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Small Projects on the Polish-Ukrainian border – a new initiative supporting local communities launches

Small Projects on the Polish-Ukrainian border – a new initiative supporting local communities launches

04.06.2025

Building good neighbourly relations, improving the quality of life for residents and fostering cooperation between institutions are the main goals of the new project “Cooperation beyond borders – Small Projects Fund on the Polish-Ukrainian border.” The Fund will be available to local governments, residents, as well as institutions and non-governmental organisations from the Podkarpackie, Lubelskie, Mazowieckie and Podlaskie regions in Poland and six oblasts in Ukraine. Support will cover projects implemented in the areas of culture, education, health, and security. Both residents and institutions will benefit from the outcomes of this initiative.

On 3rd June 2025 Deputy Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, Konrad Wojnarowski, and the President of the Board of the Association of the Carpathian Euroregion Poland, Dawid Lasek, signed the grant contract for the project “Cooperation beyond borders – Small Projects Fund on the Polish-Ukrainian border”. The initiative will receive over 5 MEUR from the EU’s Programme Interreg NEXT Poland – Ukraine 2021-2027.

The event was also attended by Piotr Pilch, Deputy Marshal of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; Bartłomiej Balcerzyk, Deputy Director of the European Commission Representation in Poland; and Oleh Kuts, Consul General of Ukraine in Lublin.

Deputy Minister Konrad Wojnarowski emphasised that this is the first Small Projects Fund on the Polish-Ukrainian border.

The Interreg NEXT Poland – Ukraine 2021-2027 Programme is the largest of the cross-border cooperation programmes in which Poland participates. This applies both to the area covered and the budget. For over 20 years, it has primarily funded large, much-needed investments on the border in health, transport and border security. The Small Projects Fund is designed to meet the needs of building trust and relationships between people and institutions on the Polish-Ukrainian border. We are pioneers of this type of cooperation formula on the EU’s external borders. I am convinced that in the next edition of the programmes, others will follow our example.

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said the Deputy Minister Konrad Wojnarowski

The Consul General of Ukraine in Lublin, Oleh Kuts, spoke about how cooperation guarantees progress both in relations and in the pursuit of joint development.

The signing of the contract for the Small Projects Fund is a signal we send to the world about the importance of cooperation, which is a guarantee of progress.

Small Projects Fund – rules of operation

The operator of the Small Projects Fund is the Association of the Carpathian Euroregion Poland. The initiative will cover the entire Polish-Ukrainian border area. The Fund aims to strengthen the potential of local communities and develop cross-border partnerships. Funding will be available for small projects that bring tangible benefits to residents and institutions on both sides of the border. Local government units and non-governmental organisations with legal personality are eligible to apply for funding.

EU funds are not only for large infrastructure projects, such as motorways or gas pipelines. They are also available to local communities to support their everyday needs.

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said Bartłomiej Balcerzyk, Deputy Head of the European Commission Representation in Warsaw

A call for proposals for funding small projects will begin in July.

Detailed information about the call for proposals will be published on the websites of the Association of the Carpathian Euroregion Poland and the Programme Interreg NEXT Poland – Ukraine website.