Ukraine - Integration of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

Background
The Department of State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) aims to support a program to integrate Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Ukraine. Russia’s unprovoked aggression since 2014 has forced millions of people in Ukraine to leave their homes and find shelter in other parts of the country, becoming IDPs. The number of IDPs rose exponentially after Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. As of May 2023, more than 5 million people are considered IDPs in Ukraine, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

CSO’s programming support to IDPs since 2020 has focused on local conflict resolution between IDPs and their host communities, integrating the perspectives of IDPs into local government planning, and developing the advocacy and leadership skills of IDPs, particularly youth and women. The goal of this program is to support IDPs while guiding capable and responsive support structures in Ukraine that can increase IDP resilience and support Ukraine’s national recovery.

This program will support IDPs with integrating into their host communities through building government capacity, increasing engagement and conflict resolution skills between IDPs and their hosts, and training media to decrease bias. Furthermore, the program will support emerging leaders among both IDPs and their host communities and align with Ukraine’s national recovery efforts.

Grant Details
The program will be implemented over a 12-month period.

Initial Phase: Applicants must provide a plan for how they will conduct an initial analysis to guide new interventions under this program to support IDPs based on evidence appropriate to the post February 2022 context. Activities during the Initial Phase could include an inclusive baseline assessment for monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL), roundtables and/or focus groups with IDPs, host community members, government, and civil society on current and expected needs for IDPs, and a mapping exercise of relevant government, non-government, and international stakeholders.

Objective 1: Engage planning processes so that Government of Ukraine - at all levels – provides resources to integrate IDPs with their host communities and to prevent exploitation, including human trafficking. Activities under Objective 1 could include conducting workshops that connect IDPs to integration and counter-exploitation resources, facilitating capacity building for Ukraine’s policymakers at local and national levels, convening groups that incorporate government, non-government, IDP and host community members for developing and monitoring local integration plans, supporting initiatives that build the capacity of the Government of Ukraine – at all levels – to support target groups facing intersectional challenges on the bases of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability.

Objective 2: Support IDPs and host communities achieve and sustain integration by incorporating input from both groups and prioritizing conflict resolution goals. Activities under Objective 2 could include workshops that develop conflict resolution skills among IDPs and host communities at the local level, providing mental health/psychosocial support for IDPs and host community members, training of trainers and leadership development programs for those experienced in conflict resolution since Russia’s invasion in 2014.

Eligibility Requirements
U.S.-based non-profit/non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or education institutions having a 501(c) (3) status with the IRS; commercial entities; for profit organizations; overseas non-governmental organizations; Foreign Public Entities; Public International Organizations (PIOs). One application per organization is allowed. All application submissions must be made electronically via www.grants.gov or SAMS Domestic.

Period of Performance
The period of performance is 12 months with an anticipated start date of September 2023.

Grant Value
$3,950,617 total value

Place of Performance
The program must be implemented in Ukraine specifically government-held areas.