Apply for Competitive Active Labour Market Policy Fund Initiative (Ukraine)

Deadline: 13-Jul-2026

The Competitive Active Labour Market Policy Fund is inviting applications to strengthen Ukraine’s labour market through upskilling, reskilling, vocational training, and employment pathways. The initiative supports the transformation of vocational education and training institutions, private sector engagement, improved employability, and preparation for emerging job profiles. The total indicative funding available is EUR 2,000,000, with individual grants ranging from EUR 150,000 to EUR 300,000.

Overview

The Competitive Active Labour Market Policy Fund supports initiatives that strengthen Ukraine’s labour market and improve employment outcomes.

The fund focuses on upskilling, reskilling, vocational training, and pathways that help unemployed, inactive, and employed people move into emerging and future job roles.

The initiative is part of the BE-Relieve Ukraine intervention, which supports Ukraine’s Build Back Better agenda and EU accession pathway through investments in infrastructure and energy, health and social protection, and skills and employment.

Key Focus Areas

The initiative focuses on labour market development, skills improvement, and vocational training system strengthening.

Key focus areas include:

• Active Labour Market Policy implementation
• Skills development
• Vocational training system strengthening
• Transformation of vocational education and training institutions
• Centres of Vocational Excellence
• Employment outcomes improvement
• Private sector engagement
• Training infrastructure development
• Labour market mechanism strengthening
• Upskilling of workers
• Reskilling of workers
• Initial training for unemployed people
• Initial training for inactive populations
• Employability enhancement
• Emerging job profiles
• Future-oriented skills
• Technological and economic innovation
• Labour market responsiveness
• Productivity improvement

Purpose of the Fund

The purpose of the Competitive Active Labour Market Policy Fund is to prepare Ukraine’s labour market for Technological and economic innovation.

The fund supports early development of new skills that respond to changing labour market needs.

It also aims to ensure that employers can access a workforce equipped with skills aligned with technological change, emerging job profiles, and structural economic transformation.

Link to BE-Relieve Ukraine

The initiative is implemented within the BE-Relieve Ukraine intervention.

This intervention supports Ukraine’s broader recovery and development priorities, including:

• Build Back Better agenda
• EU accession pathway
• Infrastructure and energy
• Health and social protection
• Skills and employment

Within the skills and employment component, the intervention prioritises investment in vocational training systems, upgrading of training infrastructure, and improved labour market outcomes.

Active Labour Market Policy Facility

A competitive Active Labour Market Policy Facility is used to implement actions through Calls for Proposals.

This facility is designed to strengthen labour market mechanisms and support transitions from unemployment and inactivity into employment.

It also promotes collaboration between private sector actors, civil society organisations, public entities, and wider labour market stakeholders.

General Objective

The general objective of the call is to prepare the Ukrainian labour market for technological and economic innovation.

This will be achieved by supporting the early development of new skill sets aligned with emerging labour market needs.

Specific Objective

The specific objective is to ensure that employers have access to a workforce equipped with new skills that match technological evolution and emerging job profiles.

This objective aims to improve the responsiveness of Ukraine’s labour market to structural economic changes.

Programme Priorities

The initiative prioritises training, infrastructure, and employment pathways that respond to real labour market demand.

Programme priorities include:

• Adapting existing training programmes
• Developing new training programmes
• Equipping training facilities
• Using skills forecasting
• Responding to private sector labour market needs
• Supporting technological and economic innovation
• Upskilling employees
• Reskilling tradespeople and artisans
• Providing initial training for unemployed individuals
• Providing initial training for inactive individuals
• Improving employability for emerging sectors and job roles

Training and Skills Development

The fund supports training that helps people gain relevant skills for current and future labour market opportunities.

Supported training approaches may include:

• Vocational training programmes
• Short-term skills courses
• Practical workplace-oriented training
• Sector-specific reskilling
• Upskilling for employed workers
• Training for tradespeople and artisans
• Initial training for unemployed and inactive people
• Training aligned with skills forecasting
• Training linked to private sector needs

Vocational Education and Training Strengthening

The initiative supports the strengthening of vocational education and training institutions.

This may include actions that help transform vocational education and training institutions into Centres of Vocational Excellence.

Support may focus on:

• Upgrading training infrastructure
• Equipping training facilities
• Modernising training programmes
• Improving practical training capacity
• Aligning training with future job profiles
• Strengthening links between training providers and employers

Private Sector Engagement

Private sector engagement is a major part of the initiative.

The fund encourages collaboration with employers and business actors to ensure that training programmes respond to real labour market needs.

Private sector involvement can help identify:

• Emerging skill demands
• New job profiles
• Sector-specific labour shortages
• Technology-driven workforce needs
• Opportunities for employment placement
• Productivity improvement needs

Geographic Lots

The call is structured into two geographic lots.

The two lots cover:

• Kyiv Region
• Chernihiv Region

Each region is expected to fund approximately three proposals.

Any remaining funds may be allocated to the highest-ranked proposals.

Funding Available

The total indicative funding available under the call is EUR 2,000,000.

The contracting authority may adjust allocations depending on proposal quality and availability of funds.

Individual grant applications must request funding within the following range:

• Minimum grant request: EUR 150,000
• Maximum grant request: EUR 300,000

Applicants should prepare realistic budgets that match the proposed activities, target groups, and expected employment outcomes.

Who is Eligible?

Eligible lead applicants must be legal entities established in Ukraine and operating on a non-profit basis.

Eligible entities include:

• Non-governmental organisations established under Ukrainian law on public associations
• Charitable organisations established under relevant national legislation
• Chambers of commerce and industry established under Ukrainian law
• Public entities

Lead applicants may apply individually or in partnership with one or more co-applicants.

The lead applicant remains responsible for the overall preparation, management, and implementation of the action.

Partnership Approach

Lead applicants may submit proposals alone or with co-applicants.

Partnerships can strengthen proposals when they bring together relevant expertise, such as:

• Vocational training providers
• Employer associations
• Private sector actors
• Civil society organisations
• Public institutions
• Labour market stakeholders
• Local authorities
• Sector-specific technical experts

A strong partnership should clearly define the role of each partner and explain how the collaboration will improve employment outcomes.

What the Fund Can Support

The fund can support projects that improve labour market readiness and employment pathways.

Supported activities may include:

• Development of new training programmes
• Adaptation of existing training programmes
• Upgrading vocational training facilities
• Equipping training centres
• Skills forecasting and labour market analysis
• Employer engagement activities
• Upskilling and reskilling programmes
• Training for unemployed people
• Training for inactive populations
• Support for emerging job profiles
• Strengthening Centres of Vocational Excellence
• Improving employability and employment outcomes
• Building labour market transition mechanisms

Expected Outcomes

The initiative is expected to improve labour market responsiveness and employment opportunities in Ukraine.

Expected outcomes may include:

• Improved employability of unemployed and inactive individuals
• Stronger skills among workers, tradespeople, and artisans
• Better alignment between training and private sector needs
• Improved vocational training infrastructure
• Stronger vocational education and training institutions
• Increased readiness for emerging job profiles
• Improved employer access to skilled workers
• Stronger labour market mechanisms
• Better transition from unemployment or inactivity into work
• Improved productivity through skills development

Why It Matters

Ukraine’s labour market is undergoing major transformation due to economic change, technological development, reconstruction needs, and the country’s EU accession pathway.

Workers, unemployed people, inactive populations, and employers need skills systems that can respond to future job profiles and emerging sector needs.

This fund matters because it supports practical training, vocational excellence, employer engagement, and labour market pathways that can help people access employment while strengthening Ukraine’s long-term recovery and competitiveness.

How to Apply or Prepare a Strong Application

Applicants should prepare a clear proposal that explains the labour market need, target beneficiaries, training approach, private sector engagement, expected outcomes, and implementation capacity.

Step 1: Confirm Eligibility

Applicants should confirm that they are legal entities established in Ukraine and operating on a non-profit basis.

Eligible applicants may include NGOs, charitable organisations, chambers of commerce and industry, and public entities.

Step 2: Choose the Relevant Geographic Lot

Applicants should select the appropriate geographic lot based on where the proposed action will be implemented.

The two lots are:

• Kyiv Region
• Chernihiv Region

The proposal should clearly explain the relevance of the selected region and the labour market needs being addressed.

Step 3: Define the Labour Market Need

Applicants should provide a clear explanation of the employment and skills gap the project will address.

This may include:

• Skills shortages in emerging sectors
• Gaps in vocational training provision
• Weak links between training and employers
• Need for upskilling and reskilling
• Unemployment or inactivity among target groups
• Need for new training infrastructure
• Need to prepare workers for future job profiles

Step 4: Use Skills Forecasting and Private Sector Input

The proposal should show how training priorities are based on labour market needs.

Applicants should explain how they will use:

• Skills forecasting
• Employer consultations
• Private sector feedback
• Sector analysis
• Labour market data
• Emerging job profile mapping

This will help ensure that training programmes are relevant and employment-oriented.

Step 5: Present a Strong Training Model

Applicants should describe how training will be delivered.

The training model should include:

• Target groups
• Training content
• Training duration
• Training providers
• Practical learning methods
• Certification or recognition where relevant
• Employer involvement
• Links to job placement or employment pathways

Step 6: Explain Infrastructure and Equipment Needs

If the proposal includes training infrastructure or equipment, applicants should clearly justify the investment.

The proposal should explain:

• What equipment or facilities are needed
• How the investment supports training quality
• How it aligns with technological and economic innovation
• How it contributes to Centres of Vocational Excellence
• How it will support long-term training delivery

Step 7: Build Strong Partnerships

Applicants applying with co-applicants should clearly describe the role of each partner.

Partnerships should improve project delivery, private sector engagement, training quality, or employment outcomes.

The lead applicant must remain responsible for overall preparation and management of the action.

Step 8: Prepare a Realistic Budget

Applicants must request between EUR 150,000 and EUR 300,000.

The budget should be clear, justified, and directly linked to the project’s training, infrastructure, employment, and labour market strengthening activities.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applicants should avoid submitting proposals that are unclear, poorly justified, or weakly connected to labour market needs.

Common mistakes include:

• Not meeting lead applicant eligibility requirements
• Requesting less than EUR 150,000 or more than EUR 300,000
• Not selecting the correct geographic lot
• Failing to show alignment with labour market demand
• Providing weak private sector engagement
• Proposing training without clear employment pathways
• Ignoring skills forecasting
• Not explaining how training supports emerging job profiles
• Providing unclear equipment or infrastructure justification
• Not defining target beneficiaries clearly
• Not showing how unemployed or inactive people will transition into work
• Not explaining partner roles
• Submitting a budget not aligned with project activities

Tips for a Strong Application

A strong application should be practical, evidence-based, and employment-focused.

Useful tips include:

• Clearly connect the project to Ukraine’s labour market needs.
• Use private sector input to justify training priorities.
• Align activities with emerging and future job profiles.
• Include strong upskilling and reskilling pathways.
• Show how unemployed and inactive people will enter employment.
• Explain how training infrastructure will improve outcomes.
• Build partnerships with employers and vocational training actors.
• Demonstrate how the project supports Centres of Vocational Excellence.
• Use measurable employment and employability indicators.
• Prepare a realistic budget within the EUR 150,000 to EUR 300,000 range.
• Show how the project supports Ukraine’s Build Back Better agenda and EU accession pathway.

FAQ

1. What is the Competitive Active Labour Market Policy Fund?

It is a funding initiative that supports skills development, vocational training, upskilling, reskilling, and employment pathways to strengthen Ukraine’s labour market.

2. How much total funding is available?

The total indicative funding available under the call is EUR 2,000,000.

3. What is the grant size?

Individual grant applications must request between EUR 150,000 and EUR 300,000.

4. Which regions are covered?

The call is structured into two geographic lots covering the Kyiv Region and the Chernihiv Region.

5. Who can apply as lead applicant?

Eligible lead applicants must be legal entities established in Ukraine and operating on a non-profit basis. Eligible applicants include NGOs, charitable organisations, chambers of commerce and industry, and public entities.

6. Can applicants apply with partners?

Yes. Lead applicants may apply individually or with one or more co-applicants. The lead applicant remains responsible for the overall preparation and management of the action.

7. What are the main priorities of the initiative?

The main priorities include adapting and developing training programmes, equipping training facilities, strengthening vocational education and training institutions, engaging the private sector, and improving employability for emerging job profiles.

Conclusion

The Competitive Active Labour Market Policy Fund offers important support for strengthening Ukraine’s labour market through skills development, vocational training, infrastructure upgrades, and employment pathways.

With EUR 2,000,000 in indicative funding and grants ranging from EUR 150,000 to EUR 300,000, the initiative supports practical projects in the Kyiv and Chernihiv Regions. Strong applications should demonstrate eligibility, strong labour market relevance, private sector engagement, clear training pathways, realistic budgets, and measurable employment outcomes aligned with emerging and future job profiles.

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