The Polaris Programme has announced the results of its competitive selection of partner hromadas for the “Integrating Veteran Perspectives into the Work of Ukrainian Municipalities” area: seven hromadas have been chosen for cooperation.
A total of 118 hromadas from 20 oblasts of Ukraine submitted applications for partnership through the Programme’s website.
Following the competition, Polaris experts selected the following seven partner hromadas:
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Yampil hromada (Vinnytsia oblast)
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Chervonenke hromada (Zhytomyr oblast)
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Verkhnodniprovsk hromada (Dnipropetrovsk oblast)
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Novoukrainka hromada (Kirovohrad oblast)
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Oleksandriia hromada (Kirovohrad oblast)
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Kalush hromada (Ivano-Frankivsk oblast)
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Doroshevka hromada (Mykolaiv oblast)
The Polaris Programme supports hromadas in implementing effective veteran policy and creating quality services for veterans, women veterans, and their families. From September 2025 to May 2026, these seven hromadas will receive expert guidance and support from the Programme to develop and implement new or improved practices for veteran policy at the local level.
Under the partnership, the selected hromadas will receive expert support in:
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Developing or improving local programmes for veteran policy implementation.
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Launching projects aimed at forming a positive image of veterans and improving communication within hromadas.
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Building or enhancing mechanisms for informing veterans and their families about available services.
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Deepening understanding of the national strategy and strengthening the role of local veteran policy through thematic training and workshops.
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Accessing partial crisis material support for ongoing initiatives or veteran service infrastructure.
Expected outcomes include:
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Increased number of local initiatives and projects aimed at strengthening respect for defenders.
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Improved interaction and communication with veterans, women veterans, and their families.
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Better information systems about available veteran services.
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A stronger understanding of the national strategy and enhanced role of local veteran policy, considering veterans’ perspectives.
Eligibility criteria for applications included hromadas:
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Located in territories controlled by the Government of Ukraine,
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With populations from 5,000 to 100,000 people,
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Having:
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Political will to improve veteran policy,
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A functioning or developing veteran hub,
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An appointed specialist for veteran support,
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Willingness to form a working group involving key stakeholders related to veteran services.
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Priority was given to hromadas with existing initiatives and practices supporting veterans.
The selection process consisted of two stages:
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Evaluation of submitted applications.
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Online interviews with representatives of pre-selected hromadas.
A Memorandum of Cooperation will be signed with the partner hromadas.
