As part of the Impulse Project, the International Renaissance Foundation has announced a competition titled “Institutional Impulse for Young Civil Society Organizations in the Most Affected Regions.” Its goal is to support young organizations that are already active in communities affected by the war and wish to strengthen their internal capacity, better organize their work, and continue to grow.
Applications will be accepted until February 19, and approximately 20–25 organizations will be selected as winners. They will receive an institutional grant with a maximum budget of 400,000 hryvnias and will participate in a mandatory training program on organizational development. The training will cover strategic planning, internal policies and procedures, financial management, accounting, communications, advocacy, as well as issues of gender equality, sustainability, and transparency. Projects will last from 8 to 12 months.
This Q&A section has been prepared to help organizations better understand the competition terms and the application process. It is based on the online competition presentation and Q&A session conducted by Tetiana Kukharenko, project manager of The Impulse Project and the “Democracy and Good Governance” program at the International Renaissance Foundation. You can also watch a video recording of the presentation.
Participation and Compliance with Contest Rules
Can organizations in any area of activity apply, provided they meet the legal form and other requirements of the competition?
Yes. The organization’s area of activity is not a restriction. What matters is the appropriate legal form, the registration date falling within the timeframe specified in the competition terms, and the alignment of the project proposal with the competition’s objective—the institutional development of the organization itself.
Which organizations are ineligible to apply due to their registration date? Are there any exceptions?
Organizations officially registered before January 1, 2024, or after June 30, 2025, are ineligible to apply. There are no exceptions to this rule. Prior experience or circumstances surrounding the organization’s establishment outside these dates do not alter the eligibility requirements.
If an organization operated as an initiative group before its official registration, is this experience taken into account? Are there plans to hold the competition again?
No. Only the date of the organization’s state registration is considered for participation in the competition. Activities conducted as an initiative group before registration do not qualify for participation if the registration date does not meet the requirements. The competition is a one-time event within the “Impulse” project; the decision on a possible repeat in the future will depend on the results of this competition.
Can organizations that meet the “age” criterion for registration but already have grant experience apply?
Yes. Previous grant experience, particularly with the International Renaissance Foundation or its partners, is not a restriction. It is important that the organization recognizes the need for institutional development and is prepared for intensive work within the framework of the competition.
Can an organization that formally meets the registration date criterion but is undergoing reorganization or a “transitional phase” apply?
Yes, provided that it is indeed a young organization, first registered between January 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. Changes in leadership, structure, or bylaws are permitted, provided they do not constitute a re-registration of a previously existing organization. If, in fact, it is an old organization with updated documents, it is not considered a young organization within the scope of this competition.
Is it necessary to submit a staffing table or other HR documents if the organization has no officially employed staff and operates primarily on a volunteer basis?
No. A staffing table is required only if the organization has full-time employees. If the organization operates on a volunteer basis and has no full-time staff, a staffing table is not required.
Instead, you must submit the organization’s structure (organizational chart) or a draft of it—a diagram showing the roles and functions within the organization (management, financial functions, communications, etc.) in accordance with the bylaws. This is not a staffing table.
What list of documents is required specifically for this competition, and how does it correspond to the mandatory attachments on the application platform?
In addition to the standard documents required by the “Electronic Competition” platform, this competition requires specific attachments that are unique to institutional competitions. Specifically:
- a completed application form for this specific competition;
- the project budget;
- the organization’s structure (organizational chart or draft thereof);
- a copy of the organization’s articles of incorporation;
- a copy of the extract from the Unified State Register (specifically for a civil society organization, not a sole proprietorship).
All of these documents must be submitted together via the platform. The list provided in the competition form supplements, rather than replaces, the list required by the platform.
What is the application deadline?
The application deadline is February 19 at 3:00 p.m. We recommend that you do not wait until the last few days or hours to submit your application due to potential technical risks, such as power outages, internet disruptions, or platform malfunctions. If submitted early, an application may be returned for revision before the deadline; submitting at the last minute leaves no such buffer and may result in losing the opportunity to participate.
Can advocacy activities or collaboration with local self-government bodies (e.g., participation in developing/updating a community strategy) be included within the scope of the competition?
No. The competition is aimed at the institutional development of civil society organizations, not at the development of community strategies or local government documents. Allocating funds for community strategy development or advocacy processes for local self-government bodies does not align with the competition’s objectives. Such activities may be appropriate within the scope of other Foundation competitions.
Budget and Expenses
Is it permissible to purchase equipment to support the organization’s operations, and what are the restrictions on the proportion of such expenses in the project budget?
Yes, it is permissible. The purchase of equipment is allowed provided that it is used for the organization’s own needs (office, team workspace) and not for other institutions. Equipment expenses may not exceed 20% of the total project budget submitted for the competition. The equipment must be justified in the application form—with an explanation of where it will be stored and how it will be used.
Is it possible to include compensation for project team members, and are there any restrictions on the proportion of such expenses?
Yes, it is. Remuneration for project team members is permitted. There are no fixed limits on the percentage of expenses allocated to remuneration. The organization independently formulates the budget in accordance with its needs and the project’s logic.
How should remuneration be reflected in the budget depending on the form of engagement of specialists?
Remuneration for full-time employees is reflected as wages. Individuals engaged under civil law contracts are also included in the remuneration section. Services provided by individual entrepreneurs are reflected in other expense categories as services. All individuals listed in the project’s resource description must also be reflected in the budget.
Can the head of an organization also serve as a project manager or coordinator, and how are conflicts of interest addressed?
Yes, they can, if the organization’s director is a full-time employee. If the director is not on staff, combining these roles is considered a conflict of interest. In such a case, the conflict of interest must be disclosed at the time the grant agreement is signed, and financial documents must be signed by another authorized person.
How is the situation assessed when one person combines managerial and financial functions in a small organization?
There is no direct prohibition, but such a situation is considered risky from the perspective of transparency. For the institutional development of the organization, it is recommended to separate managerial and financial functions and gradually bring in a separate accountant or financial manager.
Is having full-time staff a mandatory requirement for participating in training activities?
No. The absence of full-time staff does not restrict an organization’s participation in either the competition or training activities. This is taken into account in the design of the competition for young organizations.
Can team-building activities, such as strategic sessions or retreats, be funded?
Yes, they can, provided that such activities are clearly linked to the organization’s institutional development—for example, strategic planning or training sessions. Retreats without an educational or strategic component do not meet the competition’s objectives.
Can the purchase of basic technical equipment to support the organization’s hybrid (in-person and online) operations and communication with communities be included within the allowed portion of the budget for equipment?
Yes. The purchase of basic technical equipment (such as microphones or cameras) is permitted within the equipment budget, provided that these expenses do not exceed 20% of the total project budget and the equipment is intended for the organization’s needs. It is necessary to clearly justify in the application form how and where it will be used and stored, and how it strengthens the organization’s institutional capacity (in particular, communication with a dispersed community).
Is it permissible within the project to involve advisory or youth bodies/initiatives in specific activities if the applicant and the project’s responsible implementer is a civil society organization?
No. This competition supports activities aimed at the institutional development of the applicant organization itself, rather than events for the community or joint activities with advisory bodies (particularly youth councils). Such activities do not align with the competition’s objectives and are better suited for other competitions (such as small grants competitions).
Are expenses for the production of branded merchandise or promotional materials supported under this competition, and can such expenses be classified under the “equipment” category?
No. Expenses for the production of merchandise or branded products are not recommended and are not supported under this competition. Such purchases are not considered equipment expenses and do not contribute to the organization’s institutional development. We also note separately that the production of merchandise creates an additional environmental burden.
Can this competition include funding for specialists working with the organization’s target audiences, or should expenses be focused on enhancing the team’s competencies?
Expenses under this competition must be directed toward strengthening the institutional capacity of the organization itself, rather than conducting activities for target audiences. Payment for the work of trainers or specialists is permitted when they are training or strengthening the organization’s team (e.g., training of trainers, coaching, internships, facilitation of strategic processes). Funding for activities aimed directly at training target groups does not align with the objectives of this competition.
Educational component
Can training or consulting for an organization on specialized, applied topics be supported under the competition if the team currently lacks such expertise?
Yes. The competition supports training and individual consulting necessary for the organization’s institutional development. If an organization lacks expertise in a specific applied field (particularly one that is important for its statutory activities), such training activities can be included in the project as training, consulting, or individual workshops for the team.
What is the basic list of training activities planned for winning organizations by the competition organizers and partners?
Basic training activities are planned for the entire cohort of winners, including:
- financial management and accounting (at a basic level);
- communications;
- general strategic planning;
- legal issues related to organizational activities.
These trainings are conducted by the competition organizers—the International Renaissance Foundation and the Eastern Europe Foundation—and are of a basic nature. If organizations require more in-depth or specialized training, they can be included separately in their own project proposal.
In what format do training events take place within the competition—online, offline, or in a hybrid format?
Training events are held both online and offline. Online training takes place on specialized platforms, while offline training is conducted as one- or two-day events. The format may vary depending on the type of training and the audience, so organizations are advised to plan their participation with both formats in mind.
If you have any further questions, please contact us in writing at kukharenko@irf.ua. Please note that we do not provide guidance on preparing project proposals over the phone.
The Impulse Project is implemented by the International Renaissance Foundation and the Eastern Europe Foundation with the support of Norway and Sweden.
