The Polaris Programme "Supporting Multilevel Governance in Ukraine" announces an open call "Grant Support for Swedish–Ukrainian Partnerships" for hromadas that have established or are planning to establish cooperation with Swedish municipalities. The competition is carried out by the Cities4Cities initiative which is implementing the "International Municipal Cooperation" sphere of the Polaris Programme.
The grant support targets hromadas in Ukraine that already have or are planning to establish partnerships with Swedish municipalities to support such partnerships by providing material and technical assistance for joint initiatives within specific focus areas.
The maximum grant amount per application is EUR 10,000. Ten to fifteen municipal pairs are expected to be selected.
The deadline for applying is September 7, 2025.
An information session on the application process and other related questions will be held on June 24, 2025, at 11:00 Kyiv time (10:00 Swedish time). Registration is available via the following link.
Who can apply
Ukrainian hromadas that cooperate with Swedish municipalities are invited to participate. The cooperation must be confirmed by at least one of the following criteria:
The application must be submitted by the Ukrainian hromada and developed in partnership with the Swedish municipality. Both parties agree on the specific resources needed and how they will contribute to the development of joint activities. This should be a joint initiative where Swedish partners can complement material support with expertise, training, or exchanges.
The competition covers the following thematic areas:
Competition Stages
Application submission – by September 7, 2025.
Hromadas, together with their Swedish partners, fill out the application form in English via the link, which includes:
Evaluation of applications based on the following criteria:
*Priority will be given to hromadas that have been more affected by Russian aggression.
Announcement of winners – on October 1, 2025.
Support
A Memorandum of Cooperation will be signed with the Ukrainian communities selected through the competitive process. The partner hromada commits to submitting an interim report (approximately 3–4 months after receiving the resources/equipment) and a final report on the implementation of the application (approximately in May 2026). These reports will detail the use of the provided equipment and its impact on the development of the hromada’s capacity, international cooperation, and the quality of partnership with the Swedish municipality.
Comprehensive support for partner hromadas will last 6–12 months.
*The Polaris Programme reserves the right to adjust the list of resources if procurement of certain items proves impossible within the grant implementation period. Any changes will be made in a way that preserves the overall logic, objectives, and expected outcomes of the planned activities.
Contacts
If you have any questions about the competition, please contact the Cities4Cities initiative at: contact@cities4cities.eu with the email subject "Grant Support for Swedish–Ukrainian Partnerships."
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