Innovating for Impact: 42 Projects Launched to Address the Societal Consequences of Russia’s War of Aggression on Ukraine
UA projects enter implementation phase
By the middle of May 2025, 42 Grant Agreements have been signed with project coordinators from 24 EU Member States under the ‘Innovative Approaches to Mitigate the Societal Consequences of Russia’s War of Aggression against Ukraine within EU Countries’ call. With a total allocated budget of over €20 million and involving more than 200 project partners, the call seeks to address the societal and public service challenges arising in the EU as a result of Russia’s war on Ukraine and transform the refugee situation into an opportunity for positive change.
The primary objective of the call is to support the transfer and scaling up of promising innovative approaches that complement institutional measures and foster positive change in the field of social inclusion. By promoting transnational cooperation and encouraging interdisciplinary and intersectional partnerships, the call aims to stimulate the development of innovative solutions in key areas such as employment, skills development, housing, inclusive social services, and support mechanisms, while enhancing the active engagement of local communities.
Collaborative networks across EU Member States
The selected projects bring together partners from 24 EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. The transnational consortia comprise a diverse range of actors, including non-governmental and public organisations, private enterprises, national, regional, and local authorities, as well as research and educational institutions. These partnerships lay the foundation for effective transnational cooperation, enabling mutual learning, knowledge exchange, and capacity building. Moreover, they facilitate broader testing of innovative solutions in various contexts, support scalability and sustainability, and strengthen the capacity of local integration teams.
Comprehensive approaches to refugee inclusion and support
The thematic scope of the projects covers a wide range of areas, including upskilling and reskilling programmes, enhancement of mental and physical health, strengthening of entrepreneurial skills, local contextual knowledge and language learning, as well as the development of innovative strategies for housing and labour market inclusion. While some projects focus specifically on the well-being of Ukrainian refugee women, displaced Ukrainian youth, or caregivers of persons with disabilities, the proposed solutions collectively aim to foster broader refugee inclusion and improve the efficiency of public services. These initiatives are grounded in citizen-centred approaches, actively involving volunteers and local communities to promote solidarity and build strong, inclusive societies.
Several projects build on the success of previous initiatives. For instance, the Supporting Women and Youth in Emergency with Environment of Trust in Europe project (Italy) replicates the SWEET intervention, which has previously been tested, to promote social inclusion and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of public services. Similarly, the Supporting Displaced Youth of Ukraine in Making Informed Decisions project (Belgium) focuses on the integration and protection of displaced Ukrainian youth by leveraging the existing mobile application Miniila. Other projects, such as Community Connect (Ireland), draw on established networks of host communities and Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection to develop scalable, technology-driven models for refugee integration. These models will be assessed using clearly defined integration and human rights indicators.
By transforming bold ideas into concrete actions, the UA projects are setting a course towards greater inclusion, dignity, and collective resilience. They not only offer crucial support to those fleeing adversity, but also empower and reinforce the communities that welcome them.