East Europe Foundation has announced a second grant call for projects promoting the just transition of coal communities under the Regional Opportunities for Just Transition and Sustainability (ROOTS) program. 

The Grant call aims to support projects that strengthen energy resilience, improve the situation of vulnerable groups, promote socio-economic diversification, and build institutional capacity. 

To be eligible, projects must contribute to the goals of a just transition and be included in a Territorial Just Transition Action Plan. 

The grant call will support up to six projects with grants ranging from UAH 3 million to UAH 5 million. Projects may run for 6–12 months. 

 The call covers nine communities in Dnipropetrovsk region – Bohdanivka, Verbky, Zelenodolsk, Mykolaivka, Pavlohrad, Petropavlivka, Ternivka, Troitske, and Shakhtarske – as well as the city of Ladyzhyn in Vinnytsia region. 

Applications may be submitted by: 

• local government bodies;
• municipal institutions, enterprises, and organizations;
• regional development agencies;
• civil society organizations with non-profit status under codes 0032, 0034, or 0036.
• Applications from individuals, businesses, government agencies, political parties, and religious organizations will not be considered.  

The grant call focuses on projects in the following areas: 

• renewable energy and energy efficiency; 
• vocational education and retraining; 
• environmental protection and sustainable land use; 
• local economic development and support for small and medium-sized enterprises; 
• upgrading water supply and wastewater disposal systems; 
• strengthening the capacity of local communities in the field of just transition; 
• upgrading heating systems. 

One applicant or group of applicants may submit only one application under this grant call. Two or more applicants may submit a joint project application, provided that the project is included in a Territorial Just Transition Action Plan. 

Applications must be submitted through the Grant Portal. Please see the full announcement for detailed eligibility requirements and application instructions. 

The application deadline is October 28, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. 

An online information session for prospective applicants will take place on October 12. The ROOTS team will present the grant conditions and answer participants’ questions. Advance registration for the information session is required. 

Questions about the grant call may be sent to [email protected]. Please include “Grants to Support Coal Communities (Phase II)” in the subject line. 

The Regional Opportunities for Just Transition and Sustainability (ROOTS) program is implemented by East Europe Foundation within the Power4Just Transition project, with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH