The Estonian Centre for International Development Cooperation (ESTDEV) has announced a call for project proposals. The call aims to support Ukraine in reforms related to European Union integration. At the same time, it seeks to strengthen societal resilience in the context of Russia’s prolonged aggression.
The programme focuses on development cooperation activities that align with Ukraine’s national priorities. Moreover, it supports institutional capacity building and contributes to sustainable recovery. At the same time, it reflects Estonia’s international development cooperation priorities and horizontal development objectives.
Purpose of the call ESTDEV
The call aims to support projects that contribute to democratic governance and economic development in Ukraine. In addition, it supports education reform, digital transformation and healthcare modernisation. Importantly, funded activities should advance EU accession reforms and strengthen institutional and societal capacities at both national and local levels.
Eligible thematic directions
Within this call, funding supports projects that correspond to the following priority areas.
Good governance and democratic development. Activities may support democratic governance, human rights and anti-corruption efforts. Furthermore, projects may contribute to the implementation of EU-related reforms. In addition, initiatives may strengthen independent media and increase resilience to disinformation. Projects may also support democratic local governance and service modernisation, including e-services, transparency and civic participation.
Entrepreneurship and economic development. Supported activities may focus on small business development. Moreover, projects may help prepare enterprises for entry into the EU internal market. Activities related to innovation, startup ecosystems and green technology development are also eligible.
Education reform and modernisation of education systems. Projects may improve education quality and governance. In addition, they may support the professional development of education leaders and teachers. Activities can promote learner-centred and competence-based education, digital pedagogy, creativity and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, projects may strengthen links between education and the labour market through partnerships with businesses and communities.
Inclusion and empowerment of women and girls. This thematic area includes activities that strengthen leadership and digital competencies of women. In addition, projects may support equal access of girls to STEM education. Moreover, initiatives can promote participation in the IT and technology sectors.
Healthcare system modernisation. Eligible activities include training and capacity building of healthcare professionals. Furthermore, projects may support the development of healthcare education systems and curricula. Cooperation between healthcare institutions and higher education institutions is also encouraged. In addition, initiatives may improve access to and quality of healthcare services.
Digital development and cyber resilience. Projects may focus on transferring best practices in e-governance. Moreover, they may support the development and implementation of digital and AI-based solutions. Activities can strengthen public sector capacity and improve digital skills across society. At the same time, projects may enhance cybersecurity awareness, risk management and incident response.
Scholarship activities
Within the framework of the call, projects may include scholarship activities. These activities aim to support knowledge transfer, skills development and capacity building. In addition, applicants may request up to €50,000 in extra funding for scholarship activities on top of the overall project budget.
Scholarship activities may include participation in continuing education programmes or short-term training courses. They may also cover study or internship formats at universities, research institutions or vocational education institutions. Moreover, mentoring, job shadowing and practical training programmes are eligible.
Budget
The indicative ESTDEV total budget of the call is €1,500,000.
Application deadline
The deadline for submitting applications is 30 January 2026.
Applicants must submit applications through the toetused.kul.ee environment. To access detailed application information, users must log in to the system.
More international funding opportunities for Ukraine-focused projects are available in the grants section of the GetGrant service.