Ukrainian Women’s Fund travel grants: up to CAD 4,000 for activists to attend international events

The Ukrainian Women’s Fund has announced an ongoing travel grant call under the Women’s Voice and Leadership: New Power project. The initiative is backed by Global Affairs Canada as part of its broader Women’s Voice and Leadership programme to support Ukrainian civil society.

The grant provides financial assistance of up to CAD 4,000, paid in Ukrainian hryvnia equivalent, to cover international travel expenses. The primary objective is to enable Ukrainian activists and representatives of women’s rights organisations to attend international conferences, seminars, and networking forums.

Applications are processed on a rolling basis without a fixed final closing date. However, prospective candidates must submit their application packages at least three weeks prior to their planned departure date.

What is funded

Funding covers direct travel expenses incurred while participating in international events such as conferences, workshops, and high-level working sessions. Eligible budget lines include economy class transportation tickets, reasonable accommodation costs, event registration fees, and travel insurance coverage for the duration of the trip.

The grant aims to facilitate international advocacy for women’s rights, networking, building cross-border partnerships, and attracting resources to advance gender equality in Ukraine. It is expected that outcomes, insights, and lessons learned from the trip will be disseminated across Ukrainian feminist platforms, networks, and partner coalitions.

Ineligible expenditures include construction works, office rent, and any equipment or asset purchases exceeding CAD 1,000. Additionally, the fund does not support internal network or coalition gatherings, initiatives that harm the environment, party political activities, or incentives for public servants.

Who can apply

The competition welcomes officially registered non-governmental women’s organisations from all regions of Ukraine, as well as individual activists aligned with the feminist movement. To qualify, an organisation’s statutory goals must explicitly focus on protecting women’s rights and advancing gender equality.

Eligible entities must remain entirely independent from state institutions and political parties. Professional women’s associations are not recognized as eligible women’s organisations unless they demonstrate adherence to feminist principles and prove that their work actively empowers women beyond mere service provision.

An individual activist or expert may receive funding under this mechanism no more than twice per calendar year. Travel grants are individual in nature, though applications submitted via established non-governmental organisations are encouraged to ensure alignment with the broader movement.

Conditions and requirements

Applications are evaluated by an Expert Commission on a 100-point scale across five equal criteria. Evaluators assess the proposal’s alignment with competition priorities (20 points), the importance of the event for advancing women’s rights in Ukraine (20 points), and the applicant’s established track record within the Ukrainian feminist movement (20 points).

Crucially, the evaluation panel allocates 20 points to the active nature of participation, favoring candidates who deliver presentations, speak on panels, or lead working groups over passive attendees. The final 20 points evaluate the expected outcomes for advocacy, fundraising, partnership development, and capacity building.

If an application is approved but the grant agreement cannot be signed prior to departure, the contract may be finalized upon return, with funds reimbursed within the approved budget. Applicants reserve the right to appeal negative funding determinations through the fund’s dedicated compliance mechanism.

How to apply

Applications must be completed and submitted through the Ukrainian Women’s Fund online grant management portal at least three weeks before the departure date. Returning organisations should use their existing organizational identifier, while new applicants must create an account first.

Practical tip. Draft all application narratives, travel itineraries, and budget calculations in an external document before starting the online submission, as the donor’s online system does not automatically save drafts. Verify that an automated confirmation email arrives immediately upon submission, because an unconfirmed entry will not be reviewed by the evaluation panel.

The Expert Commission evaluates submissions on a rolling basis and reserves the right to request additional supporting documents. Inquiries regarding application guidelines and portal access issues may be directed to the fund’s grant managers by email.

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