Call for Proposals: Human Rights x Humanitarian Action

LIBERECO – Partnership for Human Rights invites proposals from Ukrainian grassroots and community-based initiatives.

Libereco is a German-Swiss non-profit organization dedicated to protecting human rights in Belarus and Ukraine. Since 2014, we have worked closely with local partner organizations to deliver humanitarian and psychosocial support in eastern Ukraine. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion, we have significantly expanded our efforts to support civilians affected by the war.

Through this Call for Proposals, we seek projects operating at the intersection of human rights and humanitarian action. 

Download the Call for Proposals, the proposal template and the budget template here.

What Kind of Projects Are We Looking For?

We are looking for initiatives that:

• Support vulnerable communities in exercising their human rights or advocating for the rights of others
• Apply innovative and scalable approaches with potential for continuation or follow-up
• Are rooted in community-based methods and outcome-oriented, delivering measurable results
• Focus on vulnerable groups affected by the war (e.g. displaced persons, minorities, children, elderly, persons with disabilities, etc.)
• Have a maximum project duration of 6 months

Funding criteria include:

• Clear and well-founded needs assessment
• Coherent project logic and alignment with human rights frameworks
• Prior experience in human rights work and/or with vulnerable populations
• Innovative, impactful approaches
• Small-scale organizations (with a budget below EUR 250,000) shall be prioritised

Please note: We cannot support

• Infrastructure or construction projects
• Projects benefiting military institutions or personnel

Timeline

• Deadline for questions regarding application process: 15 December 2025
• Deadline for submission of proposals: 12 January 2026
• Proposal selection by 9 February 2026
• Earliest project start date: 1 March 2026
• Latest project end date: 30 September 2026
• Midterm report due: 30 June 2026
• Final report due: 31 October 2026

Who Can Apply?

Applicants must fulfill all of the following criteria:

• Grassroots or community-based organizations (established connections to community or target group)
• Charitable organizations legally registered and based in Ukraine
• Initiatives with basic organizational capacity to plan, implement, and report on projects (financial reporting template will be provided)

What We Offer

• Up to three one-time grants of up to EUR 10,000 each (maximum one per organization)
• Capacity development opportunities, including: Coaching in project management, monitoring, and reporting, reverse coaching
• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) for your staff and volunteers, including training in trauma-informed humanitarian action

How to Apply

• Any questions regarding the application procedure can be clarified via email (ukraine@libereco.org) until 15 December 2025
• Submit your proposal (in English or Ukrainian) to ukraine@libereco.org by 12 January 2026
• Use the provided proposal template and submit as a Word document
• Use the provided budget Template and submit as an Excel file

Contact

Leonie Ruesch, Programme Manager Ukraine, ukraine@libereco.org
Ira Ganzhorn, Humanitarian Aid Officer, ukraine@libereco.org