📋 Tender Overview
Amid ongoing war, Switzerland helps Ukraine ensure equitable quality education and advance decentralization. Building on strong results of Phase 1, DECIDE expands to additional regions and communities, supporting data-driven, participatory reforms at all governance levels. It links education to labor market needs and engages youth in recovery. Switzerland’s added value lies in deep expertise in decentralization and democratic education governance, supporting Ukraine’s human capital recovery, while promoting democratic resilience and sustainable development.
Country/region Topic Period Budget
Ukraine
Governance
Education
nothemedefined
Decentralisation
Democratic participation and civil society
Education policy
01.09.2025 - 31.08.2030
CHF 18’500’000
The project in brief
Background Since the start of the large-scale war in 2022 a total of 3,373 educational institutions (10% nation-wide) have suffered damage, of which 385 have been completely destroyed. Despite considerable efforts of the Ukrainian Government and international partners to secure access to education through equipment of bomb shelters, as of December 2024, 20% of schoolchildren were studying in a hybrid mode while 12% entirely remotely. The combination of online learning, displacement, stress, and trauma is leading to severe learning losses for Ukrainian students. The recovery and modernization of the education sector is a key prerequisite for the post-war reconstruction, return of refugees and social cohesion, yet it requires significant external support, especially in the regions that suffered from major war-related damages and destruction. Switzerland has provided a significant support to the New Ukrainian School Reform and is well positioned to support its third stage (to be launched in 2027) - the profession-oriented secondary school (10-12 grades). The reform will enable 9th grade students to choose between academic education or vocational training, and ensure a better connection between education and the labor market for the sustainable development of human capital and the economy.
Objectives Citizens in territorial communities engage in education governance reforms and recovery, and equitably benefit from a decentralized quality education.
Target groups Local: local communities, in particular schoolchildren and their parents, local authorities, educators, civil society organizations, private businesses. Regional: Oblast State Administrations and Oblast Councils, regional centers for training of civil servants, in-service teachers training institutes. National: Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories, all-Ukrainian local self-government associations.
Medium-term outcomes Outcome 1: National, regional and local authorities are empowered to effectively implement decentralized education governance reforms. Outcome 2: Schoolboys/girls and their parents benefit from inclusive democratic school gove
