The Ukrainian Social Venture Fund (USVF)was established to invest in and support social enterprises whose business models are based on achieving social, environmental and economic change. War in Ukraine augmented some of those challenges to unprecedented scale (i.e. access to healthcare, to medical supplies), and created absolutely new ones, like broken supply chains, access to raw materials, access to safe spaces, massive production of survival-kits and equipment for internally displaced people.
USVF launches its first Social Enterprises for Emergency Call for Proposals, that is offered especially to social enterprises operating during the war time. USVF will offer smart grants to social enterprises that need to transition their production to serve the needs of the civilians or others affected by the war. Smart grants can also support social enterprises that struggle to continue their operations, as they are addressing acute needs of the different vulnerable groups, or other social or environmental problems. Social Investment in the form of smart grants will try to help those social enterprises to survive the difficult time of war, to build their resilience, enable them to wait-out and be ready for re-construction when the time comes.
The Social Enterprises for Emergency Call will offer smart grants in the amount ranging from 100 000 UAH to 300 000 UAH per one social enterprise.
Grants will be aimed at:
production / provision of existing goods / services (support of production costs and operating activities);
launch of new goods or services that meet the needs of the war time and addressing the needs of civilians affected (purchase of equipment, consumables, operating activities);
provision of goods and services for vulnerable groups, enabling them to survive the war time and to continue their activities (care-takers, transportation services, access to medical supplies, etc. )
Criteria for selection of projects:
Completed Application form, which must be submitted in the period from 24 till 3 of April 2022;
Existence of legal registration in the form of public or charity organization with a sign of non-profit or private entrepreneur;
Existence of previous experience of business activity at least one year;
Successful completion of an incubation or acceleration program for social entrepreneurs or another entrepreneurship training program;
Formalized (prescribed) social mission (goal);
Well planned activities reflecting the demanding circumstances, and addressing adequately the described problem.
Expenses that cannot be covered by the competition:
- when purchasing goods and services, VAT, like all other indirect taxes, cannot be reimbursed at the expense of grant funds, only at the expense of the grantee organization;
- preparation of the application for participation in competition;
- payment of debts;
- buying real estate;
- purchase of personal items.
Important:
- Payment of taxes in connection with the receipt of funding under the competition, in accordance with Ukrainian law, is the responsibility of grant recipients;
- Grants to political parties and individuals are not provided under this competition;
- Contestants will be notified in writing of the results of their application;
- The decision of the tender commission on the results of the tender is not subject to revision;
- Submitted materials are not returned or reviewed.
Apply: https://cutt.ly/LSJLsrA
The support will be provided under the project "Collaborate for Impact", conducted in partnership with EVPA with the support of DG NEAR EU Programme. The project aims to support and develop social entrepreneurship ecosystems in the Eastern Partnership countries. The main partner of the project in Ukraine is SILab Ukraine and its Ukrainian Social Venture Fund.