1. Background

The present Call for Proposals is administered by UNDP under the project “Accelerating Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine with Urgent Response to Intensified Attacks through ‘Co-Creation’ Cooperation”, as part of UNDP’s Democratic Governance and Inclusive Social Fabric Programme. Through this Programme, UNDP supports the Government of Ukraine, civil society, and communities in strengthening democratic governance, transparency, accountability, social cohesion, civic participation, and public trust.

Ukraine’s recovery and development are taking place amid Russia’s ongoing full-scale war, continued attacks on civilian infrastructure, large-scale reconstruction needs, ambitious EU integration reforms, decentralization processes, and sustained pressure on public institutions at the national, regional and local levels. In this context, transparent decision-making, effective corruption prevention, robust integrity systems, and meaningful public oversight are critical for safeguarding public confidence, ensuring the responsible use of recovery resources, and strengthening the legitimacy of recovery efforts.

At the same time, corruption-related issues remain highly sensitive within Ukraine’s public discourse. Both actual corruption risks and perceived shortcomings in transparency or accountability can undermine trust in recovery and reform processes. These vulnerabilities may also be exploited through disinformation, manipulative narratives and malign information influence aimed at discrediting public institutions, weakening support for reforms, eroding trust in democratic governance, and diminishing confidence in international assistance and recovery efforts.

The JSB FY2025 project seeks to support urgent recovery efforts and strengthen resilience by promoting a human security approach and leveraging Japan’s expertise and experience to advance sustainable recovery in Ukraine. Recognizing that transparency, accountability, integrity, and public trust are fundamental prerequisites for effective recovery, the project also contributes to strengthening anti-corruption mechanisms, enhancing institutional capacities, and fostering a culture of integrity across public institutions and society.

In response to these challenges, UNDP in Ukraine seeks to support civil society organizations in promoting transparency, accountability, information integrity, civic engagement, and public participation in recovery processes. Through this Call for Proposals, UNDP aims to encourage innovative and practical initiatives that contribute to strengthening public trust, enhancing oversight and anti-corruption efforts, countering information manipulation related to corruption and recovery, and supporting transparent, accountable, and inclusive recovery and reconstruction processes in Ukraine.

Through this Call for Proposals, UNDP will support CSO initiatives focused on:

i. Promoting anti-corruption initiatives in the development and recovery process, with a focus on strengthening integrity frameworks at all levels;

ii. Strengthening anti-corruption practices, integrity, transparency, and whistleblowing ecosystems in the context of development and recovery through targeted capacity-development activities;

iii. Promoting a culture of integrity through public communication and civic engagement, making integrity, transparency, accountability, ethical conduct, and intolerance of corruption more understandable and relevant to citizens and communities;

iv. Strengthening evidence-based understanding of disinformation narratives in corruption-related media coverage, including how corruption-related topics are manipulated, amplified, or used to undermine trust in institutions, reforms, recovery, and international support.

Civil society organizations are key partners in advancing transparency, accountability, and information integrity across Ukraine’s recovery and development processes. This Call for Proposals therefore seeks to support CSO-led initiatives that strengthen institutional integrity, build practical anti-corruption capacities, promote civic engagement, and enhance society’s resilience to corruption-related manipulation and disinformation. 

2. Objectives of the competition

Through this Call for Proposals, UNDP in Ukraine aims to support civil society organizations in promoting transparency, accountability, anti-corruption practices, information integrity and a culture of integrity as essential foundations for Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction, and democratic development.

The competition is structured into four thematic lots, each addressing a specific dimension of strengthening integrity, transparency, public trust, and resilience to corruption-related manipulation in Ukraine’s recovery and development process.

Lot 1: Promoting anti-corruption initiatives in the development and recovery process with a focus on strengthening integrity frameworks at all levels

This lot aims to support civil society initiatives that contribute to the development, improvement, and practical implementation of integrity frameworks, anti-corruption policies, tools and practices at all levels.

The lot is intended to strengthen the capacity of public institutions civil society, and other relevant stakeholders to identify and mitigate corruption risks, apply integrity standards and promote transparent and accountable approaches in the planning and implementation of development and recovery initiatives.

Proposed activities under CSO projects may include:

• Supporting the development, improvement, implementation, monitoring, or advocacy of anti-corruption policies, integrity frameworks, strategic documents, guidance, procedures, or tools relevant to development, recovery, reconstruction and EU integration processes;

• Conducting corruption risk assessments, integrity-related analysis, monitoring or evaluation of anti-corruption reforms, policies, normative and regulatory acts, selected sectors, institutions, communities, or recovery-related processes;

• Developing analytical and practical knowledge products, including policy papers, policy briefs, analytical notes, monitoring and evaluation reports, recommendations, methodological materials, guidance documents, toolkits, checklists, templates, and other instruments to support integrity, corruption prevention, corruption risk management, and the monitoring of anti-corruption reforms and recovery-related processes.

• Supporting public institutions in applying anti-corruption and integrity tools, including corruption risk assessment methodologies, in recovery planning, public investment, reconstruction, service delivery, procurement-related processes, policymaking, legislative drafting;

• Facilitating consultations, expert discussions, workshops, and stakeholder dialogues to strengthen coordination, cooperation, and information exchange among public institutions, civil society, local authorities, and other stakeholders engaged in promoting transparency, accountability, integrity, and anti-corruption commitments.

• Supporting civic oversight, public participation, and independent monitoring mechanisms aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and implementation of anti-corruption reforms in development and recovery processes;

• Developing communication, awareness-raising or outreach recommendations, guidance, policy briefs to explain integrity frameworks, anti-corruption mechanisms, whistleblower protection and reporting mechanisms, and corruption prevention approaches in practical and accessible language;

• Other relevant initiatives aligned with the objectives of this Call for Proposals.

The CSO projects under this lot should aim to produce practical and usable outputs that can support the institutionalization of integrity practices and strengthen corruption prevention at different levels of governance.

Lot 2: Strengthening institutional integrity and anti-corruption capacities of public institutions during recovery process

This lot aims to strengthen the institutional capacities of public institutions and other relevant stakeholders to effectively implement integrity, accountability, whistleblower protection, and anti-corruption mechanisms during Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction process. The initiative seeks to promote sustainable, risk-based, and evidence-driven approaches to integrity management, transparency, accountability, corruption prevention and ethical governance, while fostering a broader culture of integrity and responsible reporting across the public sector.

Proposed activities under CSO projects may include:

• Development and delivery of tailored capacity development programmes, trainings, workshops, mentoring initiatives, peer-learning activities, and other learning formats for representatives of public institutions, including anti-corruption commissioners, authorized units and other officials responsible for integrity and anti-corruption functions;

• Capacity development activities on integrity and anti-corruption topics, including whistleblower protection and reporting mechanisms, ethical leadership, integrity-based decision-making, accountability mechanisms, internal communication, organizational integrity culture, and other relevant areas;

• Strengthening capacities related to the use of open data, digital tools, data analytics, AI-assisted instruments, and evidence-based approaches in integrity and anti-corruption work;

• Facilitation of knowledge-sharing, peer exchange and professional networking among anti-corruption commissioners, public officials and other relevant stakeholders;

• Awareness-raising and educational initiatives aimed at improving understanding of integrity standards, anti-corruption mechanisms, whistleblower protection, and institutional responsibilities among public officials;

• Other relevant capacity development initiatives aligned with the objectives of this Call for Proposals.

The CSO projects under this lot should be practical and capacity-oriented, focusing on strengthening the knowledge, skills, and institutional capacities of relevant stakeholders to effectively implement integrity, accountability, whistleblower protection, and anti-corruption mechanisms in the context of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.

Lot 3: Conducting a communication campaign to promote a culture of integrity in support of Ukraine’s development and recovery

This lot aims to support public communication and civic engagement initiatives that promote integrity as a shared public value and increase awareness of transparency, accountability, ethical conduct, and intolerance of corruption.

The communication campaign should explain why integrity matters for Ukraine’s development and recovery, how citizens and communities can support transparent decision-making and how ethical behaviour and accountability contribute to better public services, fairer reconstruction, stronger institutions, and greater public trust.

Proposed activities under CSO projects may include:

• Designing and implementing a public communication campaign to promote a culture of integrity, transparency, accountability, and responsible civic behaviour; 
• Developing campaign messages, visual identity, communication products and outreach materials tailored to selected target audiences, including youth, local communities, and other relevant stakeholder groups; 
• Producing and disseminating multimedia content, including videos, explainers, social media materials, infographics, interviews, podcasts, articles, or other accessible formats; 
• Conducting public outreach and community engagement activities, including discussions, public events, online dialogues, interactive sessions, or local initiatives focused on integrity in recovery; 
• Highlighting positive examples of integrity, transparency, civic oversight, responsible leadership, and ethical decision-making at national or local levels; 
• Cooperating with media, local opinion leaders, educators, civil society networks, public institutions, or community-based actors to broaden campaign outreach; 
• Ensuring inclusive and accessible communication approaches, including consideration of gender equality, disability inclusion, regional diversity, and the needs of vulnerable or hard-to-reach groups; 
• Measuring campaign reach, engagement, audience response, and changes in awareness or understanding of integrity-related issues. 

The CSO projects under this lot should make integrity practical, relatable, and relevant to people’s everyday lives, while reinforcing the role of transparency and accountability in Ukraine’s recovery and democratic development.

Lot 4: Analysis of disinformation narratives in corruption-related media coverage and learning activities for media and fact-checkers

This lot aims to support evidence-based research, analysis and practical learning activities focused on disinformation narratives, manipulative messaging, and malign information influence related to corruption and anti-corruption issues in Ukraine’s media and digital information environment.

The lot should help identify how corruption-related topics are framed, distorted, amplified, or instrumentalized in public discourse, including in the context of Ukraine’s development, recovery, reconstruction, reforms, public governance, international assistance, and trust in institutions. The findings should support more effective strategic communications, public awareness efforts, media literacy interventions, and policy responses aimed at strengthening information integrity and public resilience to manipulation.

In addition to analytical work, this lot should include a learning component for media professionals, journalists, fact-checkers, editors, media literacy actors, and relevant CSOs. The learning activities should help participants better identify, verify, contextualize, and responsibly report on corruption-related narratives, while avoiding the unintentional amplification of manipulative content.

Proposed activities under CSO projects may include:

• Monitoring and analysing corruption-related media coverage across selected traditional media, online media, social media platforms, messaging apps, or other relevant information channels; 
• Identifying key disinformation narratives, manipulative frames, recurring claims, emotional triggers, and misleading messages related to corruption, anti-corruption reforms, recovery, reconstruction, public institutions, and international support; 
• Mapping the main channels, actors, amplification patterns, and target audiences involved in spreading or reinforcing corruption-related disinformation narratives; 
• Analysing how legitimate public concerns about corruption may be manipulated, decontextualized, exaggerated, or used to undermine trust in public institutions and recovery processes; 
• Examining gender, regional, social, or community-level dimensions of corruption-related disinformation where relevant;
• Preparing an analytical report with findings, conclusions, and practical recommendations for civil society, public institutions, media, fact-checkers, and international partners; 
• Developing policy briefs, communication guidance, narrative response recommendations, or practical tools for countering manipulation around corruption-related topics; 
• Designing and delivering learning activities, including workshops, webinars, peer-learning sessions, editorial discussions, and practical exercises for journalists, editors, media professionals, fact-checkers, CSOs, and media literacy actors on identifying and responding to corruption-related disinformation; 
• Developing practical learning materials, such as guides, checklists, verification protocols, case studies, training modules, editorial guidance, or toolkits on responsible coverage of corruption-related topics; 
• Supporting media and fact-checking actors in applying research findings to their professional practice, including through mentoring, consultations, or practical newsroom-oriented sessions; 
• Presenting research findings to relevant stakeholders through expert discussions, public events, briefings, webinars, or consultations; 
• Developing accessible public-facing materials based on the research findings, such as infographics, explainers, short summaries, or media literacy content; 
• Ensuring that the analysis and learning activities are evidence-based, methodologically sound, ethically conducted, and sensitive to the risk of unintentionally amplifying harmful narratives. 

The CSO projects under this lot should contribute to a better understanding of how corruption-related disinformation affects public trust, perceptions of recovery and reforms, and Ukraine’s information resilience. The results should be practical and usable for strengthening strategic communications, media literacy, fact-checking, responsible journalism, civic education, and anti-corruption awareness efforts.

3. Participants of the competition

Non-profit organizations, in particular charitable organizations and public associations, including civil society organizations, civic unions, and associations of CSOs/NGOs, that are officially registered in Ukraine and have experience in project implementation in the proposed priority area are eligible to apply.

The competition does not provide grants to profit organizations, political parties, state authorities, local self-government bodies, religious communities, private individuals, or individual entrepreneurs.

3.1. Eligible organizations

The parameters that will determine whether a CSO/NGO is eligible to be considered for funding by UNDP will be based on the Capacity Assessment Checklist for CSO/NGO.

Eligible applicants must:

• have the status of a non-profit organization and be registered in the register of non-profit organizations; 
• be officially registered in Ukraine; 
• demonstrate relevant experience in the thematic area of the selected lot; 
• have sufficient organizational, financial, administrative, and technical capacity to implement the proposed project; 
• agree to undergo UNDP’s partner capacity and financial integrity checks as part of the selection process; 
• ensure compliance with UNDP rules and requirements, including prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.

3.2. Specific requirements per lot

For Lots 1-2, Have the status of a non-governmental public or charitable organization, civic union, or association of CSO/NGOs officially registered in Ukraine for no less than 3 (three years) and/or have a proven record of implementation of similar projects with the support of international donors or technical assistance projects.

For Lots 3-4, have the status of a non-governmental public or charitable organization, civic union, or association of CSO/NGOs officially registered in Ukraine for no less than 5 (five years) and/or have a proven record of implementation of similar projects with the support of international donors or technical assistance projects.

3.3. Geographic location

UNDP will accept applications from all government-controlled territories of Ukraine.

4. Budget and allowed expenses:

Eligible costs must:

• be necessary for carrying out project activities;

• have been incurred by the applicant during the implementation period;

• comply with the principles of sound financial management, in particular value for and cost-

effectiveness;

• be properly recorded, identifiable verifiable, and backed by original supporting documents.

UNDP grant may only be used to cover the following costs:

• staff salaries and expert fees;

• purchase of consultative services provided that are essential for project goals and objectives;

• consumables and supplies, including minor personal protective equipment;

• printing and copying;

• utility services;

• renting, catering and other services envisaged by the project activities;

• travel costs (provided that travel complies with internal UNDP regulations).

The following costs are ineligible:

• costs of project proposal preparation;

• debts reconciliation;

• international travel;

• reimbursement of expenses related to exchange rate fluctuations;

• creation and registration of the organization;

• direct fiscal support to state authorities;

• political activity;

• religious propaganda;

• activities leading to direct or indirect discrimination of any social strata;

• projects aimed at gaining profit from activities;

• construction or repair work;

• purchase of vehicles and / or luxury goods and related services.

5. Financial conditions and terms of implementation:

The contribution from the implementing organization or from other sources will be considered and will be regarded as an advantage for the applicant. This contribution could be made both financially and in non-financial form (for example, remuneration of the personnel of the organization, provision of its office or equipment for project tasks, etc.).

It is envisioned that the budget within the project proposal should not exceed the following amounts:

Lot 1 – Up to USD 40,000 per grant.

UNDP expects to provide up to two grants under this lot.

Not more than 10% of the grant funds may be spent on equipment, provided that the applicant gives a clear justification of its necessity for achieving the project goal.

All grants under Lot 1 are expected to be completed by 20 February 2027.

Lot 2 – Up to USD 50,000 per grant.

UNDP expects to provide one grant under this lot.

Not more than 10% of the grant funds may be spent on equipment, provided that the applicant gives a clear justification of its necessity for achieving the project goal.

All grants under Lot 2 are expected to be completed by 20 February 2027.

Lot 3– Up to USD 80,000 per grant.

UNDP expects to provide one grant under this lot.

Not more than 10% of the grant funds may be spent on equipment, provided that the applicant gives a clear justification of its necessity for achieving the project goal.

All grants under Lot 3 are expected to be completed by 20 February 2027.

Lot 4 – Up to USD 80,000 per grant.

UNDP expects to provide one grant under this lot.

Not more than 10% of the grant funds may be spent on equipment, provided that the applicant gives a clear justification of its necessity for achieving the project goal.

All grants under Lot 4 are expected to be completed by 20 February 2027.

The grant tranches are paid by UNDP in advance, except for the last tranche. The last tranche, with a minimum amount of at least 10% of the total grant budget, should be covered by the CSO’s own funds. After successful review and approval of the final financial and narrative reports, UNDP will compensate eligible expenses incurred under the final tranche.

6. Submission procedure

The CfPs will be advertised through the websites of the following organizations:

• UNDP Ukraine: www.undp.org.ua  and its Facebook page

• as well as other relevant social networks and information portals.

For Lots 1 and 2

Applications (project proposals) must be developed in Ukrainian according to templates that are part of the CfP.

The application package shall consist of:

1. The filled-out Application form (done on a computer as a Microsoft Word file);

2. Copy of the Charter of the applicant organization (PDF);

3. Copy of State registration certificate (PDF);

4. Banking details (PDF);

5. Resumes of proposed specialists for project implementation (Microsoft Word or PDF)

6. A letter of support for the project implementation from the relevant government

institution, appropriate partners organizations or beneficiaries is mandatory;

7. Other relevant supporting documentation, including reference letters, report samples, or

others (Microsoft Word or PDF).

The document package shall be archived as *.zip or *.rar and not password-protected; it shall not be larger than 35 Mb in total. The package shall be sent to the designated e-mail with the letter title containing the name of the competition as stated in the CFP. Applications sent through means other than the one described above will not be considered.

Project proposals are submitted in Ukrainian and sent by e-mail to: grants.ua@undp.org  and

daryna.yakymchuk@undp.org, specifying in the subject line the title of the competition “Strengthening Integrity, Transparency and Information Resilience for Ukraine’s Recovery and Development” and the number of the Lot.

Contact persons: Daryna Yakymchuk, daryna.yakymchuk@undp.org (Lots 1,2).

The deadline for submitting grant proposals under Lots 1, 2 is 10 July, 2026

For Lots 3 and 4

Applications (project proposals) must be developed in Ukrainian according to templates that are part of the CfP.

The application package shall consist of:

1. The filled-out Application form (done on a computer as a Microsoft Word file);

2. Copy of Charter of the applicant organization (PDF);

3. Copy of State registration certificate (PDF);

4. Banking details (PDF);

5. Resumes of proposed specialists for project implementation (Microsoft Word or PDF)

6. A letter of support for the project implementation from the relevant government

institution, appropriate partners organizations or beneficiaries is mandatory;

7. Other relevant supporting documentation, including reference letters, report samples, or

others (Microsoft Word or PDF).

The document package shall be archived as *.zip or *.rar and not password-protected; it shall not be larger than 35 Mb in total. The package shall be sent to the designated e-mail with the letter title containing the name of the competition as stated in the CFP. Applications sent through means other than the one described above will not be considered.

Project proposals are submitted in Ukrainian and sent by e-mail to: grants.ua@undp.org , and

valentyna.aksonova@undp.org  specifying in the subject line the title of the competition “Strengthening Integrity, Transparency and Information Resilience for Ukraine’s Recovery and Development” and the number of the Lot.

Contact person: Valentyna Aksonova, valentyna.aksonova@undp.org (Lots 3,4).

The deadline for submitting grant proposals under Lots 3,4 is 10 July, 2026.

7. Selection process

7.1. Assessment procedures

UNDP specialists will review the project proposals submitted under this Call for Proposals and assess their compliance with the eligibility requirements and technical criteria.

To ensure transparency and fairness in the process, UNDP will establish a Grant Selection Committee that will appraise eligible proposals and recommend proposals for funding. The Grant Selection Committee may request additional information from applicants or seek an independent expert opinion during the selection process.

UNDP reserves the right to negotiate the scope of activities, budget, timeline, outputs, and reporting requirements with selected applicants prior to signing the grant agreement.

7.2. Criteria for the assessment of proposals

The proposals shall be assessed by the Grant Selection Committee in accordance with the following criteria:

8. Reporting, monitoring and evaluation

8.1. Monitoring and evaluation framework

The Grantee is responsible for monitoring project implementation and evaluating its results. UNDP will monitor the project through grantee reports, online consultations, meetings, participation in selected project activities, and review of project outputs.

The Grantee shall ensure that all project activities are documented and that data on outputs, results, participants, outreach, engagement, and feedback are collected in a timely and verifiable manner.

Depending on the selected lot, monitoring indicators may include:

• number of tools, policies, guidelines, recommendations, or methodological materials developed; 
• number of institutions, communities, or stakeholders engaged; 
• number of participants in capacity-development activities, disaggregated by sex, region, and stakeholder group where applicable; 
• number of communication products produced and disseminated; 
• campaign reach, engagement, and audience response indicators; 
• number of media items, platforms, or channels monitored; 
• number of disinformation narratives, manipulative frames, or information risks identified and analysed; 
• number of public events, consultations, expert discussions, or presentations conducted; 
• evidence of improved awareness, capacity, or practical application of knowledge among target groups. 

8.2. Reporting

The Grantee shall submit the following reports according to UNDP format:

• brief updates on demand, when information on project implementation is required between reporting periods; 
• interim narrative and financial reports, if required by the grant agreement; 
• final completion report, including a summary of activities, outputs, results, lessons learned, visibility materials, supporting documentation, and a financial report for the total duration of the agreement. 

All final outputs developed within the project, including analytical reports, toolkits, communication products, training materials, policy briefs, or methodological recommendations, shall be submitted to UNDP in editable format, unless otherwise agreed.

9. Visibility and communication requirements

The Grantee shall ensure appropriate visibility of UNDP and the donor, in line with UNDP visibility requirements and the approved project communication approach.

All public communication materials, publications, event materials, social media products, videos, analytical reports, training materials, and other outputs developed with grant support shall include the relevant UNDP and donor acknowledgement, subject to prior approval by UNDP.

The Grantee shall coordinate public communication activities with UNDP and submit key communication products for review and approval before publication, where required by the grant agreement.

The Grantee shall ensure that all communication activities are conflict-sensitive, inclusive, gender-sensitive, evidence-based, and do not unintentionally amplify harmful narratives, expose individuals to risks, or undermine public trust.

10. Ethical, security, and do-no-harm considerations

Applicants shall ensure that proposed activities follow the principles of do no harm, conflict sensitivity, human rights, gender equality, inclusion, and non-discrimination.

For projects involving research, media monitoring, interviews, public communication, whistleblowing, or work with sensitive corruption-related information, applicants shall describe how they will address ethical, security, privacy, reputational, and data protection risks.

Applicants under Lot 4 shall ensure that disinformation narratives are analysed responsibly and are not unnecessarily amplified through public-facing products.

 11. Annexes