During the Ukraine Recovery Conference held in Rome, the European Union and Ukraine jointly announced a €1.5 million Call for Proposals under the Ukraine2EU – EU Integration Support Programme for Ukraine. Scheduled to launch on 1 August 2025, this initiative aims to strengthen the role of Ukrainian civil society organisations in supporting Ukraine’s EU accession process by enabling them to contribute directly to legislative alignment and other integration efforts.
The initiative highlights the strategic importance of civil society in Ukraine’s journey towards EU membership. It reflects a shared understanding between the EU and Ukraine that sustainable reforms must involve broad societal participation. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos noted that civil society’s involvement has significantly contributed to Ukraine’s reform progress, while Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna stressed the need for reforms to be co-shaped by institutions and civil society. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen praised Ukraine’s civil society for its democratic engagement, and EU Ambassador Katarína Mathernová emphasized the sector’s critical role in making EU accession comprehensible and widely supported by the public.
The Call for Proposals is designed to support between 8 and 15 civil society-led projects, with individual grants of up to €200,000 and an optimal funding ceiling of €125,000 per project. Each initiative may run for a maximum of 24 months. Eligible activities include advocacy, legislative analysis, public consultations, communications efforts, and contributions to negotiation processes related to EU accession.
Priority will be given to projects focusing on key EU integration clusters, particularly agriculture, industry, energy, labor mobility, and environment (Clusters 2–5). Proposals within Cluster 1 (fundamentals) and Cluster 6 (external relations) will also be considered if they demonstrate a clear strategic relevance.
The selection process will be conducted in two stages. Concept notes must be submitted by 1 September 2025. Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to submit full proposals, with successful projects expected to begin implementation in December 2025 or January 2026.
