SI Ukraine Cooperation Programme

The programme is aimed at actors in Sweden and their partners in Ukraine. Projects that are granted support are expected to contribute to strengthened capacity within organisations, as well as increased competence, including broadened networks and new knowledge for individuals.  

The programme is implemented within the framework of the government’s Strategy for Sweden’s reconstruction and reform cooperation with Ukraine 2023–2027.

Within the call for applications conducted in 2025, three different types of grants are offered: 

Project preparation  

Project preparation involves minor project support aimed at laying the groundwork for cooperation between Sweden and Ukraine. This may involve activities to establish contacts, meetings and workshops to discuss or carry out minor pilot studies.  

Grant amount: min. SEK 100,000, max. SEK 200,000
Project duration: 6 – 12 months 

Cooperation projects  

Cooperation projects is a project support for the implementation of capacity building activities with actors and/or specific target groups in Ukraine.  

Grant amount: min. SEK 500,000, max. SEK 2,000,000
Project duration: 12 – 24 months 

Training programme  

A project grant to conduct a thematic training programme for target groups in Ukraine. The aim is to strengthen the participants’ capacity to advocate for reforms and development that will contribute to Ukraine’s EU integration. 

More information regarding requirements in connection to content/format as well as the target groups can be found in the instruction under the “Prepare your application” section below.  

Grant amount: min. SEK 1,000,000, max. SEK 3,000,000
Project duration: 12-24 months 

Who can apply

The main applicant must be a legal entity based in Sweden. If granted funding from SI the main applicant will become the project owner and thus responsible towards SI for the implementation and reporting of the project.  

The application must be made in partnership between organisations. In addition to the Swedish main applicant, at least one legal entity based in Ukraine must be part of the formal partnership.  

A maximum of 6 cooperation partners (including the Swedish main applicant) can be included in one project.  

Main applicants and cooperation partners may include: 

• Universities and research institutes 
• Non-governmental organisations and foundations, including cultural- and trade associations 
• Municipalities, regions, county administrative boards, government agencies 
• International and intergovernmental organisations (as partners, through offices in Ukraine) 
• Companies (including FOP in Ukraine)

Which countries are included in the programme? 

One or more actors from Sweden and Ukraine should be part of the formal partnership for each application. Additionally, actors (up to 2 per application) from additional programme countries may be included as partners if it clearly contributes to the feasibility of the project and benefit for the target groups in Ukraine. 

Applicant country: Sweden
Priority country: Ukraine
Additional countries (EU countries with transition experience): Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland
Additional countries (EU’s Eastern Partnership countries): Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova 

The purpose of the possibility to include formal cooperation partners from additional countries is primarily to benefit from their experiences regarding reform, transition, and EU integration processes, as well as their geographical location to facilitate the arrangement of activities and operations to support target groups in Ukraine, but in another location. 

In addition to actors included in the formal partnership, external expertise (not representing a partner) from all the programme countries mentioned above (as well as other countries within the EU) can also be included in the implementation, for example, to lead and/or contribute expertise during individual activities in the project. 

Thematic focus 

The call for applications has two overarching orientations related to Ukraine’s reconstruction and reform efforts for EU integration. These are:

1. Inclusive economic development, enterprise, and trade
2. Human rights, democracy, the rule of law, and gender equality

Based on these two orientations, SI has developed a number of underlying, selectable thematic options within which applicants should formulate their project idea.

Applicants can only choose one thematic option as focus for the project, but also have the opportunity to describe synergies with other thematic options.

Thematic options related to (1) Inclusive economic development, enterprise, and trade:

• Employment and job-creation 
• Private sector development 
• Strengthened conditions for trade 
• Transparency and anti-corruption in the private sector 

Thematic options related to (2) Human rights, democracy, the rule of law, and gender equality:

• Civil society development 
• Free and independent media  
• Gender equality 
• Human rights 
• Strengthened cultural institutions and cultural heritage 
• Strengthened democratic institutions and public administration 

Please find more information regarding the eligible thematic options for the application on this link.

Support for Ukraine’s EU Integration

Projects granted under this call for proposals are expected to concretely contribute to Ukraine’s EU accession and the integration process toward future membership in the Union. The projects can support Ukraine’s EU accession in various ways – some by promoting fundamental democratic principles and EU values, others by directly contributing to the ongoing negotiation process for EU membership.To better categorize and understand how proposed projects relate to Ukraine’s EU integration, SI has identified six different areas of support:

• EU Acquis / Chapter Negotiations 
• EU Integration Capacity and Competence Development 
• EU Standardization 
• EU Policy, Reform, and Alignment 
• EU Internationalization and Funding 
• EU Principles and Values 

More information and descriptions of what each area of support may include can be found at the following link: EU integration support areas for SI Ukraine Cooperation Programme 2025 – Svenska institutet