Ukraine Partnership Facility - UPF
Are you an entrepreneur or a representative of a civil society organisation? Do you want to work with a Ukrainian organisation on reconstruction activities in Ukraine and sustainable recovery of the Ukrainian economy? If so, apply for a subsidy from the Ukraine Partnership Facility (UPF).
Budget
For whom?
The UPF subsidy scheme (UPF2) supports Dutch and international companies and civil society organisations that want to work on recovery and sustainable reconstruction activities of the Ukrainian economy and society. These companies and organisations partner with at least one Dutch and one local organisation in Ukraine to establish and implement the project. The main applicant must represent a Dutch company or civil society organisation.
Budget
For this opening round, a total of €32.5 million is available. You can apply for a minimum grant of €500,000 and a maximum of €4 million for your project.
The Ukraine Partnership Facility (UPF 2) reimburses up to 95 per cent of the total eligible costs for each project. You must demonstrate how you provide for the own contribution and deal with unforeseen costs. Projects must not be commercially fundable or for-profit.
Aim
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the need for support has been immense. Financing projects with money from the commercial sector is not possible. Thus, UPF supports concrete projects of the (Dutch) business community that contribute to the reconstruction and sustainable recovery of the Ukrainian economy and society. The subsidy is for the following sectors:
- agriculture
- water
- healthcare
- sustainable energy, and
- circular construction.
The expertise of Dutch companies and organisations is particularly valuable in these areas. For example, expertise in providing access to drinking water, essential healthcare or improving food quality.
UPF does not cover emergency aid.
Where possible, these projects contribute to a better position of vulnerable groups, including women and youth.
Conditions
As an applicant, keep the following in mind:
- A Dutch company or civil society organisation submits the subsidy application on behalf of a partnership.
- The partnership must consist of at least 2 companies or organisations.
- The partnership must have been formed before the applicant applies for a subsidy.
- The applicant (lead partner) sends the partnership agreement and the subsidy application.
All partners in the partnership are private legal entities established before 15 August 2023. They must also have experience and expertise in the project's field. Partners must also be necessary for achieving the project goals. All partners are able - also financially - to make their own contributions and deal with risks.
Projects are concrete and have tangible results. They will lead to broader local economic and social development. Projects should also have a lasting long-term impact on the local community or chain of businesses and civil society organisations. For example, projects that contribute to local employment and labour employability, such as the knowledge, skills, and mental and physical health of Ukrainian citizens. Projects that contribute to reconstructing facilities damaged or destroyed by war are also eligible for a subsidy.
Feasibility studies, pilots and projects based on technologies that are in an experimental phase are not eligible.
Assessment criteria
We will use the general conditions and 3 extra criteria to assess applications:
- alignment with local needs and priorities;
- results and impact;
- action plan and effectiveness.
Specific criteria are more important than others, so each is assigned a 'weighting factor'. Look at all criteria carefully. Project proposals must score sufficiently on all three criteria.
For a list of the criteria and their respective weighting factors, see the publication in the Dutch Government Gazette.
Project duration
Project activities must last at least 6 months and a maximum of 4 years. They must start within 2 months of being awarded the UPF subsidy, but they can also begin before we award the subsidy.
Frequently asked questions
On the Q&A page, you will find the most frequently asked questions and answers. Is your question not there? Then email your question to upf@rvo.nl.
Responsible Business Conduct (RBC)
Dutch companies set an example for others in International Responsible Business Conduct (RBC). If you do business internationally with financial or other support from the government, we expect you to act responsibly.
International RBC risks and due diligence
Using an RBC risk assessment approach, you ensure that projects you undertake or participate in reduce or prevent potential harmful effects on people and the environment. This process is also called due diligence. It examines
- the social and environmental risks of your international activities and supply chain,
- how you prevent or reduce them, and
- how you report on them.
International RBC guidelines and UPF projects
If we approve your project proposal, you must follow these international RBC guidelines:
- The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. These also apply to Dutch SMEs and local businesses that receive support from the Dutch government.
- The IFC Performance Standards.
- Activities on the FMO Exclusion List are not eligible for funding under the UPF subsidy programme.
Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) in your application
Specify your project's international RBC risks for people, the environment and society. Describe what you do to manage these risks. Use the Risk Check for a quick and easy overview of potential risks.
- Establish a joint integrity policy and implementation plan for the project.
- If we approve your subsidy application, our advisor will discuss your specified international RBC risks during the initial meeting.
- We may include specific measures to prevent or reduce identified international RBC risks in confirming the subsidy approval.
- During the project, you report the measures you have taken to prevent, reduce, or end RBC risks. We expect you and your partners to share this information openly and proactively with us.
More information:
Preparing your application
There is no mandatory quick scan for this subsidy round. On the Q&A page, you will find the most frequently asked questions and answers. Is your question not listed? Mail your question to upf@rvo.nl.
Has your partnership been formed, and do you have all the necessary documents? Then, you can apply for funding via the eLoket during the opening on our English apply page. You will also find the forms to send with your application on this page.
You can apply for a subsidy from 30 October 2024, 00:01 CET, until 30 January 2025, 23:59 CET. You will need at least eHerkenning level 2+ for this. If you still need to get eHerkenning, apply for it first. The process may take a few days.
Once we have received your subsidy application, we will send you a written acknowledgement. We only process complete applications in the order of receipt: first-come, first-served. If your application is not complete, we will notify you. You can add documents to complete your application until the closing date.
Is your application complete? You will receive a message about this and the date you will receive the decision (within 13 weeks).
You can add documents to complete your application until the closing date.
Are you experiencing difficulties applying? Send an email with a screenshot of the issue to upf@rvo.nl. We will then try to help you.
After your application
We aim to inform you whether we have approved your application within 13 weeks of receiving your complete application. We will also send you our assessment of your application.
Do you have questions about your approved project? Send an email to upf@rvo.nl.
Approved projects UPF1
The first application round for UPF closed on 31 December 2023. We received more than 60 project proposals varying in size and complexity, requesting a total of €200 million. The total subsidy amount of €25 million has now been allocated. Our advisors, the Netherlands embassy in Kyiv, specialists and an advisory committee assessed complete project proposals on a first-come, first-served basis. 7 projects from companies and NGOs were approved:
Agriculture
- Resilient energy-efficient agriculture and food supply for Ukraine;
- Rebuilding potato Ukraine;
- Building of a multifunctional transhipment terminal for agricultural products.
Water
- Water-immediate damage reconstruction and sustainable solutions.
Healthcare
- Expanding access to diagnostics for improved treatment and rehabilitation;
- Trauma: Scaling up community mental health care for children and youth at risk in Ukraine's conflict-affected communities and beyond;
- Building a prosthetics and rehabilitation centre and setting up a Netherlands-Ukrainian educational programme for medical specialists.
Publications
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
