The Swedish–Ukrainian Polaris Programme: Supporting Multilevel Governance in Ukraine announces a call to support hromadas in improving the quality of public service delivery. The call is launched within the Programme’s crisis support framework and aims to preserve or enhance access to public services in hromadas.

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The primary objective is to strengthen existing public service delivery initiatives that require further development and/or scaling up. Each hromada may submit one application under the following thematic areas:

1. crisis response to preserve or restore access to services;
2. support for projects focused on the value of education;
3. development of administrative service delivery (support to the development of CNAPs);
4. ensuring access to services for residents of remote settlements within hromadas (including starosta districts);
5. implementation of veteran policy in relation to service provision and support for veterans and their family members;
6. other public services and related initiatives (for example, strengthening residents’ digital skills, establishing community-building centres, etc.).

Small hromadas (approximately up to 10,000 residents) may submit one application covering several thematic areas, with one priority area specified.

Hromadas supported under the call will be able to receive computer equipment as well as expert and mentoring support related to the type of service/initiative specified in the application. It is planned to select approximately 25–30 hromadas for partnership.

Context and Rationale
Material crisis support for each selected hromada предусматриє the provision of approximately 10–15 units of computer equipment to equip service providers’ workplaces or public spaces for the implementation of the initiatives proposed by hromadas. The equipment may include office hardware such as desktop computers, laptops, printers, scanners and multifunctional devices. Where possible, proposed solutions should ensure more even access to essential services for all residents of the hromada, including those living in remote settlements.

Hromadas may propose and must confirm readiness to implement initiatives using computer equipment in the following areas (one area or in combination with one or more others, with a priority indicated):

1. crisis response to support or restore access to services in hromadas;
2. support for projects (initiatives) focused on the value of education;
3. development of administrative service delivery (support to the development of CNAPs);
4. ensuring access to services for residents of remote settlements (starosta districts);
5. implementation of veteran policy regarding service provision and support for veterans and their family members;
6. other public services and related initiatives (for example, strengthening residents’ digital skills, establishing community-building centres, etc.).

When submitting an application, a hromada may indicate the number of each type of computer equipment (desktop computers, laptops, printers, scanners and multifunctional devices) and the purpose of its use within the proposed initiative.

Target Audience and Geography
Applications may be submitted by hromadas from the following oblasts: Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Cherkasy and Chernihiv.

Applications may be submitted by senior officials of local self-government bodies or military administrations, heads of executive bodies of local self-government responsible for organising public service delivery, and directors of educational institutions from the above-mentioned oblasts of Ukraine, except for hromadas that are temporarily occupied or where active hostilities are ongoing.

Application Submission and Selection Procedure
To participate in the call, applicants must: 1) select a thematic area (one or several, with a priority indicated); 2) submit a description of the initiative, including motivation and sustainability, and describe the expected results from the use of the requested equipment; 3) indicate the approximate amount of office equipment (desktop computers, laptops, printers, scanners, multifunctional devices) required to implement the initiative – up to 15 workplaces; and 4) attach a motivation letter signed by the head of the territorial hromada or the relevant deputy.

Small hromadas (approximately up to 10,000 residents) may indicate several thematic areas in one application, with one priority area specified (optimally no more than three).

Application assessment will take place in three stages:

1. assessment of the hromada’s readiness to develop and/or maintain the quality and accessibility of services in the selected thematic area;
2. assessment of the relevance and feasibility of the proposed initiative, taking into account the alignment of the requested support with the project objectives;
3. assessment of balanced representation of hromadas by geography and thematic areas.

The criteria are aimed at assessing the potential effect of supporting the initiative. In particular, the following will be evaluated:

• sustainability of the initiative;
• availability of already launched activities for their implementation;
• potential effect and impact;
• the level of development of the hromada in the selected thematic area(s).

Population size and the area of the hromada may also be taken into account during selection.

The application deadline is 16 January 2026 via the link.

An online information session for hromadas is scheduled for 12 January 2026 at 14:00. Registration for participation in the information session is available via the link.

Preliminary results will be announced by 28 February 2026. Delivery of the equipment is expected approximately by the end of April 2026.