Institutional fundraising and grant management · London · Zürich · Kyiv · Warsaw · Toronto
Funding that reaches the projects that change things.
From London, we help charities, social enterprises, local authorities and companies secure funding from trusts and foundations, public programmes and international donors, and we help funders place their money well. Funding strategy, grant writing, due diligence readiness and impact reporting, for clients in the UK, Europe and Ukraine.
About us
A universe of your possibilities.
Every project holds more potential than one application can show.
Our vision We treat funding as a system, not a one-off application: the right funder, the right project, the right moment. We work towards a world where good projects are not lost for want of a partner who knows the way, where funders place their money with confidence, and where organisations grow from one grant into a lasting funding pipeline.
Why “Universe” Funding is not a straight line. Around every project there are foundations, programmes and partners that fit it, and most are never found. We map that space and chart a route through it.
Our story Synergy Universe secured its first grant in 2004 and has worked without interruption ever since. Today the group has five divisions covering the full funding cycle. To date we have completed 61 projects in 9 countries and helped secure €40.5 million for our clients’ work.
- 2004First grant secured.
- 2018Offices in London and Warsaw.
- 2022We begin working in Switzerland.
- 2023Office in Toronto.
- 2026Synergy Development Consulting Ltd serves UK clients from London.
In the United Kingdom Our UK work is led from London by Synergy Development Consulting Ltd. We work alongside charities, foundations, universities and local authorities, and bring European and Ukrainian funding know-how to UK organisations that work across borders. target="_blank" rel="noopener">Development Partnership International (DPI), a Bern-based consulting company with more than 20 years on the Swiss market.
Services
Two sides of the same table.
We work for organisations that need funding and for foundations that give it. Knowing both sides is what makes applications land and grants work.
For organisations seeking funding
Funding Readiness Check · fixed price
In one to two weeks: which of your projects are fundable, from whom and for how much, and what is missing in your documents. It ends with a written go or no-go. The price is fixed and agreed before we start.
Funding strategy and funder research
A prioritised shortlist of UK and European trusts, foundations, public programmes and international donors that fit your project, with deadlines and requirements.
Grant writing
Proposals, budgets and logframes written to each funder's standard, in English, German or Ukrainian. Includes Innovate UK, UKRI and Horizon Europe formats.
Due diligence readiness
Governance, finance and compliance documents brought to the level a donor's review expects. Preparation for UK funder due diligence and charity-sector standards, including Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator expectations.
Grant management and impact reporting
Post-award administration, monitoring, donor reporting and funder relations, so the next application starts from a clean record.
In-house fundraising set-up
We build or audit your grants function, train the team and hand over working processes and templates.
UK presence and partner search
For Ukrainian and Eastern European organisations: introductions to UK trusts, foundations and partners, representation at meetings in London, and support with understanding UK registration and funder requirements.
For foundations and funders
Partner scouting in Ukraine and Eastern Europe
Vetted implementing partners for your funding priorities, with a first screening of track record and capacity.
Grantee due diligence
Independent review of governance, finances and legal standing before you commit funds. Written in the format your board needs.
Call design and application screening
Clear calls, workable criteria and a first-round screening that lightens the load on your team.
Monitoring and impact evaluation
Field monitoring, milestone checks and evaluation reports for funded projects, including on-site visits in Ukraine.
Standards and certification
Grant management standards aligned with ESG and the Sustainable Development Goals, through the GRANT STANDARDS ASSOCIATION.
Training and workshops
Practical training for boards, programme staff and grantees, from proposal writing to reporting. Delivered by SYNERGY ACADEMY.
Professional and business tours
Meet Britain in person.
Study visits and business missions for delegations from Europe, North America and other markets. We design the programme, arrange the meetings with UK institutions, foundations, universities and companies, and organise the logistics together with our partners.
How we work
Five steps, in the order a grant actually happens.
Take the full cycle or start at the step you are missing. Every engagement begins with a free 30-minute call.
- 01
Discovery call30 minutes, free
You describe the project and the funding gap. We say plainly whether and where it is fundable.
- 02
Potential analysis1 to 2 weeks
A written assessment: fundable projects, realistic amounts, matching funders, gaps in your documents.
- 03
Funding strategyshortlist and calendar
A prioritised list of foundations and programmes, an application calendar and a personal account manager.
- 04
Applicationswriting, review, submission
We write, you approve, we submit. Budgets, annexes and due diligence documents included.
- 05
Grant managementuntil the final report
Reporting, monitoring and funder relations for the life of the grant, so the relationship outlasts the project.
What is different
Four commitments most agencies do not make.
A written go or no-go before you pay for writing
The potential analysis has a fixed price and ends with a clear recommendation. If a project is not fundable, we say so and stop.
Both sides of the table
We write applications and we review them for funders. We know what a programme officer reads first and what gets a proposal declined.
Field presence in Ukraine
Our own team in Kyiv and offices in London, Zürich, Warsaw and Toronto. Monitoring visits, partner checks and local due diligence are done by us, not subcontracted.
Reporting is part of the job, not an extra
Every grant we help win comes with a reporting calendar and templates. Two working days is our answer time, in writing.
Who we work with
Those who give funding, and those who need it.
Foundations and funders
UK and European trusts and foundations funding work in Ukraine and Eastern Europe who need a partner that knows the field, the organisations and the reporting rules.
Charities and social enterprises
Charities, NGOs and social enterprises that deliver programmes and need a steady funding pipeline instead of one grant at a time.
Local authorities and public bodies
Councils and public bodies applying for regeneration, infrastructure, partnership and social programmes, including UK and European instruments.
Companies and start-ups
Firms using public funding for research, innovation, export and sustainability, from Innovate UK to Horizon Europe.
The group
One group, five divisions, the full funding cycle.
Synergy Universe was founded in Kyiv in 2004 and works with clients in nine countries. In the United Kingdom, the consulting division serves British and European clients and funders from London.
United KingdomSYNERGY DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING
Institutional fundraising, grant management and funder advisory.
EducationSYNERGY ACADEMY
Training for fundraising professionals and in-house teams.
SimulationSYNERGY FOR ACTION
Game-based learning to understand funding markets without risk. Platforms: fundraiser.games and fanshunter.tm.
StandardsGRANT STANDARDS ASSOCIATION
Standards and certification for grant management, aligned with ESG and the SDGs.
NetworkSYNERGY AI FUNDING CLUB
A professional community of grant managers using AI tools to find and win funding.
Where we are
Offices and representatives.
Five cities in five countries. Headquarters in Kyiv, our UK presence in London, and offices where our clients and funders work.
- 🇬🇧United KingdomLondon · UK presence, since 2018
- 🇺🇦UkraineKyiv · Headquarters, since 2004
- 🇨🇭SwitzerlandZürich · since 2022
- 🇵🇱PolandWarsaw · since 2018
- 🇨🇦CanadaToronto · since 2023
Expertise
Led by a practitioner, not an agency.
Svitlana Olieinikova
Founder and CEO, Synergy Universe. Fundraising and impact expert, NGO leader, trainer.
- Co-founder, Grant Standards Association (GSA)
- Creator, FUNdraiser (fundraiser.games) — free learning platform: 2,500+ people trained, EUR 4M raised for projects, 207 projects supported
- Certified Horizon Europe consultant
- Management consultant, ISO 20700:2017
- Best trainer award, UN Peace and Development Programme, 2019
Behind the consulting team stands the faculty of SYNERGY ACADEMY: 15 lecturers and mentors in fundraising, finance, law, governance and impact entrepreneurship.
Funders we have worked with
Programmes we know from the inside.
- SECOSwitzerland
- REPICSwitzerland
- European UnionEU
- European CommissionEU
- Council of EuropeStrasbourg
- UNDPUnited Nations
- USAIDUSA
- GIZGermany
- Danish Refugee CouncilDRC
- Norwegian Refugee CouncilNRC
- YouControlUkraine
Contact
Tell us about the project. The first call is free.
We reply within two working days and name your account manager after the first call.
Please write to us directly at [email protected].
We reply within two working days.
United Kingdom
Synergy Development Consulting Ltd
London, United Kingdom
synergy-universe.co.uk
Svitlana Olieinikova