etc.);
• Awareness-raising and training activities for various social groups aimed at developing in-demand labor market skills;
• Introducing or further developing cluster approaches to preserve and develop the community’s economic potential;
• Training and workshops for representatives of local self-organization bodies, local self-government, and municipal institutions on recovery and Ukraine’s EU accession.

Additional opportunities under the competition, considering possible security risks:

• Organizations may allocate up to 10% of the grant to measures that strengthen resilience in the context of unstable energy supply, including generators, power banks, small/portable solar panels, generator fuel, etc.;
• Organizations operating in frontline areas or border regions with the Russian Federation or Belarus may purchase protective equipment and personal gear (bulletproof vests, protective cases, etc.).

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 the proposed activities with the thematic areas of the competition;
3. Feasibility of achieving the expected project results;
4. Capacity and expertise of the project team and involved specialists;
5. Relevant experience of the organization in implementing similar projects;
6. Justification and balance of the budget.

Grant size: UAH 1,100,000 – 1,600,000
Expected project duration: 6–8 months
Expected start of activities: December 2025
Planned number of supported organizations: up to 15

Who can apply?
Eligible applicants include CSOs such as charitable organizations (non-profit societies, institutions, foundations, etc.), public associations (public organizations, public unions), and other legal entities registered in Ukraine with non-profit status. The applicant organization must have at least two years of experience implementing projects on the proposed topic at the community level and be actively operating in one or more territorial communities.

Not eligible to apply:
Applications will not be accepted from individuals, business entities (including legal entities and sole proprietors), state authorities, local self-government bodies, political parties, or religious organizations. At the time of application, the organization must not be undergoing liquidation or bankruptcy proceedings. Grants will not be provided to organizations registered in temporarily occupied territories or in the demarcation line areas.

How to apply:
Applications can only be submitted through East Europe Foundation Grant Portal.

An online information session will be held for those interested in participating in the grant competition. During the session, the team will share the basics of using the Grant Portal and provide more details about the competition. The session will also include a Q&A segment. To participate in the information session, please complete the form via the provided link.

Please note: For your convenience, you can review, download, and fill out document templates in the  «Documents» section of the Grant Portal, prepare the necessary files for upload, and later transfer the information to the portal.
Letters of support and memorandums of cooperation with local authorities are encouraged but not mandatory. East Europe Foundation reserves the right not to award funding if the content of submitted applications does not meet the competition’s requirements.

Please also note that:

• Applications must be submitted in Ukrainian;
• The following cannot be supported under this competition:
  • Procurement, transportation, and distribution of humanitarian aid (including food, non-food items, medicines, etc.) or assistance to the military;
  • Construction or renovation works;
• The list of non-eligible costs is provided in the project budget template. The  «Budget Filling Instructions» tab includes a detailed list of such costs;
• Co-funding is not required and does not affect the evaluation of the application;
• Applicants will be informed about the results via the Grant Portal in their applicant account and by email;
• The decision of the competition commission is final and not subject to review;
• East Europe Foundation reserves the right not to comment on the results of the review.

Application deadline: September 11, 2025, 15:00 (Kyiv time)
Results announcement: November 2025

Inquiries regarding this call for proposals may be sent to: [email protected]. To help us process your inquiry more quickly, please indicate in the email subject line which grant competition your question relates to.

Geography:
All of Ukraine (territorial communities located in areas controlled by the Government of Ukraine). Project activities must be implemented in one or more territorial communities.