Deadline: 27-Mar-25
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) invites non-governmental organizations to submit project proposals to improve the capacity of Regional and Local Development Agencies as platforms for inclusive recovery of communities and regions of Ukraine in partner communities of Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Sumy and Chernihiv regions.
This call for proposals is being held within the framework of the international technical assistance project “Activating Citizen Participation to Improve Community Safety, Strengthen Social Bonds and Enhance Stability in War-Affected Territories in Ukraine” with the support of the Government of Denmark and the project “EU4Recovery – Empowering Communities in Ukraine” with the support of the European Union.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, address exclusion and build resilience to support progress in these countries. As the development agency of the UN system, UNDP plays a crucial role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The war in Ukraine has already resulted in massive human losses, unprecedented displacement of people both within the country and to neighboring countries, and catastrophic destruction of infrastructure. Eighteen years of socio-economic gains in Ukraine are at risk. UNDP’s primary mission is to preserve as much of the development gains as possible and to put Ukraine back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals as quickly as possible.
UNDP supports the Government, civil society and the people of Ukraine in implementing democratic policies and practices to accelerate progress towards sustainable human development. In accordance with the country programming document for 2025–2029, UNDP in Ukraine supports the Government in planning national priorities, in particular with a focus on recovery and reform development, through three program portfolios: 1) promoting democratic governance and an inclusive social environment; 2) supporting inclusive and sustainable economic growth and recovery; 3) promoting sustainable transformation in the environment and energy sectors. The program is complemented by the R4 territorial approach, which enhances the effectiveness of recovery, reconstruction and reform at the local level. It ensures the allocation of resources in accordance with local needs, promotes community development, and guarantees the inclusivity and involvement of community residents in recovery processes, supporting decentralization.
Objectives
- The main objective of this call for proposals is to strengthen the capacity of Regional and Local Development Agencies (RLDAs) to influence the recovery and development processes of regions and communities, including promoting cross-sectoral cooperation and coordination in strategic planning and fundraising.
- As a result of the competition, 7 successful organizations will be selected (one organization in each region). The selected organization is expected to communicate on an ongoing basis with responsible representatives of the UNDP at each stage of project implementation.
- The selected NGO is expected to achieve the following objectives:
- increase the capacity of RDAs and ADRs to act consistently and systematically
- strengthen the role of RDA and ADR in the processes of restoration and development of communities and territories through the implementation of projects to involve community residents in restoration processes
- promote effective cooperation and joint efforts of public authorities at all levels of government, the private sector and civil society to support the recovery process
- increase the capacity of communities or regions to respond to emerging challenges
- create conditions for strengthening the socio-economic potential of the region’s community in the context of post-war reconstruction by organizing systematic support for representatives of local government bodies, local institutions, institutions and organizations in the processes of developing and implementing restoration and development projects
- to promote the restoration of communities and territories according to the principle of “Build back better than before”
- promote public monitoring of recovery at the community level
- participate in the development and implementation of the regional development strategy and the action plan for its implementation, development strategies for territorial communities, the regional recovery and development plan, recovery and development plans for territorial communities, regional development programs, regional and local development programs, and other strategic and program documents related to the development of the region
- to promote the involvement and implementation of international technical assistance and cross-border cooperation projects (programs) in the region and communities
Funding Information
- Budget: The maximum budget of the project proposal must not exceed 10,000.00 USD.
- Duration: This call for proposals provides support for a project with a duration of up to 4 months. The planned start of the project is April 2025.
Eligibility Criteria
- Public or charitable organizations submitting project proposals for this competition must meet the following mandatory requirements:
- be officially registered with the status of a legal entity in the region of project implementation;
- have the status of a non-profit or charitable organization (non-profit codes 032, 036, 038, 039, 048) and carry out activities in the territory controlled by the government of Ukraine;
- in case of application in partnership with an RDA/ADR, a memorandum of cooperation or a letter of support from the relevant RDA/ADR must be provided;
- have proven experience in implementing at least one project and reporting on it;
- have experience in conducting offline and online training for various groups: representatives of government, business, public sector, vulnerable social groups (at least 1 implemented project);
- One year of work experience in accordance with the topic of the competition (in the field of working with civil society, community development, etc.) is desirable;
- willingness to cooperate with local governments, community leaders, public organizations and other partners for more effective project implementation, as well as have letters of support from local governments and partner public organizations;
- have appropriate specialists and/or project personnel involved for its implementation (project manager, financial specialist/accountant and other specialists according to the needs of the project). The experience of the involved specialists must meet the conditions and objectives of the competition, which is confirmed by relevant resumes.
- Personnel involved in the implementation of the project must meet the following requirements:
- The project team should consist of at least: a project coordinator (responsible for the overall coordination of project implementation and submission of relevant reports to the United Nations Development Programme), a communications manager and an accountant (responsible for maintaining accounting and financial reporting);
- at least three years of work experience in the public sector (for the project manager);
- knowledge of languages – fluency in Ukrainian;
- An accountant must have a higher education (related to accounting, finance or economics), and at least two years of work experience in the field of accounting;
- willingness to implement all rules and regulations of cooperation proposed by the international donor;
- willingness to cooperate with state authorities, local governments, community leaders, public organizations and other partners for more effective project implementation.
- Competition implementation territories, registration requirements and experience of organizations:
- The project, which will be implemented with the funds of this grant competition, is planned for implementation in the Dnipropetrovsk (Pavlohrad TG, Terniv TG), Chernihiv (Chernihiv TG, Nizhyn TG), Poltava (Poltava TG), Zaporizhia (Shyrokiv TG), Sumy (Konotop TG), Kharkiv (Zlatopil TG) and Mykolaiv (Voznesensk TG) regions;
- Organizations that have a current grant agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) cannot be selected under this competition until the end of such grant agreement.
- The parameters that will determine whether an NGO can receive UNDP funding will be based on the CACHE Capacity Assessment Checklist.
- Proposals from organizations that do not meet the above requirements will not be considered. Applications submitted by individuals, commercial organizations, government agencies and organizations, local governments, trade unions, political parties, religious organizations will not be considered.
For more information, visit UNDP.