“Ukrainian Communities on the Path to European Integration 3.0”: training, a study visit to Poland and up to $1,500 per initiative for teams of local authorities and NGOs from six oblasts, apply by 25 November

The call for applications has been announced for the capacity-building programme ‘Ukrainian Communities on the Path to European Integration 3.0’. The initiative is organized by the Ukrainian NGO Access Point and the Polish Education for Democracy Foundation, with financial backing from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

The programme is designed to strengthen cross-sector collaboration between local self-government bodies and civil society organizations from front-line and war-impacted regions of Ukraine. Successful teams will participate in offline and online training, join an international study tour to Poland, and receive mini-grant financing of up to 1,500 USD to deliver local integration projects.

Applications are accepted until 25 November 2026. Participation requires joint four-person delegations comprising municipal and civic leaders from eligible target regions.

What is funded

The programme finances a full multi-stage learning trajectory and subsequent local activities. Key components include an interactive offline training titled ‘Ukraine’s EU Accession Process: Preparation and Role of Communities’, which will take place in Lviv or another western Ukrainian city on 11-13 February 2027, followed by expert webinars and peer-to-peer exchanges with past project grantees.

Teams that complete the entire educational cycle are eligible to access micro-grant support of up to 1,500 USD. This funding is dedicated to implementing community-level projects between June and November 2027, applying the knowledge and practices acquired during the trainings.

The organizers also cover an international study visit to Poland in April 2027, an analytical wrap-up meeting, and an optional team retreat in October 2027. All participant expenses for travel, accommodation, and meals during the project events are fully covered by the organizers.

Who can apply

Participation is structured exclusively for four-person collaborative teams. Each application must consist of two representatives from local government authorities and two representatives from non-governmental organizations operating at the community level.

Eligible teams must represent communities located in government-controlled areas of six designated oblasts: Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, or Kherson. Relocated communities from these regions are also eligible to participate, provided that the community is officially relocated and the team’s primary base is situated within one of the six target oblasts.

Applicants must show readiness for cross-sector municipal-civil cooperation, demonstrate interest in implementing reforms locally and nationally, and take proactive responsibility for the recovery and growth of their territory.

Conditions and requirements

Selection preference is granted to communities with a population under 30,000 that were severely affected by the war and require recovery. Priority is also given to territories experiencing population loss exceeding 10% since 2022, communities where internally displaced persons make up over 10% of the total population, and de-occupied areas where at least two team members currently reside.

By applying, participating teams make a binding commitment to participate in all project activities. This encompasses the multi-day offline training, webinars running from December 2026 to February 2027, the study visit to Poland, online meetings, project implementation, and evaluation sessions.

Practical tip. Form your joint delegation early and secure explicit institutional commitment from both the municipal leadership and your NGO partner. When filling out the application, specifically document demographic metrics such as IDP ratios or post-2022 population decline, as meeting these numerical criteria directly increases your selection score.

How to apply

To enter the selection process, eligible teams must complete and submit the official online application form. The submission requires details regarding the community’s context, the composition of the four-member team, and their motivation for participating in European integration efforts.

The submission deadline is 25 November 2026. The organizers will assess all received submissions and communicate selection results to all applicants by 20 December 2026.

Prospective applicants who have questions about the application form or participation conditions can contact the project coordinator, Anastasiia Prokopenko, via the organizer’s listed email address or telephone.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: dostupoint.org.ua.