Government approves rules for distributing subsidies for school shelters in 2026

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved the rules and conditions for providing subsidies for the construction of shelters in general secondary education institutions. Funding in 2026 will be directed towards the construction, reconstruction, and major repairs of facilities, including the completion of projects started in previous years.

The amount of subsidies for shelters in general secondary education institutions for 2026 is UAH 5 billion.

The following institutions will be eligible to receive funds:

• military (naval, military-sports) lyceums, lyceums with enhanced military-physical training;
• special educational institutions;
• educational institutions with at least 200 students;
• educational institutions that are the only ones in the community.

Distribution of funding according to the security risk levels to which communities belong:

• Very high — 40%;
• High — 35%;
• Moderate and satisfactory — 25%.

Conditions for receiving subsidies for general secondary education institutions:

• distance or mixed learning. Institutions with a mixed form of learning — 10-90% of students attend in person. Institutions with a distance learning form — up to 10% of students attend in person;
• mandatory availability of design and estimate documentation;
• no damage caused by the war, or damage that does not require construction work to repair;
• no shelters (except for the simplest ones) or shelters that require major repairs or reconstruction;
• possible implementation over several years with the amount for the current year specified in the application. For previously funded projects, completion must take place during 2026.

The following projects will be funded first:

• projects that were funded in 2025 and are at least 60% complete. At the same time, they do not require an increase in the estimated cost of the part financed from the state budget. However, projects from previous years that are less than 60% complete may apply for funding on general terms;
• military lyceums: or lyceums with enhanced military and physical training — first priority, regardless of the number of points.

Important changes in the rules for the distribution of funds:

Relevance of cost estimate documentation

The cost estimate part of the project must be registered with the Unified State Electronic System in the Construction Sector (USESCS) no earlier than 15 August 2025.

Updated requirements for the start of work

A three-month period has been set for fund managers to obtain permission and start construction work from the moment the distribution is approved. Failure to comply is grounds for the reallocation of funds by the MES (Ministry of Education and Science) commission.

How funds for shelters to be allocated

Communities shall submit applications for public funding. Projects must be included in the Unified Project Portfolio of Public Investments of the Community. After submission, each project will be prioritised according to key criteria: project readiness, safety, additional capacity, co-financing, sustainability, financial efficiency and community capacity building.

This year, the role of the RMA in prioritising projects will be strengthened. Each regional military administration will be able to allocate 100 points among communities within each risk level. It will also be possible to prioritise projects that participate in the pilot project to enhance safety in schools and are the only shelters in the community with up to 200 children, giving 30 points to each such project.

The MES commission shall analyse the projects, starting with the highest priority ones, taking into account the risk levels. The finalised list will then be submitted to the Government for approval. Once approved, the funds will be transferred to local budgets. If a project is not included in the list in the first round, it may be considered in subsequent rounds.

Applications for funding will be accepted starting in January 2026.