A grant mosaic: find your path to bringing your ideas to life

In today's world, where the needs and challenges of civil society are constantly growing, it is important to have access to resources that make it possible to bring initiatives and projects to life in order to improve quality of life and foster positive change. In this context, receiving information about new grants and funding opportunities is a key factor of success for organisations and individuals working to bring their ideas and projects to life.

1) ZMINA: Rebuilding. Second wave of national subgrants

Programme goal: to create and demonstrate at the national level cultural, artistic and creative projects that promote, advance or stimulate public discourse about "rebuilding": of identities, social norms, communities, relationships, infrastructure, and so on.

Who it's for:

• Ukrainian artists and cultural figures with sole-proprietor status who have more than two years of experience in the culture and creative industries and who live in Ukraine or abroad;

• Ukrainian civil society organisations, cultural institutions and local self-government bodies that have more than two years of experience in the culture and creative industries and are located in Ukraine.

*All cultural and creative sectors are eligible to apply.

Areas of funding:

• services for artistic/cultural work;

• travel for artists and cultural figures;

• per diems and accommodation;

• family support for artists and cultural figures;

• visa costs;

• delivery/transportation (of materials, equipment, etc.);

• materials, tools, equipment and other means;

• services needed to implement the project (production services, equipment rental);

• costs for communication, marketing and documenting events, and virtual participation in the project;

• the project's administrative team.

*See the website for funding details and project requirements.

Subgrant size: €10,000

Deadline: 07.02.2024

2) Grant programme "Instrumental" supporting academic musicians who suffered during the full-scale invasion, from KCMD

Who it's for: professionals in the field of academic music (performers, composers, musicologists, teachers, sound engineers, etc.) aged 18 and over who have proven experience in professional academic music in recent years.

The programme will help academic musicians who suffered during the full-scale invasion to purchase musical instruments.

Areas of funding:

• purchasing a new or used musical instrument;

• repairing an existing musical instrument;

• restoring, maintaining or improving an existing musical instrument;

• purchasing accessories for an existing musical instrument.

Applications may be submitted both individually and by a group, with justification of the need to purchase a musical instrument.

Grant size: up to €5,200

Deadline: 15.01.2024 by 23:59 Kyiv time

3) Educational programme "You Matter" from UShPS

An educational programme for military personnel who want to take an active part in socio-political processes, who want to realise themselves in the field of public administration and the civil service, or who see themselves in other fields.

Who it's for: servicewomen, female volunteers, female veterans.

Topics of the training blocks: leadership, the fundamentals of democracy and the rule of law, successful governance, key reforms in Ukraine and Euro-Atlantic integration, reforming the security and defence sector, reintegration into civilian life.

Training format: 3 days of offline training in Kyiv.

Benefits for participants:

• a values-based community of servicewomen;

• new knowledge and skills;

• mentoring support.

Deadline: 06.01.2024 by 23:59

4) The "Responsibility Award 2023" from the Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Family Foundation

The "Responsibility Award" was established in 2021 to recognise CSOs that base their work on the values enshrined in Bohdan Hawrylyshyn's Declaration of Human Responsibility.

In 2023 the Award will recognise CSOs and their stories of responsible partnership that, in a time of full-scale war, strengthen Ukraine through their cooperation and demonstrate responsibility at various levels.

Who it's for: CSOs that in 2023 implemented a partnership project jointly with organisation(s) from other sectors, business, local authorities, state authorities, etc.

NOMINATIONS:

1) A story of responsible partnership: communities, CSOs whose story of cooperation in 2023 had an impact within a community or oblast are nominated;

2) National partnership project, CSOs whose story of cooperation in 2023 had an impact on the development of their field within Ukraine are nominated;

3) Cooperation without borders: Ukraine to the world, CSOs whose story of cooperation with international partner(s) is aimed at helping and strengthening Ukraine and had an impact on defending the interests of Ukrainian society in Ukraine and beyond are nominated.

Award size: UAH 100,000 each for 3 laureates

Deadline: 31.12.2023

5) Grant support for youth centres, spaces and organisations within the "TRYMAI" programme

Who it's for: CSOs and charitable organisations that have confirmation of cooperation with youth centres or youth spaces, that perform the function of a youth centre or youth space, or that commit to creating a youth centre or youth space.

Geography: Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Chernihiv oblasts.

Priority areas of activity:

• creating or organising the work of youth centres and/or youth spaces in communities;

• programmes for networking youth centres and/or youth spaces, creating partnerships with the private and public sectors;

• ensuring the operation of the team of a youth centre, youth space or youth CSO that administers/organises the work of a youth centre or youth space;

• organising work with teenagers as part of the work of a youth centre or youth space;

• organising psychosocial support for teenagers;

• creating opportunities for the self-realisation of teenagers and young people through volunteering, entrepreneurship and participation as part of the work of a youth centre or youth space.

Grant size: up to UAH 500,000

A question-and-answer session about the competition will take place on 20.12.2023 at 14:00; to take part in it you need to register.

Deadline: 29.12.2023 by 13:00

6) Grant competition "Brave Ideas" within the USAID "Dream and Act" programme

Who it's for: CSOs, charitable organisations, youth civil society organisations and organisations that implement youth initiatives (YCSOs), Ukrainian representative offices of international organisations, registered as legal entities in Ukraine and holding non-profit status.

Potential applicants are encouraged to go beyond standard ideas and submit:

• bold, innovative and creative projects that match the stated goals and priorities of the "Dream and Act" programme;

• and that foster the development of the potential of young people aged 10-35 and are carried out on territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine.

Preference will be given to new approaches to meeting young people's needs and to innovative solutions based on the principles of positive youth development and taking into account a gender-equality and social-inclusion approach.

*See the priority areas of the competition in the comments to the post.

Grant size: from $25,000 to $80,000

Deadline: 27.05.2024 by 23:59 Kyiv time. Applications will be reviewed regularly, every two months, and once after the final application deadline.

7) The Guide to the EU Erasmus+ Programme (Programme Guide) has now been updated

Erasmus+ is a unique grant programme for projects related to formal and non-formal education, personal and professional development, and sport.

Importantly, both non-profit and business organisations can take part in it. Participation by small and medium-sized businesses is even encouraged!

Create a game or a mobile app, an interesting course or club, write a book, bring people together to share experience, hold a forum, develop a support programme for people in difficult life circumstances... This is only a partial list of what can be done within Erasmus+ projects.

Erasmus changed my life. This programme gives me personally some amazing opportunities:

- to carry out interesting projects that are valuable to me and to society. If you have a dream to change something around you, start with Erasmus+ projects.

- to establish communication and partnership with like-minded people from all over the world. I love Cooperation partnership projects most of all, where partners from 3-5 countries can work together. For me personally this is always ABOUT UKRAINE, it is a special joy when you come up with a project idea, gather partners for it from different countries, and everyone implements what Ukraine initiated. This is how we build the image of our state as a country of powerful experts and innovation.

- to reach a new income level. Erasmus+ projects include funds in the budget to pay the team. It's ideal: doing what you love and being paid decent money for it (you can write the project yourself and truly do what interests you!).

- to work easily with grant funds. Surprisingly, administering Erasmus+ grant projects and reporting on them are often simpler than with other donors operating in Ukraine.

So, I love this grant programme and recommend it to you. And I have unique, powerful experience with Erasmus, so I know what I'm talking and writing about.

In light of today's challenges and the needs of civil society, the grants presented here turn out to be key opportunities for individuals and organisations to bring about positive change in their communities. Initiatives such as ZMINA: Rebuilding, the "Instrumental" grant programme, the "You Matter" educational programme, and the "Responsibility Award 2023" create opportunities for the recovery, development and recognition of organisations that act on the basis of the values of responsibility. Grant support for youth centres within the "TRYMAI" programme, the "Brave Ideas" grant competition from USAID, and the updated Guide to the EU Erasmus+ Programme define today's opportunities for attracting funding and implementing creative and innovative ideas. This diversity of grants opens up a path for recognising, supporting and implementing projects aimed at positive changes in various spheres of civic life.