Photo: Dmytrii Korchak / UNDP Ukraine

From 2017, the European Union (EU) has been implementing the Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) project, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been implementing it since 2021. The project supports local governments in the Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine) on their path to inclusive economic growth.  

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in 2022 caused the most significant population migration since World War II — more than 14 million Ukrainians were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge away from the war zone. In response, the EU has offered assistance under the M4EG project through the “Response and Renewal” grant programme. More than €1.8 million was allocated for local initiatives in Ukraine and Moldova (which hosted 1.4 million Ukrainians fleeing the war and suffered subsequent socio-economic hardships). 

In Ukraine, thirteen local initiatives in Bucha, Nizhyn, Kharkiv, Slavutych, Hlukhiv, Velyka Oleksandrivka, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Velyki Luchky, Nova Kakhovka, Chortkiv, Voznesensk, Slavuta, and Chernivtsi were supported through an open competition. These initiatives helped communities cope with problems adapting to the influx of internally displaced persons, increase community resilience, promote their recovery, and identify pathways for sustainable growth in the face of war. 

At the beginning of 2025, all thirteen communities supported through the M4EG Response and Renewal grant programme successfully completed their initiatives and achieved tangible results, including: 

• Municipal enterprises were set up to promote the employment of internally displaced persons. A sewing workshop was opened in Nizhyn that will provide 30 new jobs; Chortkiv opened a social service centre; Velyki Luchky opened a centre for the collection, processing, and sale of wild plants; and Slavuta opened a micro-greenery enterprise. 
• Several communities created integration spaces to facilitate the social adaptation of internally displaced persons. These spaces include a communication hub in Chernivtsi, a resource centre in Kamianets-Podilskyi, an adaptation and integration hub in Slavutych, and a support centre for internally displaced persons from Nova Kakhovka (opened in Odesa). 
• A number of institutions were opened to facilitate access to services important to both the local population and internally displaced persons. In particular, the first-ever comprehensive rehabilitation department in the city was established in Bucha, and an educational space, the Education Centre for Adults, was opened in Voznesensk. In addition, the frontline village of Velyka Oleksandrivka restored the provision of administrative and public services to its community. 
• Thanks to the Response and Renewal programme, two communities managed to help solve the problem of accommodation for IDPs: shelters for 80 and 100 people were built in Hlukhiv and Slavutych, respectively. 
• The programme also implemented large-scale and innovative ideas: an online platform for interactive 3D models of Kharkivand the Slavutych community Comprehensive Restoration and Development Plan for 2024-2027 were created. 

Henrik Huitfeldt, head of section “Public Finance, Business Support and Social Policies” of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, emphasised the commitment and dedication of the European Union in supporting Ukraine. “Looking back at the Response and Renewal grant programme results, we can confidently say that its rapid deployment during the first year of the Russian full-scale war against Ukraine allowed us to provide timely support to Ukrainian communities and disadvantaged citizens. In the future, the supported initiatives will provide a good basis for the economic and social recovery and development of the participating communities, their inclusive growth, and building a better future.” 

​​Jaco Cilliers, Resident Representative of UNDP in Ukraine, noted that these initiatives are an example of the transformative impact of partnerships and decisive joint action. “Together with the European Union and our local partners, we’ve demonstrated that in times of deep crisis, it’s possible to implement sustainable and quality solutions that contribute to rapid recovery, as well as supporting and protecting the dignity of those in need.”