Request for Proposals: Development of Barrier-Free and Inclusive Practices in Business (Ukraine)

The Partnership for a Strong Ukraine, implemented by Chemonics, is inviting applications for grants to strengthen the capacity of private-sector businesses to provide accessible services, adopt inclusive employment practices and make reasonable workplace accommodations. Opportunity at a Glance

- Opportunity: Request for Applications—Advancing Barrier-Free and Inclusive Business Practices

- RFA number: 19-13_Inclusive business practices

- Program: Partnership for a Strong Ukraine

- Implementing organisation: Chemonics

- Grant mechanism: Cost-reimbursement or milestone-based cost-reimbursement

- Expected number of grants: 2–4

- Expected grant amount: UAH 3,000,000–6,000,000 per grant

- Expected duration: 5–6 months

- Eligible regions: Chernihiv, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Odesa

- Deadline for questions: 15 October 2026 at 23:59 Kyiv time

- Application deadline: 19 October 2026 at 23:59 Kyiv time

- Contact: [contact details removed]

About the Opportunity

- The Request for Applications forms part of the Partnership for a Strong Ukraine program and seeks to strengthen the ability of private-sector organisations in targeted regions to provide more inclusive and accessible goods and services. - The program will also help businesses introduce inclusive recruitment and employment practices and provide reasonable workplace accommodations for people with disabilities. - Proposed initiatives should be practical, business-focused and responsive to the needs of companies operating within eligible PFRU communities. Priority Areas - The funding opportunity focuses on three interconnected areas: inclusive and accessible delivery of goods and services, inclusive recruitment and employment practices, and reasonable workplace accommodations for people with disabilities. - Projects should help businesses identify existing barriers, strengthen staff capacity and implement practical organisational changes. - Initiatives should also involve people with disabilities, veterans and representative organisations in designing, testing and evaluating proposed solutions. Funding and Benefits - PFRU expects to award approximately two to four grants. - The anticipated value of each grant is between UAH 3 million and UAH 6 million. However, the final amount will depend on the proposed activities, expected results and final negotiations. - An approved grant may be lower or higher than the indicative funding range. - Projects are expected to operate for approximately five to six months. - Grants will use either a cost-reimbursement mechanism or a milestone-based cost-reimbursement mechanism. Both arrangements require periodic financial reporting. - Specific requirements concerning cost-sharing, eligible expenditure, prohibited costs and budget limits should be confirmed in the complete RFA and its official annexes. Who Can Apply? - Priority will be given to non-governmental organisations with demonstrated expertise in accessibility, inclusive employment, universal design or private-sector capacity development. - Applicants should have established partnerships or documented experience working with private businesses or business associations in the targeted PFRU regions. - Organisations should demonstrate that they understand the practical barriers businesses face when attempting to improve accessibility and inclusive employment. - Applicants should also possess the technical and administrative capacity to manage a large grant, deliver activities within five to six months and comply with periodic financial-reporting requirements. - Other eligibility requirements concerning registration, legal status, minimum organisational experience and restricted applicant types should be verified in the complete RFA. Eligible Geographic Areas Projects must operate in eligible communities located within the following regions: - Chernihiv - Kyiv - Dnipropetrovsk - Kharkiv - Kherson - Mykolaiv - Sumy - Zaporizhzhia - Odesa The complete list of eligible communities is provided in Section 2.5 of the official RFA. Applicants should review this list carefully. Being located within an eligible region may not automatically mean that every community in that region qualifies. Eligible Activities - Funded initiatives should help businesses integrate accessibility, inclusion and universal-design principles into their everyday operations. - Projects may provide practical training for business owners, managers, human-resource professionals and customer-facing employees. - Training may address barrier-free environments, universal design, inclusive customer services and appropriate communication with people with different types of disabilities. - Programs may also strengthen inclusive recruitment by helping employers improve vacancy announcements, candidate searches, application procedures, interviews, employee onboarding and retention. Business Assessments - Applicants may conduct baseline assessments of participating companies’ customer service, recruitment and employment practices. - Assessments should identify physical, informational, communication, digital and organisational barriers. - The findings can then be used to determine training requirements and develop tailored plans for further technical support. - Baseline assessments should be practical and designed to guide measurable changes within participating companies. Accessibility Audits - Projects may include accessibility audits of business premises, digital systems, communication channels and customer services. - Audits should identify barriers and recommend realistic measures for removing or reducing them. - Recommendations may be organised according to urgency, cost, feasibility and expected impact. - Participating businesses should receive clear action plans that they can implement during or after the funded project. Inclusive Human-Resource Policies - Grant activities may help employers review and improve internal human-resource policies and pro