The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) has announced a grant competition for the clearance of land from mines and other remnants of war in the frontline regions. The projects should focus on non-technical and/or technical surveys of the territories and include an element of public awareness of mine threats. The priority for the implementation of projects within the competition was selected in Kharkiv region, where 55 out of 56 communities were affected by the war. This region became a pilot for the automated prioritisation system based on Palantir’s IT solution.

“This is the first time that a partner country has allocated money directly for the clearance of our land, involving Ukrainian mine action operators in this process. I believe that such cooperation will allow us to return to use and identify contaminated areas faster and strengthen cooperation not only at the level of institutions, but also between organisations and companies of our countries that strive to make Ukrainian land safer,” said Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine.

The total budget for the competition is EUR 6 million. Each project should not exceed EUR 1.8 million.

It is important to note that only non-profit organisations can apply for the competition, but they can also engage commercial mine action operators as partners in project implementation.

Applications will be accepted until 11 May this year. The total planned duration of the projects is up to 15 months.