In 2022, UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, All Ukrainian Youth Centre and selected CSOs, launched the VidNOVA:UA Programme with the aim of promoting the engagement of young people in the recovery of Ukraine and the normalization of life in communities affected by the war through youth exchanges (https://vidnova.org.ua/). In three years, 46 civil society organizations (CSOs) organized 52 youth exchange visits for more than 1500 young people in 52 communities across 18 oblasts of Ukraine during summer and autumn months of 2022-2024. While the youth actively contributed to the reconstruction work under the supervision and mentorship of skilled construction workers, the exchanges also aimed to strengthen the sense of unity and social cohesion by fostering increased connections between young people from different parts of the country. In 2024, 87% of participants confirmed that the exchange had strengthened their motivation to take part in volunteer initiatives in the future, and 73% confirmed their desire to participate in the restoration of their community in the future. In 2024,  the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has issued decree #553 effectively adding the VidNOVA:UA programme to the State Target Social Programme "Youth of Ukraine" 2021-2025, thus, creating grounds for the programme’s institutionalization. 

To further promote the role of youth in the recovery of Ukraine, in 2025, UNDP, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine and the All-Ukrainian Youth Center, plans to implement a programme in close cooperation with local CSOs and local self-government bodies. This includes organizing 15 youth exchanges across various oblasts of Ukraine, with the ultimate goal of renovating 15 youth spaces/centers as well as strengthening the social fabric of the country by providing an opportunity for participants to explore the diverse cultures of different regions of Ukraine. 

The programme demonstrates a strong commitment to helping young people contribute to positive change and unity in Ukraine's ongoing recovery and development. Therefore, in 2025 the UNDP will ensure the adjustment of methodology to reflect lessons learned from previous years and ensure it can be autonomously used by interested institutions and CSOs in the future. An important aspect of the implementation of VidNOVA:UA 2025 is the preparation of the programme for a full transition to the state-lead administration by the state institutions “All-Ukrainian Youth Center” (AYUC) and Ukrainian Youth Foundation.

In this context, UNDP Ukraine would like to:

1. Identify and select an experienced civil society organization which in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, All-Ukrainian Youth Center and Ukrainian Youth Foundation will coordinate the implementation of national programme of inclusion of young people into recovery processes “VidNOVA:UA”.

and 

2. Identify and select youth centres and/or youth CSOs (up to 15) to act as implementing regional partners responsible for organizing youth exchanges in their communities.

More information about the competition - by the link.