During the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, the European Union (EU) and Ukraine unveiled a €1.5 million Call for Proposals under the flagship initiative, Ukraine2EU – EU Integration Support Programme for Ukraine.

Scheduled for launch on 1 August 2025, the call is designed to empower Ukrainian civil society organisations to contribute directly to Ukraine’s alignment with the EU acquis and its overall EU integration efforts.

CIVIL SOCIETY’S ROLE IN UKRAINE’S EU ACCESSION 

The announcement underscores the shared conviction that sustainable progress towards EU membership requires strong partnerships between state institutions and civil society.

Marta Kos, European Commissioner for Enlargement, emphasised the importance of this engagement: “Ukrainians are making enormous progress in their reforms to join the EU. This is also thanks to a strong civil society, working with the government and sometimes challenging it. The sector is full of people with strong expertise and skills. This initiative will fund civil society proposals to help ensure that EU accession remains a whole-of-society project”.

Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, welcomed the initiative: “We are making Ukraine’s EU accession more open and practical, so that reforms are not only decided by institutions but shaped with the participation of civil society. With this call, we are inviting them to be active contributors to Ukraine’s progress toward EU membership.”

Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Foreign minister of Denmark, emphasized the value of civil society input in Ukraine’s EU accession: “Denmark is pleased to support Ukraine’s EU accession process. We have a very strong tradition of civil society in Denmark, which contributes to decisions that shape the country’s future. We are impressed with the dedication of the Ukrainian civil society in their efforts to inform and influence decision-making, underscoring the strong democratic spirit in Ukraine.”

Katarína Mathernová, EU Ambassador to Ukraine, reflected on civil society’s power to connect reforms with citizens: “Civil society has an essential role in Ukraine’s EU accession journey. This call is a clear signal of Team Europe’s shared commitment to work with civil society so that European accession is understood, supported, and embraced by all Ukrainians.”

SUPPORTING A BROAD RANGE OF INITIATIVES

The Call for Proposals aims to support between 8 and15 projects, each with funding up to €200,000 (with an optimal ceiling €125,000) and a duration of up to 24 months.

The call is open for a broad range of activities including advocacy, public consultation and communication, analysis and drafting of legislation, inputs for negotiation processes and EU accession broadly, and others.

Priority will be given to proposals targeting areas of agriculture, industry, energy, free movement of labour, and environment (addressing Clusters 2-5 of EU integration). Proposals within Cluster 1, fundamentals, and Cluster 6, external relations, are also eligible, if clearly justified.

The call will follow a two-stage selection process. Concept notes should be submitted by 1 September 2025. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit full proposals. The selected projects are expected to start in December 2025 or January 2026.

BACKGROUND

The Ukraine2EU Programme is a flagship initiative of the European Union designed to assist Ukraine in successfully completing its EU accession process and preparing for EU membership. It is implemented by the Lithuanian Central Project Management Agency (CPVA) and co-financed by the European Commission, Denmark, Lithuania, and Sweden.

Detailed information about the Call for Proposals will be published on CPVA website and the Ukraine2EU Programme social media: LinkedIn, Facebook, X on August 1.

For media inquiries:
delegation-ukraine-press@eeas.europa.eu