Stages · 02/10
Eligibility & organisational readiness
Stage 2 of 10 in the grant lifecycle: 18 knowledge base articles on programmes, rules and terms for this step.
Programmes5
- Creative Europe Creative Europe is the EU programme for culture, the audiovisual sector and media for 2021–2027, with a budget of about €2.44 billion. Ukraine takes part in the Culture and Cross-sectoral strands and, since December 2024, has full access to MEDIA as well. A Ukrainian organisation can be a partner or a coordinator, but the grant covers only part of the budget, so an own contribution is needed.
- Digital Europe Digital Europe (DIGITAL) is the EU programme for 2021–2027 with a budget of over €8.1 billion that funds the deployment of digital technologies: supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital skills and their uptake in business and the public sector. Ukraine has been associated since 2022, but only to four objectives. The typical rate is 50%, so applicants fund the other half.
- Erasmus+ Erasmus+ is the EU programme for education, training, youth and sport for 2021–2027, with a budget of €26.2 billion. It funds the mobility of people, partnerships between organisations and capacity building in higher education. Ukraine takes part as a third country not associated to the Programme, so what is open is the international dimension rather than the whole programme.
- Interreg Interreg is the EU’s European territorial cooperation for 2021–2027: dozens of separate programmes, each with its own territory, calls and rules. Ukrainian municipalities, public institutions, NGOs and universities take part in several of them, but only together with partners from EU countries. The rate, the advance and Ukraine’s status depend on the programme, so check them on its website.
- LIFE LIFE is the only EU programme devoted entirely to the environment and climate action, with a budget of €5.432 billion for 2021–2027. It runs through four sub-programmes: nature and biodiversity, circular economy, climate action, and the clean energy transition. Ukraine has been associated to LIFE since 2022, so a Ukrainian organisation can be a full beneficiary.
Programme sections3
- CBHE: capacity building in higher education Capacity Building in Higher Education is the Erasmus+ action built around universities outside the EU, which makes it the most important one in the programme for Ukrainian institutions. It has three strands, with grants from €200,000 to €1,000,000 and durations from 24 to 48 months. Erasmus+
- Key Action 1: mobility and KA171 Key Action 1 funds the movement of people: study and traineeships for students, teaching and training for staff. Mobility with countries outside the EU sits in a separate action, KA171, where the grant goes to the European institution and the Ukrainian partner sends and hosts participants under an agreed quota. Erasmus+
- Ukrainian participants in Erasmus+: what is open In Erasmus+ Ukraine holds the status of a third country not associated to the Programme, region 2 "Neighbourhood East". This is not the full access it has in Horizon Europe: a Ukrainian institution applies in its own right in centralised actions and joins decentralised ones as a partner of a European applicant. Erasmus+
Glossary10
- Due diligence (beneficiary vetting) Due diligence is the check a donor carries out on an organisation before awarding funds: whether it legally exists, whether it is financially sound and whether it has management systems in place. In EU programmes this happens after the project is selected, during grant preparation.
- eRobota: state grants for business eRobota is the Ukrainian government’s programme of non-repayable grants for business, running since July 2022. In 2026 it covers the Vlasna Sprava grant for starting and scaling a business and grants for processing plants, orchards, greenhouses and produce storage. Applications go through the Diia portal, and in return the applicant commits to create jobs and pay taxes.
- Grants for local communities: where to start A Ukrainian community can attract grants through its council, a municipal enterprise, a local development agency, or in partnership with a civic organisation. The realistic sources are EU programmes, UN agency projects and state instruments such as the regional development fund. Almost everywhere this takes local budget co-financing, a council decision and a link to the community strategy.
- Non-profit status of a civil society organisation Non-profit status is an entry in the Register of Non-Profit Institutions and Organisations kept by the tax service, with a non-profit code assigned. It exempts the organisation from corporate income tax, including on grants, and is almost always a donor requirement. It can be lost through spending outside the statutory purposes or a non-compliant statute, which puts the grant itself at risk.
- OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) OFAC is the US Treasury unit that maintains the sanctions lists, above all the SDN list. The general federal grant rules contain no requirement to screen partners against those lists: it comes from sanctions law itself and from the terms of the specific award, so read your own agreement.
- Orchard and greenhouse grants: amounts, land, obligations The orchard and greenhouse grants are two agricultural strands of Ukrainian state support for business. An orchard, berry field or vineyard gets up to UAH 400,000 per hectare, capped at UAH 10 million, and a modular greenhouse UAH 2 to 7 million depending on area. The state normally covers up to half of the project cost, and the rest is the applicant’s own contribution.
- Organisational capacity assessment before a grant An organisational capacity assessment checks whether an organisation can deliver the project and handle the money properly: governance, financial system, internal control, staff, experience. The donor runs it before signing the agreement, and the result affects the terms: the size of the advance, extra requirements, or a refusal. Prepare policies and documents well in advance.
- Processing plant grant: terms and co-financing The processing plant grant is non-repayable state support of up to UAH 8 million for equipment for manufacturing businesses in Ukraine. The state covers 50 to 80 per cent of the project cost and the applicant funds the rest. In return you must create at least five jobs and pay taxes equal to the grant within three years.
- Regranting: grants through intermediary organisations Regranting means a donor awards one large grant to an operator organisation, which then runs its own calls and passes smaller grants on to local organisations. For an applicant it is the most accessible way into grant funding: a simpler application, smaller amounts, the local language. But your contract is with the operator, and the original donor's rules usually reach you through that contract.
- Vlasna Sprava grant: amounts, terms and obligations Vlasna Sprava (Own Business) is a Ukrainian state grant for starting or scaling a business. Since September 2026 it runs under a single procedure: UAH 100,000 to 300,000 for a start and UAH 500,000 to 1.5 million for scaling, with top-ups for young people, veterans, frontline regions and priority sectors. In return the recipient must pay taxes equal to the grant.
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