Open Call for StartUp4Family Incubation Program (Ukraine)

Deadline: 31-Aug-2026

The StartUp4Family Incubation Program supports teams, NGOs, and social enterprises developing innovative products and services for internally displaced families with children (IDP families) in Kyiv and Kyiv region. The programme provides practical training, mentorship, business-model development, solution testing, and the possibility of financial support for selected projects at the final Demo Day. What Is the StartUp4Family Incubation Program? The StartUp4Family Incubation Program was created to help address the social and economic challenges faced by internally displaced families with children in Kyiv and Kyiv region. The programme was developed following findings from the June 2026 Think Tank “IDP Families in Kyiv Region: Mapping Challenges and Gaps in Social Services,” which identified unmet needs and gaps in services available to displaced families. The initiative is implemented by the Ukrainian Child Well-being Fund, with expert support from SILab Ukraine, in partnership with Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe and funded by the German Federal Foreign Office. What Does the Programme Support? StartUp4Family is designed for teams that are creating or developing socially significant products, services, or initiatives for internally displaced families with children. Applicants do not necessarily need to have a fully operational organisation or mature product. The programme is intended to help promising solutions move from an idea or early concept toward practical implementation. Priority Areas The programme particularly encourages solutions addressing the following areas: Support and Care for IDP Families Projects can develop services that respond to the everyday needs of internally displaced parents and children. Inclusive, Rehabilitation and Psychosocial Services Solutions may focus on inclusion, rehabilitation, psychosocial wellbeing, and access to appropriate support services. Adolescent and Youth Development Projects can create opportunities for adolescents and young people to develop skills, participate in community life, and pursue personal or professional goals. Integration Into Local Communities Initiatives can help IDP families build stronger connections with host communities and participate more actively in community life. Economic Recovery for Women IDPs Projects supporting women internally displaced persons with children through employment, entrepreneurship, professional development, or other forms of economic self-realization are encouraged. Other Urgent Needs Teams addressing other significant and urgent challenges affecting internally displaced families with children in Kyiv and Kyiv region may also apply. Who Can Participate?

The programme is open to:

Initiative teams. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Social enterprises. Teams developing socially oriented products or services. Applicants can participate regardless of whether their solution is still an idea or has already reached an early implementation stage. Who Can Receive Financial Support? There is an important distinction between participating in the incubation programme and being eligible for financial support. Teams with different legal structures can participate in the training and incubation activities. However, financial support is available only to teams registered as public or charitable organisations. Other legal forms may participate in the programme but will not be eligible to receive the grant funding offered at the final stage. What Support Do Participants Receive? Selected participants receive a combination of training, mentoring, practical development, and networking support. This combination is intended to help participants move from identifying a social problem to developing and testing a viable solution. How Does the Incubation Process Work?

Step 1: Develop Your Solution

Applicants should identify a specific challenge affecting internally displaced families with children and explain how their proposed product, service, or initiative could address it.

Step 2: Participate in Training

Selected teams take part in practical sessions covering the skills needed to develop and strengthen their solutions.

Step 3: Receive Individual Mentorship

Participants receive individual guidance to refine their idea, understand their target beneficiaries, and improve their organisational or business model.

Step 4: Test the Solution

Teams work on testing their assumptions and validating whether their proposed solution responds effectively to the identified need.

Step 5: Develop the Business or Operating Model

Participants receive support to develop a sustainable model for delivering their product or service.

Step 6: Prepare the Final Pitch

Teams prepare presentations explaining their solution, target beneficiaries, expected impact, implementation approach, and development needs.

Step 7: Present at Demo Day

The programme concludes with a Demo Day, where participating teams present their projects. The strongest projects may be selected for financial support to launch, test, or further develop their solutions. Why This Programme Matters Internally displaced families with children may face multiple challenges after displacement, including difficulties accessing social services, psychosocial support, employment opportunities, education, rehabilitation, and community networks. StartUp4Family addresses these challenges by supporting organisations and teams that are developing practical, community-focused solutions. A strong StartUp4Family proposal should demonstrate a clear connection between the proposed solution and the needs of internally displaced families with children.

Applicants should clearly explain:

What problem they are addressing. Who experiences the problem. Why the problem is urgent. How their solution works. What makes the solution useful or innovative. How the solution will be tested. How beneficiaries will participate. What results are expected. How the solution could be sustained or expande