Support for the Return and Rehabilitation of Forcibly Transferred Ukrainian Children

The U.S. Department of State, through its Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR/ACE), has announced a cooperative agreement opportunity aimed at supporting the Government of Ukraine and local partners in the return and rehabilitation of Ukrainian children and youth who have been forcibly transferred to the Russian Federation or Russian-occupied territories. With a maximum funding allocation of $25 million, this initiative, officially titled "Support for the Return and Rehabilitation of Forcibly Transferred Ukrainian Children," seeks to address one of the critical humanitarian consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Since 2022, thousands of Ukrainian children and youth, including those in institutional care and family settings, have been forcibly relocated or detained across occupied territories and Russia. The Ukrainian government and civil society organizations, while engaged in various efforts to identify and return these individuals, often lack the comprehensive infrastructure, digital systems, and integrated services needed to effectively manage and sustain these processes. This grant aims to fill these critical gaps by supporting coordinated, evidence-based responses. The cooperative agreement includes two primary components: First, $15 million is allocated to identifying, tracking, and returning abducted children and youth. This includes supporting the Ukrainian government's digital infrastructure, enhancing data collection and management using open-source intelligence (OSINT), integrating existing databases, and securing digital systems to ensure legal admissibility of the evidence collected. The second component dedicates $10 million to supporting medical, psychological, educational, and family reintegration services for returned individuals, with an emphasis on long-term trauma-informed care and access to educational and employment pathways, particularly for young adults aged 18–23. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based and international not-for-profit and for-profit organizations, public and private educational institutions, and international entities. There is no matching or cost-sharing requirement. All applicants must have a valid Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and an active registration in SAM.gov. A single applicant may submit one proposal as a prime, and consortium applications are encouraged where relevant. Subawards may be included, provided the applicant has demonstrated experience managing them. Applications must be submitted by April 29, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time, with an anticipated project start date in June 2026. The period of performance ranges from 20 to 30 months. Required documents include SF-424 forms, a project narrative of up to 15 pages, a detailed budget narrative, CVs of key personnel, and letters of support from partner organizations. Submissions may be made through Grants.gov or the MyGrants portal. Proposals will be evaluated on several criteria including the quality and feasibility of the project idea, organizational capacity, monitoring and evaluation plans, and budget realism. Notification of successful applications is expected by June 1, 2026. The award will be administered by a Grants Officer, and all expenses must be incurred only after the official start date indicated in the award document. Post-award, recipients will submit quarterly programmatic and financial reports and comply with all relevant federal regulations, including those relating to anti-trafficking, anti-discrimination, and drone usage restrictions.

Highlight M&E strength; provide realistic budgeting and implementation timeline; show experience with subawards and similar programs.