A selection of grants: investment and support for Ukrainian initiatives

Grant Roundup: Investment and Support for Ukrainian Initiatives

In today's world, access to financial support is critically important for the successful growth of a business and the delivery of social projects. New opportunities and initiatives aimed at providing grants for startups, enterprises and civil society organisations keep appearing all the time. In this article we look at several new support programmes and grant competitions that offer opportunities to develop Ukrainian initiatives and enterprises.

1. Bravery launches five new support programmes for Ukrainian technology startups and SMEs that offer innovative solutions, services or products

Grants ranging from EUR 10,000 to EUR 50,000 are available under the following programmes:

Business and innovation services

Innovative entrepreneurship

Deep-tech incubators

Reconstruction of Ukraine

Deep-tech scaling and acceleration

⏰ Deadline: 25 April 2025.

✍️ Details: [https://seedsofbravery.eu/](https://seedsofbravery.eu/)

2. EUR 300,000 to support small and medium-sized business: EU4Business opens a new grant competition

Applications are now open for the programme run by "EU4Business: recovery, competitiveness and internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises"! Companies that create products and services with an innovative component and/or a focus on expansion and/or export can receive financial support in the form of non-repayable grants of up to EUR 15,000.

Grants under the project may be used for:

purchasing equipment, software, raw materials and tools

retaining or creating jobs

renting premises or equipment and/or software

purchasing services that support production and the development of export and innovation potential

other costs associated with transport, relocation and retraining

⏰ Application deadline: 10 March.

Read more about the eligibility criteria and the programme procedure at the link: [https://usf.com.ua/eu4business-up-to-15k-for-business-support/](https://usf.com.ua/eu4business-up-to-15k-for-business-support/)

✍️ Apply: [https://portal.usf.com.ua/](https://portal.usf.com.ua/)

3. The "Kusanone" grant programme for delivering projects in 2025

The "Kusanone" programme supports local community development projects aimed at addressing problems related to people's basic needs for life, health and safety, improving social conditions and providing for the population.

In addition to projects in the fields of healthcare and education (the programme supports around 10 projects each year), you are invited to submit projects that promote employment and are aimed at improving the socio-economic situation of vulnerable population groups.

The budget per project is 10 million yen (approximately USD 73,000 as of 2023, depending on the exchange rate).

Please note: the recipients of grant assistance under the "Kusanone" programme may only be non-profit enterprises and institutions, or civil society or charitable organisations that have existed for at least two years and have experience of working in the field of the submitted project.

The application form, instructions for completing it, detailed information about the programme, the terms of participation in the competition, and the contacts (email address) of the coordinators for consultations are available at the link: [https://www.ua.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_uk/ua_oda.html](https://www.ua.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_uk/ua_oda.html)

Applications must be sent as files attached to an email, no larger than 10 MB per message; do not use file-sharing services to send applications. If your application is received, you will get an automatic reply confirming receipt of the message.

⏰ Applications for the grant assistance competition under the Government of Japan's "Kusanone" programme for the 2025 funding year are being accepted until 28 February 2024 (inclusive).

✍️ Apply: [https://www.gurt.org.ua/news/grants/93010/](https://www.gurt.org.ua/news/grants/93010/)

4. A new grant programme from the USAID Investment for Business Resilience Activity

Attention medium and large enterprises: a new grant programme from the USAID Investment for Business Resilience Activity

The USAID Investment for Business Resilience Activity (formerly known as the USAID Financial Sector Reform Activity), in partnership with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, announces a Request for Concepts for the use of grant funds from Ukrainian enterprises that need support to ensure business growth, in particular to increase sales, boost exports and create new jobs.

Medium and large private Ukrainian enterprises are invited to submit concepts.

The total amount of the programme is USD 15 million. Grant awards are expected to range from USD 250,000.00 to USD 2,000,000.00. As a result of implementing their concepts, participating enterprises are expected to achieve an increase in sales of at least five times the amount of the grant support requested. The number of jobs created will also be one of the evaluation criteria.

An important condition for receiving grant funds is the contribution of additional funds - the enterprise's own funds or other resources raised by the enterprise - directed towards implementing the concept and achieving the goals of increasing sales, exports and creating new jobs.

The estimated minimum annual sales volume of participants is expected to be around USD 8 million (in hryvnia equivalent). This figure is important because the target sales growth resulting from implementation of the concept must amount to at least USD 2 million.

Grant funds will be provided in line with certain results achieved against the programme goals mentioned above.

The concepts are expected to be implemented over 12-24 months. Selection will take place in two stages. The first stage is the evaluation of concepts. Participants who present the best concepts for the use of grant funds in terms of achieving the programme's goals will then be invited to submit detailed grant applications.

⏰ Deadline: Concepts must be submitted no later than 29 February 2024.

✍️ Apply: [https://www.gurt.org.ua/news/grants/94034/](https://www.gurt.org.ua/news/grants/94034/)

5. Veteran Hub announces a grant for civil society and charitable organisations

Veteran Hub seeks to strengthen the institutional capacity of veteran-friendly organisations and invites them to take part in a competition for grant funding. The grant amount that organisations in the field of veterans' affairs can receive is UAH 1,300,000.

Organisations founded by veterans (both men and women) and members of their families are eligible to take part in the competition, as are those whose volunteer or charitable work is aimed at supporting veterans and the families of Ukrainian soldiers. Applications are being accepted until 3 March inclusive.

Priority is given to project activities aimed at developing organisational capacity and establishing internal working processes to ensure sustainable and effective operation. This can include developing internal policies and rules of work, as well as training the team or conducting analytical research.

The organisation has been working for Ukrainian veterans for more than five years and, in its work, relies on a high-quality identification and provision of the real needs of soldiers and their loved ones. Now Veteran Hub seeks to support initiatives that benefit the veteran community and support the families of defenders while their loved ones are on duty.

"The open competition from Veteran Hub is our chance to pay attention to the small organisations founded and led by veterans - men and women - or members of their families. It is important for us to support precisely these, in particular because of their natural motivation to develop the field of veterans' affairs, and also because of the personal impact of the war on their teams and their ability to continue working," said Ivanna Stets, Partnerships Manager at Veteran Hub.

⏰ Deadline: To take part in the competition, you must submit an application with a general description of the project. The final deadline for submitting an application is 3 March 2024, 23:59.

✍️ Read the details and requirements for applications on the official Veteran Hub website: [https://veteranhub.com.ua/grant](https://veteranhub.com.ua/grant)

6. Competition: developing recommendations for improving budgeting at the local level in the healthcare sector

The USAID Health Reform Support Activity (hereinafter - the Project) announces a competition for a grant to analyse practices in selected regions and develop recommendations for improving budgeting at the local level in the healthcare sector.

The aim of this grant is to study existing budgeting practices in the healthcare sector at the local level in eight selected regions of Ukraine (Kyiv, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Mykolaiv oblasts). A thorough analysis of the data collected will make it possible to identify current problems in the formation and implementation of local healthcare programmes, barriers to their effective implementation, and to formulate recommendations for improving budgeting at the local level in the healthcare sector.

The total grant amount will not exceed UAH 5,680,000. The grant type is a fixed-amount grant.

Detailed and complete information on the terms of participation, eligibility criteria and scope of work is contained in the GRANT COMPETITION ANNOUNCEMENT ([RFA 205_SOW_2.5_Regional_budgeting_final to post](https://www.prostir.ua/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/RFA-205_SOW_2.5_Regional_budgeting_final-to-post.pdf)) and on the grants portal ([https://dgrants.fluxx.io](https://dgrants.fluxx.io/)).

Applications and the accompanying document package must be submitted through the grants portal ([https://dgrants.fluxx.io/](https://dgrants.fluxx.io/)).

An informational webinar will take place at 16:00 on 12 March 2024 to clarify the grant procedures and objectives of the grant. Register by email at grant@hrs.net.ua by 11:00 on 12 March 2024.

Questions about the grant competition should be sent to grant@hrs.net.ua by the end of the working day on 13 March 2024. Answers to questions will be sent to all participants no later than the end of the working day on 15 March 2024.

⏰ Grant applications must be submitted by 24 March 2024 inclusive.

✍️ Details: [https://www.prostir.ua/?grants=konkurs-rozrobka-rekomendatsij-z-udoskonalennya-byudzhetuvannya-na-mistsevomu-rivni-u-sferi-ohorony-zdorovya](https://www.prostir.ua/?grants=konkurs-rozrobka-rekomendatsij-z-udoskonalennya-byudzhetuvannya-na-mistsevomu-rivni-u-sferi-ohorony-zdorovya)

7. Annual Program Statement USAID/UKaid SOERA

[SOERA Annual Program Statement_2024](https://www.prostir.ua/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/SOERA-Annual-Program-Statement_2024.pdf)

The State-Owned Enterprises Reform Activity (SOERA), funded by USAID/UKaid, is pleased to announce the release of our Annual Program Statement (APS) for 2024 for grant funding. This Annual Program Statement (APS) contains important information about our grant programme for engaging relevant Ukrainian civil society participants who share common goals with the objectives of the SOERA programme. The APS gives potential applicants a significant opportunity to engage with our programme and receive grant funding to support their initiatives in line with the mission and goals of SOERA.

We invite all interested parties to review the attached document carefully in order to understand the eligibility criteria, the application process and the programme's objectives.

⏰ Deadline: 26 July 2024

✍️ Details: [https://www.prostir.ua/?grants=annual-program-statement-usaidukaid-soera-richna-hrantovu-prohramu-usaidukaid-soera](https://www.prostir.ua/?grants=annual-program-statement-usaidukaid-soera-richna-hrantovu-prohramu-usaidukaid-soera)

8. The USAID AGRO Program will provide co-financing for the integration of veterans into agriculture

The USAID AGRO Program continues to promote the integration of veterans into the agricultural sector. To this end, AGRO will provide co-financing for one or two more projects to develop and implement effective models for integrating veterans into the agricultural sector. The projects will promote the employment of veterans in agriculture, for example through upskilling and retraining for subsequent employment, as well as the development of self-employment and the launch and expansion/restoration of their own business in the agricultural sphere.

Expected results within a single project:

from 500 to 1,000 veterans (men and women) will receive services under the project

at least 30% of project participants will be employed at agricultural enterprises, be self-employed, or launch, expand or restore their own business

from 3 to 5 adapted training programmes will be created

the number of agricultural enterprises engaged in cooperation will increase, and a realistic, workable scaling plan will be developed

See the full description of the terms of reference at the [link](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nNvsEVtJcXUBX6PAwDjvRGrpES6ebysA?usp=drive_link).

⏰ Information for submitting an application:

by 18:00 on 12 March 2024 - register to take part in the pre-application online seminar by completing the registration form at the [link](https://shorturl.at/dmtxH).

on 13 March 2024 from 15:00 to 17:00, USAID AGRO will hold the pre-application online seminar.

no later than 18:00 on 20 March 2024 - to submit questions about participating in this competition (agro.subawards@chemonics.com).

no later than 18:00 local time on 1 April 2024 - the final deadline for submitting applications (technical proposal, budget and supporting documents).

In all correspondence regarding this competition, please indicate its title: ZPZ-63/01

✍️ Details: [https://www.prostir.ua/?grants=prohrama-usaid-ahro-nadast-spivfinansuvannya-dlya-intehratsiji-veteraniv-u-silske-hospodarstvo](https://www.prostir.ua/?grants=prohrama-usaid-ahro-nadast-spivfinansuvannya-dlya-intehratsiji-veteraniv-u-silske-hospodarstvo)

The programmes and grant competitions listed above open up broad prospects for Ukrainian startups, enterprises, and civil society and charitable organisations. These initiatives are aimed at supporting innovation, supporting small and medium-sized business, developing agriculture and strengthening civil society. Ukrainian innovators and social entrepreneurs can use these resources to develop their projects and achieve success in their fields of activity.