The acceleration program within the civic tech projects competition Act to Drive Change is currently underway. It is implemented by East Europe Foundation with the support of the European Union. Eighteen teams have already completed an intensive training phase and gained comprehensive knowledge necessary for developing civic tech solutions.

The next stage will be project pitching during Demo Day. Based on its results, a professional jury will select 10 organisations that will receive up to €35,000 each to implement their civic tech ideas.

“Pitching is a skill that teams will need far beyond Demo Day. That is why we devote time to training and rehearsals, so participants can not only present their projects but also convincingly communicate their ideas to donors, partners, and communities,” says Diana Standratyuk, Coordinator of the Acceleration Program.

We know that representatives of the civil society sector regularly have to present their ideas — to partners, donors, teams, or at public events. That is why in this article we have collected practical advice from experts that the participants of the Act to Drive Change program received. These tips may be useful for anyone preparing for a pitch or a public speech.

How to make pitching persuasive was explained to the participants of the acceleration program by Oleksii Yelenkov, a professional speaker and founder of the Academy Generation87 project. He shared his experience during a special workshop dedicated to preparation for public presentations.

One of the key components of a successful pitch is the speaker’s inner state — their mood and attitude toward their own project.

“You must be in the right mindset, with energy and inspiration. Look at your pitch from the perspective of love for what you do. If you yourself do not feel the value of your work, the audience will not feel it either,” the expert says.

Oleksii emphasised that stage fright is normal for everyone — both beginners and experienced speakers. What matters is not avoiding this experience but going through it. With each new performance, tension decreases and confidence grows. Even if you already have experience, every pitch requires new preparation, because the audience, format, and context change.

To cope with stress and avoid confusion on stage, Oleksii Yelenkov advises having a clear action plan — a kind of internal framework to rely on during the speech. It helps structure not only the pitch itself but also the speaker’s behavior. The expert identifies five key components of a confident performance: posture, voice, interaction with the audience through eye contact, facial expressions and gestures, and an inspired speech.

The first is posture. It shapes the first impression even before the speech begins. A straight back and confident walk signal composure and inner confidence to the audience.

“The audience and the jury will perceive you from the very first second. How you walk and how you stand really matters. Good posture and a straight back visually communicate confidence, and confident people are easier to listen to.”

The second is the voice. The manner of speaking directly affects how the idea is perceived. A quiet voice may create an impression of insecurity, so it should be trained in advance.

“A person who speaks quietly may seem unsure of themselves or of what they are saying. So use your voice. Loud means confident — but not shouting.”

The third is interaction with the audience through eye contact. Visual contact begins even before the first word and helps establish a connection with the room.

“Sometimes it is worth stepping onto the stage, pausing briefly, and simply looking at the audience. Seeing who is in front of you and who you are about to speak to. When a person looks the audience in the eyes, that is also about confidence.”

The fourth is facial expressions and gestures. They should reinforce the speech rather than distract from it. The most important thing is that the speaker’s face conveys interest and openness.

“The most successful solution is a light smile — even through the eyes. This appeals both to the audience and the jury.”

The fifth element is an inspired speech. It unites all the previous components into a single whole. Inspiration is not about loud words or excessive emotions, but about the speaker’s inner state and their sincere belief in their idea. The audience quickly senses whether a person is speaking formally or truly living what they are saying.

For a speech to sound inspired, it is important to start with meaning — the speaker must clearly explain why their project exists and what problem it solves. When a pitch is based on personal motivation and a clear mission, the words become more convincing. If the speaker uses natural language, explains complex things with simple examples, and avoids dry formulations, the audience becomes engaged more quickly.

“The most important thing in public speaking is your inner state. If you speak about your ideas and solutions with inspiration, people will listen to you and trust you. The energy you give to the audience comes back as attention and support.”

However, all these elements work only with quality preparation and thoughtful rehearsal. Planning a speech in your head is not enough. Only when a person starts saying the text out loud does it become clear what sounds convincing and what needs improvement. That is why the expert advises rehearsing several times — for yourself, in front of a mirror, or even in front of pets.

Shortly, the program participants will put all these tips into practice during the final pitching of their projects. You will be able to watch this live, so follow the updates on our Facebook page.

The educational component of the Act to Drive Change acceleration program is implemented by the consulting agency Center42. Its founder and co-founder of the Happy Monday career platform, Kyrylo Mazur, notes that the program was designed based on the real needs of the teams and aims to create a holistic understanding of how civic tech projects function and develop:

“During the program, teams gained new knowledge about creating innovative projects and, most importantly, clarity and confidence in their development. They deeply explored how to transform socially important ideas into viable civic tech products — with clear value, a sustainable model, and an understandable growth trajectory.”

The civic tech projects competition and the Act to Drive Change acceleration program are implemented within the framework of the “Phoenix: Power of Communities” project and are carried out by East Europe Foundation with financial support from the European Union.