A. Program Background

The Ukraine Rapid Response Fund (URRF) is a five-year program funded by the United States Department of State (DOS) and implemented by IREX. The overall goal of URRF is to address immediate needs and enhance the resilience of Ukraine’s government, civil society, and civilian population amidst Russia’s invasion in support of Ukraine’s national system of resilience.

B. Program Objectives:

• Rapid and flexible response: Provide rapid, flexible means to help civilians and key civil society groups avoid the worst impacts of combat operations.
• Strengthened coordination: Strengthen planning and coordination across government, between government and civil society, and between government, civil society, and external supporters to enable a more effective response.

C. Activity Focus of This RFA

Through this competition, IREX intends to support up to two projects that enhance quality of pre- and post-prosthetics and rehabilitation services in Ukraine provided to veterans and civilians injured because of the war, as well as develop and strengthen the regulatory framework governing prosthetics and rehabilitation services.

Projects may include efforts to strengthen the capacity of the following entities to deliver quality rehabilitation services at scale and over the long-term:

• Regional, local or national government.
• State and local medical institutions.
• Prosthetics enterprises.
• Medical education institutions.

To strengthen medical services provided to Ukrainians injured by the war, stakeholders should adhere to established medical protocols, coordinate resources, and improve specialized skills and competencies necessary to deliver comprehensive pre- and post-prosthetic and rehabilitation care in Ukraine. This includes ensuring continuity of services from initial assessment and psychological support through complex rehabilitation in territorial communities.

All proposed initiatives must directly address conditions caused by the ongoing war and align with URRF’s overarching goals of restoring mobility, independence, and access to medical services for veterans and civilians injured by the war. These efforts will strengthen Ukraine’s health sector resilience at every level, from national to community. 

The proposed solutions and approaches should aim at sustaining service delivery, building the capacity of providers to continue delivering services independently after the project ends, and where relevant, introducing mechanisms for post-project handover which ensure that associated expenses are covered by other stakeholders, such as local or national authorities or private sector partners.

The outcomes of the proposed activities must be meaningful and measurable. IREX anticipates that a selected NGO(s) or consortium of NGOs will lead the implementation of target activities under the following objectives:

1. Improve Ukraine’s medical system for providing prostheses/orthoses to veterans and civilians who have lost limbs because of the war ensuring sustainable long-term models.
2. Improve legislative standards and legal frameworks to support accessible pre- and post -prosthetics rehabilitation in Ukraine and facilitate exchange experience among governmental and municipal providers to strengthen the capacity of rehabilitation system to provide quality services long-term.
3. Strengthen the capacity of educational institutions that provide relevant education for prosthetics, rehabilitation, and related specialists, embedding new knowledge and skills, including proven international practices and approaches in formal pre- and in-service training curricula and advancing sustainable solutions.

D. Illustrative Activities

Project proposals and budgets are expected to include, but not be limited to, activities such as:

• Training for at least 200 medical professionals (prosthetists-orthotists, rehabilitation and mental health specialists, and other relevant professionals, such as nurses and family doctors, on essential topics, including the use of a multidisciplinary approach.). This may include the experience sharing between U.S. and Ukrainian partners and adaptation of effective American practices and protocols.

  Expected results: 60% of specialists report increased expertise in providing prosthetics, rehabilitation and other causality treatment and 70% of participants in training activities rate the knowledge and skills acquired as useful.

• Training of trainers (ToT) for at least 12 prosthetists-orthotists, rehabilitation, mental health specialists or other relevant medical professionals from a minimum of five oblasts across Ukraine, enabling them to transfer knowledge and skills to at least 45 less experienced specialists in the same fields across Ukraine. Integration of U.S. experience would be an advantage.

  Expected results: 60% of specialists report increased expertise in providing prosthetics, rehabilitation and other causality treatment and 70% of participants in training activities rate the knowledge and skills acquired as useful.

• Strengthen cooperation among members of the multidisciplinary teams in at least five medical institutions across Ukraine by implementing specialized joint training programs for healthcare professionals.

  Expected results: 60% of specialists report increased expertise in providing prosthetics, rehabilitation and other causality treatment and 70% of participants in training activities rate the knowledge and skills acquired as useful.

• Complete a comprehensive legislative and policy gap assessment and develop at least two legislative instruments, such as methodologies, policies, procedures or regulatory framework, to strengthen state policy on rehabilitation and/or prosthetics for Ukrainians injured by the war. Facilitate coordination among responsible government institutions to ensure adoption of these instruments.

  Expected results: at least two legislative or policy instruments (e.g., methodology, procedure, policy, or regulatory framework) are formally submitted to relevant governmental or medical institutions for consideration and receive the required expert and public feedback.

• Develop the capacity of at least one educational institution which prepares prosthetics and/or rehabilitation professionals to offer modern and quality training to pre-service and/or in-service specialists. Activities may include developing and integrating new or revised curriculum in relevant degree programs, creating educational materials,  standardizing training in accordance with existing international and national standard or knowledge exchange between the U.S. and Ukrainian partners.

  Expected results: New material is embedded in relevant course curriculum. 60% of lecturers from the targeted educational institution(s) rate the newly developed educational materials as useful and relevant for training prosthetics and/or rehabilitation professionals.

Applicants are expected to be able to implement all listed illustrative activities. To achieve this, applicants may partner with co-implementers to enhance their technical expertise or improve the quality of delivery, if needed, to meet the objectives. Such partnerships must be documented and include a clear division of roles, responsibilities, and budget. 

Applicants may propose additional activities that contribute to the purpose and objectives of this RFA.

Each project proposal should include trainings for specialists of at least two disciplines, the development of legislative acts aimed at strengthening state policy in the field of rehabilitation and/or prosthetics for Ukrainians injured by the war, as well as at least two normative acts supporting the implementation of the Program of Activities of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and/or the Barrier-Free Strategy.

Exit Benchmark. All proposed interventions must include a defined exit strategy and transition plan that specifies how activities, service delivery, and associated costs will be assumed or continued to be carried out by local actors or alternative funding sources following the conclusion of RFA support. Exit benchmarks may include, as applicable: 

• Formal commitments (financial and/or in-kind) from local authorities and/or partners;
• Clear timelines for transfer of responsibilities for service delivery;
• Evidence that interventions are non-recurring and time-limited, with no ongoing U.S. funding required post-RFA.

SECTION II: AWARD INFORMATION

Subject to the availability of funds, IREX expects to award two subawards with up to
$ 300,000.00 each.

The anticipated period of performance is March 2026 – January 2027. IREX reserves the right to: 

• Fund any or none of the applications submitted.
• Adjust the number of awards, award amounts, and period of performance.
• Make no awards as a result of this RFA.

One organization or a consortium of organizations may submit one proposal for consideration. IREX will be involved in all stages of grant implementation, as outlined in the subaward agreement.

Pre-award costs are not allowable and will not be reimbursed.

Applicable regulations:

Department of State Standard Terms and Conditions and 2 CFR 200 Unified Administrative Requirements Subpart A through E apply.