In the Tyumen region, a wave of opportunity has arrived for citizens with a passion for making a difference. The annual grant competition under the social investment program "Hometown of the Future," supported by Gazprom Neft, has officially opened its doors for 2025, inviting initiative groups, non-profit organizations, and budgetary institutions to bring their ideas to life. The program, which has been running since 2013, is no stranger to fostering community-driven change, but this year's contest promises to be bigger and more inclusive than ever before.
Applications for the coveted grants can be submitted from October 20 to November 26, 2025, through the digital platform "Hometown of the Future." According to organizers, the process is designed to be as supportive as possible. Experts in social project management will be on hand to guide applicants in identifying the most pressing needs of their communities, fine-tuning their proposals, and ensuring each project is both feasible and impactful. As reported by local news outlets, the main criterion for winning a grant is the tangible benefit the project brings to society and the specific locality it aims to serve.
Yarina Sugakova, director of the "Hometown of the Future" program, explained the philosophy behind the initiative. "We provide grants not so much to projects as to people who want to improve life around them and know how to do it. We give them the opportunity to develop, teach them project management, and unite them into a community of social investors who invest their energy and responsibility. It is important for us not only to help realize an idea but also to accompany it until a sustainable result is achieved," she said, as quoted by regional media.
This approach is more than just financial backing. It is about nurturing a spirit of collaboration and long-term impact. Winners of the competition, to be announced in March 2026, will not only receive up to one million rubles in funding but also enjoy expert support throughout the implementation of their initiatives. This dual support structure—money and mentorship—has been a cornerstone of the program's success over the past decade.
Since its inception, the grant competition has helped realize more than 1,300 projects across the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (KhMAO), Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO), Tyumen, Orenburg, Tomsk, and Omsk regions. Many of these projects have become signature events and beloved fixtures in their communities. In 2025 alone, 138 initiatives were realized with the help of the grants, with every tenth project coming from Tyumen. Among this year's highlights are the largest multi-event tournament in Russia, "The Most Supportive Team," the well-known urban festival "Music Hall," charitable meetings organized by the animal welfare foundation "Poteryashki," and culinary workshops for children with mental disabilities under the banner "Family Cooking."
One of the most notable stories comes from Suzanna Ivanova, the creator and head of the nationwide music festival "Music Hall." She shared her experience, saying, "The realization of a social project is always a synergy of desire, team competence, and timely external support provided by the 'Hometown of the Future' program. Thanks to the grant competition, we enter project activities with renewed strength and confidence to bring real benefit." Her words echo the sentiments of many other participants who have found the program to be a springboard for meaningful change.
But what truly sets this competition apart is its focus on the real, everyday needs of local residents. As Evgeny Zakharov, deputy general director of Gazpromneft-Yamal, pointed out, "The main criterion for support is not the scale of the project, but its real benefit for a particular locality." He expressed confidence that this season would see a wealth of socially significant initiatives that would strengthen the region as a place rich in culture, robust in sports, and comfortable in its urban environment.
The head of Tyumen city, Maksim Afanasyev, also weighed in on the importance of the grant competition for local development. "Support for civic initiatives and projects of non-profit organizations allows us to effectively identify and address the most pressing requests of residents. I am confident that the new cycle of the grant competition will enable the implementation of promising initiatives that will make a significant contribution to the socio-economic development of Tyumen and improve the quality of life for citizens," he emphasized, as reported by local news sources.
This sentiment is not just rhetoric. The impact of the grants is visible across the region. For example, the largest Cuban dance festival in Siberia, "Chaka Chaka," held in Tyumen, the astronomical lecture series "Look at the Stars" in Orenburg, and the local culture festival "Locals" in Khanty-Mansiysk, all began as grant-supported projects. Today, these events attract tens of thousands of participants and have become defining elements of their respective regions.
Behind the scenes, a dedicated team of social project experts works closely with applicants to ensure their ideas are not only ambitious but also realistic. They help participants evaluate the significance of their initiatives, match applicants' experience and competencies to the chosen directions, and polish applications to maximize their chances of success. This hands-on approach has been credited with raising the overall quality and sustainability of the projects funded by the competition.
For Tyumen residents, the opportunity is clear: if you have an idea that could make a difference in your community—whether in culture, sports, ecology, education, urban development, or social protection—now is the time to act. With the application deadline set for November 26, 2025, and a transparent, expert-driven selection process, the stage is set for another year of transformative local initiatives.
Looking back at the past twelve years, the "Hometown of the Future" program has proven to be more than just a grant competition. It has become a movement—a way for ordinary citizens to step up, take ownership of their surroundings, and shape the future of their hometowns. As the 2025 cycle gets underway, all eyes are on Tyumen and its residents, eager to see what new ideas will take root and flourish with a little help from their neighbors and a lot of community spirit.
