Grassroot Led Cash and Winterisation Programme in Ukraine 2026

Partners: Irish Government's International Development Programme, Trócaire.

Project Duration: 1.12.2025 – 30.11.2026

Project geography: Kharkiv-Zaporizhzhya(Kharkiv, Konotop, Sumy, Sloviansk, Kamianske, Pavlohrad, Nikopol, Zaporizhzhia) and Odesa-Simferopol(Bilozerka, Kherson) dioceses.

The project aims to provide essential humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable households affected by the war in Ukraine, in particular internally displaced persons, people living near the front line, and families affected by shelling.

The main areas of support are multi-purpose cash assistance to cover basic needs and winter support to ensure heating and adequate living conditions during the winter months.The project covers communities in frontline regions and helps to preserve the dignity, safety and resilience of the affected population.

At the same time, it aims to strengthen the capacity of Caritas Spes Ukraine and its local branches through training, mentoring and the implementation of safe and inclusive programming principles. By combining humanitarian aid with organisational development, the project will contribute to a more effective, coordinated and sustainable response to the needs of affected communities.

Target Group

This project will target displaced, returnee and non-displaced households adjacent to the frontline prioritising rural areas.

Assistance is focus first on settlements within 20km of the frontline, who are not typically supported by existing programming, followed by those 0-50 km away, ensuring a balanced and inclusive response.

To identify target settlements using socio economic eligibility criteria, geographic prioritisation due to CWG. Using the learning on inclusion, the participant targeting and selection will focus on ensuring that the project reaches all members of the community, particularly members that face extra barriers to receiving assistance, such as older people and people without an existing network of community support.

Newly displaced households (within last 30 days) from active conflict zones will also be supported with MPCA. All targeting is in line with the Ukraine CWG’s Rapid MPCA.

Project areas of activity

Outcome 1: Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance for Essential Need

Output 1.1: Vulnerable war-affected households receive multi-purpose cash assistance.

CSU will provide multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA) to 1,500 vulnerable individuals, including Rapid MPCA for newly affected households and standard MPCA for highly vulnerable households, in line with Ukraine CWG guidance.

Outcome 2: Winterisation support through cash for utilities and solid fuels

Output 2.1: Vulnerable war-affected households receive cash to pay for utilities or purchase fuels.

CSU will provide winter heating support to 600 vulnerable households (1,020 individuals) through cash grants for solid fuels or utility payments, with a one-time transfer of approximately 25,000 UAH (€520) per household.

Outcome 3: Strengthened CSU capacity on protection and SIP principles in emergency response

Output 3.1: Training of Trainers (ToT).

Trócaire will equip the experienced CSU staff, previously supported in the Irish Aid Capacity Building project, with the knowledge, skills and methodologies needed to affectively train and mentor staff in the targeted dioceses and centres in SIP principles.

Output 3.2 CSU staff cascade training and integrate SIP principles into field operations.

ToT will cascade the SIP training and additional skills in psychosocial first aid, safe referrals and survivor centred approaches, to diocesan teams and volunteers in targeted diocese and centres to ensure a protection-sensitive, inclusive and locally led response.

Output 3.3 Ongoing Mentorship and Support.

Trócaire will provide ongoing support, mentoring and follow up to CSU staff & volunteers throughout the project cycle to capture challenges, lessons learned and achievements, while ensuring sustainability and effective application of protection and SIP practices across CSU’s response.