East Europe Foundation announces the competition «Support for CSO Advocacy Campaigns on the Recovery of Territorial Communities and Their Preparation for Ukraine’s Accession to the EU», implemented under «Phoenix: The Power of Communities» project with the support of the European Union.

The competition objective is to strengthen civil society engagement in community recovery and European integration processes. Supported initiatives will include advocacy and information campaigns that enhance transparency and accountability in recovery, foster cooperation between civil society and public authorities, and raise awareness of Ukraine’s EU path.

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.

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.

Eligible activities

Within grant projects, organizations may receive funding for public monitoring and assessment of recovery processes, implementation of strategies and programs with subsequent advocacy; preparation of analytical documents on public-private dialogue, civic participation, and local policies; civic evaluation of local authorities and officials; analysis of recovery and development challenges with recommendations and advocacy; organization of forums and discussions for civil society–state cooperation; media support for recovery processes; information campaigns on EU standards and initiatives promoting best EU practices in communities.

The grant competition will support up to 10 CSOs with funding ranging from UAH 800,000 to 1,100,000, with project duration of 6–10 months. Activities are expected to start in February 2026.

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

How to apply
Applications are accepted only via 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. A Q&A session will also be included. To join the information session, please fill out the form at the link.

The application deadline is 15:00, 2 October 2025.

The results will be announced in January 2026.

All competition terms, application instructions, and related information can be found in this announcement.