Public Oversight School
The NGO “ANTS” National Interests Protection Network, with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), has launched a call for applications for the Public Oversight School. The program aims to build citizen capacity to monitor budget expenditures, review public procurement, and impact local governance decisions.
Participation in the training program is completely free of charge. In addition, participants will be eligible to compete for three microgrants valued at UAH 50,000 each to execute local monitoring and civic oversight initiatives. Applications must be submitted by November 22, 2026.
What is funded
The program covers a comprehensive educational track comprising five online training modules, mentoring sessions, and case development support. The training modules focus on mechanisms of public oversight, local budget analysis, monitoring public procurement via Prozorro, accessing public information, and turning findings into advocacy stories.
Beyond the training phase, the initiative funds three microgrants of UAH 50,000 each through a competitive internal selection. These grants support practical local initiatives, including monitoring budget spending, investigating municipal asset management, running informational campaigns, and executing advocacy efforts to enhance local transparency.
Selected participants will also be eligible to take part in offline regional networking sessions scheduled for February and March 2027, provided the security situation permits.
Who can apply
The call is open to civic activists, members of non-governmental organizations, initiative groups, regional journalists, and active community residents across Ukraine. Prior experience in procurement analysis, public budgeting, or civic oversight is not required.
While participants from any region in Ukraine can take part in the online learning component, priority and specific conditions apply to the in-person events and microgrants. Applicants can reside in any region, but the proposed microgrant initiatives must specifically target and be implemented in Volyn, Kyiv, or Sumy oblasts.
Conditions and requirements
The educational component runs from December 2026 to February 2027, featuring online modules, practical homework assignments, and expert mentoring sessions. Selected participants will finalize their monitoring cases between January and February 2027.
Receiving a microgrant is contingent upon separate competitive selection procedures and active participation in the training, meaning participation in the school alone does not guarantee financial support. Detailed evaluation criteria and funding conditions for the microgrants will be announced separately by the organizers.
Practical tip. When formulating your study concept or case study during the application, focus directly on a measurable problem located in Volyn, Kyiv, or Sumy oblast, as this aligns directly with the mandatory geographic criteria for the funding phase.
How to apply
Candidates must register online before the deadline of November 22, 2026. The selection process is competitive and evaluates applicants based on their motivation and willingness to apply oversight tools in practice.
Selection results will be announced by November 24, 2026. Accepted participants will then proceed to the scheduled online sessions starting in December 2026.
Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: space.ants.org.ua.
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Donor | NGO “ANTS” National Interests Protection Network (supported by NED) |
| Programme | Public Oversight School |
| Budget | Free training; 3 microgrants of UAH 50,000 each |
| Deadline | 22 November 2026 |
| Who can apply | NGOs, civic activists, initiative groups, journalists, and active residents |
| Geography | Ukraine (microgrants and offline events focus on Volyn, Kyiv, and Sumy oblasts) |
| Type of support | Training, mentoring, and subgrants (microgrants) |
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