Ksenia Chechina's lecture: grant opportunities and investment attraction
On March 13, as part of the project module on grant opportunities, a lecture was given by Ksenia Cechina, Head of Project Development at Eurocities. It was the start of the third block of the module - “Grant Opportunities: Application Practice”. The lecture was organized with the support of Eurocities.
Ksenia Chechina spoke about the main funding instruments available to Ukrainian cities and communities, including the EU's multi-annual financial framework and programs that can become a source of funding for urban recovery and development. She also shared practical tips on how to prepare successful grant applications, including:
- How to identify appropriate funds and funding programs.
- What are the key criteria for receiving a grant.
- What common mistakes applicants make and how to avoid them.
Special attention was paid to practical cases and resources that will help communities find and effectively use grant opportunities.
Key aspects of the discussion:
- Grant programs and their opportunities for Ukrainian communities: Ukraine Facility (EUR 50 billion), Horizon Europe (EUR 95.5 billion), Interreg, Creative Europe, Digital Europe programs are considered.
- Real-life examples of receiving and using grants: examples such as the Ukraine Facility, a mechanism that supports Ukraine's economic recovery and helps the government provide public services; Ukraine Recovery Program III, financing infrastructure projects, including water, energy, and transportation; Horizon Europe, research and innovation projects in the field of climate change and the digital economy, were discussed.
- Strategies and recommendations for successful fundraising: the importance of strategic partnerships, financial planning, and alignment with EU policy priorities.
- Useful tools and platforms for finding funding: useful platforms such as the EU funding and tendering portal, the CORDIS portal for finding partners, and Horizon Europe's national contact points are presented.
Attracting grant funding is not only an opportunity to obtain resources, but also a chance to become part of the European community of cities, share experiences and implement best practices in community development.
The Community Recovery Academy, founded by the Association of Ukrainian Cities and the NGO Mariupol.Reborn, aims to train municipal managers for the recovery period. The project is being implemented with the support of the UK Government under the UK International Development program and the International Republican Institute (IRI Ukraine) in partnership with Metinvest and SCM. The educational partners of the project are Metinvest Polytechnic and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
