Consortium of Six Independent Foundations Led by the Open Society Foundation to Distribute 12 Million EUROS to Support Refugees from Ukraine
On March 3, 2023, a consortium of six foundations, led by the Open Society Foundation Bratislava, announced a call for applications to participate in a national project titled Assistance to Persons from Ukraine in Their Entry and Integration into the Territory of the Slovak Republic – NGOs. A package of EUR 12 million has been allocated for non-governmental non-profit organizations (NGOs) that have provided and/or continue to provide assistance to people fleeing the impacts of the Russian aggression in Ukraine since February 2022.
The consortium includes the Ekopolis Foundation, the Pontis Foundation, SOCIA – Foundation for Social Change, the Center for Philanthropy Foundation, and the Foundation for Children of Slovakia.
Immediately after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, NGOs were engaged in the distribution of essential material and food aid and provided initial psychological and social support to more than 1.2 million Ukrainians fleeing the horrors of war across the Ukrainian-Slovak border. Over 17,000 volunteers participated in supporting refugees in 2022. The volume of humanitarian aid exceeded 11,000 tons, and nearly EUR 17 million was raised in public collections for aid to Ukraine.
The work of NGOs did not end at the borders. NGOs also extended a helping hand to people arriving from war-torn areas in their integration process into Slovak society. They organized informational and educational events and provided guidance in areas related to employment, education, healthcare, housing, and social security. They also organized various educational, cultural, and sports activities.
Although NGOs played a crucial role in managing the crisis at the borders, there has been no established mechanism to finance their activities until now. NGOs, as well as local governments, have largely funded their activities from their own resources or through contributions from international development organizations (UNHCR, UNICEF, etc.).
Thanks to this new call, NGOs can now apply for financial support to fund their staff and coordinate the efforts of over 17,000 volunteers. Importantly, NGOs can also request reimbursement for expenses retroactively from February 24, 2022.
The national project Assistance to Persons from Ukraine in Their Entry and Integration into the Territory of the Slovak Republic – NGOs represents a joint response from the state and the non-profit sector to the crisis situation. It results from collaboration between public authorities, particularly the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Family, the Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for the Development of Civil Society, the Ministry of the Interior, and actors from the non-governmental sector.
“The added value of this project is the minimization of bureaucracy, as all actions for applicants are managed through a user-friendly online system, apart from signing the contract. For NGOs and church-affiliated organizations, this project is a unique opportunity not only to obtain financial resources for their past work with refugees from Ukraine but also to expand and enhance the quality of integration activities in the future. I urge all NGOs that have provided or are currently providing assistance to refugees from Ukraine since the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, to join the project,” said Fedor Blaščák, director of the Open Society Foundation.
Details on the conditions for participation in the call, as well as the full text of the call, are published on the project website: https://eucare.osf.sk and on the ESF website www.esf.gov.sk.
A mirror national project titled Assistance to Persons from Ukraine in Their Entry and Integration into the Territory of the Slovak Republic – Local Governments, aimed at providing financial contributions to municipalities, is being implemented by the Implementation Agency of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Family.
Media Contacts:
Fedor Blaščák, Director of the Open Society Foundation Bratislava,
fedor.blascak@osf.sk, 0905 137257
Barbora Peregrim, EU-CARE Project Manager, barbora.peregrim@osf.sk, 0915 336528
This project is funded by the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund under the Human Resources Operational Program.