After receiving a record number of applications, ESTDEV to launch 12 new projects in Ukraine
The Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) has significantly increased its support for Ukraine, announcing €2.7 million in funding for 12 new development projects in 2025.
This year’s Ukraine funding call set a new record, attracting 41 applications from Estonian organisations seeking to partner with Ukrainian counterparts.
"The record-breaking number of applications is a clear sign of the strong and growing collaboration between Estonian organisations and their Ukrainian counterparts,” said Marika Kundla, project manager at ESTDEV.
Among the 12 funded initiatives are follow-up projects by the Visionest Institute, Garage48, and Civitta Estonia, all of which build on earlier ESTDEV-supported efforts. “It’s especially rewarding to see these pilot projects evolve into initiatives with broader impact and a wider range of beneficiaries,” Kundla noted.
The high volume of quality project proposals was a key reason why ESTDEV decided to increase the funding round by an additional €1.2 million.
“We’re seeing a clear shift toward more focused and strategic projects,” said Margus Gering, head of the EU Eastern Neighbourhood Region at ESTDEV. “Many initiatives are building on earlier efforts or laying the groundwork for broader reforms and meaningful international collaboration. That’s why raising the total funding to €2.7 million was both necessary and justified.”
Gering emphasised that the call for proposals strongly aligned with Estonia’s goals of advancing the international presence of its civil society and development organizations. “The results confirmed what we already believed — Estonia has highly capable and ambitious organisations that are not only ready to engage globally but can also play a real role in driving long-term change.”
This year’s funded projects
The call for applications aimed to support the development of Ukraine in the following areas:
- Good governance and democratic development: Ukraine's EU integration and reforms, development of an open society and free media, and administrative reform in the Zhytomyr Region.
- Education reform: Sharing experience and best practices from the Estonian education system to empower Ukraine, supporting the development of primary and vocational education in Zhytomyr.
- Addressing damage caused by the war of Russian aggression: Providing resources to improve mental health and bolster the construction sector in the Zhytomyr Region.
- Supporting digital development and cyber resilience: e-governance, knowledge sharing, artificial intelligence solutions, digital skills, and cyber resilience of society.
The Organization for Development, Security and Sustainment (ODSS) “Development of risk profiling software to enhance the efficiency of Ukrainian border control”: Developing the software “Risk Profiles” will automate the process of identifying and managing risks at Ukraine’s international borders. The transparency of border control will improve, illegal migration will decrease, and international trust in Ukrainian border control will be strengthened. Grant: €250,000
Tuleviku Tehnoloogiaharidus (kood/Jõhvi) “code/Zhytomyr”: This project aims to implement a cloud-based programming learning platform based on self-study and group learning. Sharing one of the Estonian education system's most innovative educational technology experiences will help drive Ukrainian education reforms. Grant: €249,996
The Estonian Refugee Council “Expanding and improving mental health support for Ukrainians through a hotline and protection activities”: The main goal of this project is to maintain and expand emergency psychological and psychiatric services provided through a critical mental health support line for Ukrainians affected by the war. Grant: €249,955
Digital Nation "Development of a national AI strategy for Ukraine": Ukraine has made significant progress in developing a digital state and economy. Still, the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) is in the early stages, and there is no comprehensive national AI strategy. This project aims to create a strategic plan for the widespread and smart deployment of artificial intelligence in Ukraine, supporting post-war reconstruction, economic growth and the next leap in developing the digital state. Grant: €249,900
Mondo “Supporting mental health through online diagnostics and consultations and educational and mental health camps”: This project will provide support for Ukrainians suffering from mental health issues stemming from the war and help address educational gaps caused by the war. Grant: €249,868
Visionest Institute “Growing value chains of enterprises in the Zhytomyr Region and sector synergy program”: This programme is aimed at developing entrepreneurship and export capacity in the Zhytomyr Region by strengthening local value chains and promoting cooperation between Estonian and Ukrainian companies. Grant: €249,780
e-Governance Academy Foundation (eGA) “Development of digital municipal services for demobilised Ukrainian veterans”: The project aims to improve the accessibility of services provided by local governments to war veterans by using digital solutions to make services more efficient and transparent. Grant amount: €237,500
Garage48 “Ukrainian Women’s Entrepreneurship Program: Technology-Driven Growth”: The project strengthens the resilience, digital skills and mental well-being of Ukrainian women entrepreneurs, focusing on digital scaling of businesses with output, such as websites, platforms and other web-based solutions. Grant amount: €237,470
Civitta Eesti “Challenger AI 4.0: Innovative AI solutions to accelerate the reconstruction of Ukraine”: Ukrainian technology specialists will improve their entrepreneurial skills through the exchange of knowledge and experience with business development and digital experts from Estonia and other countries to support the recovery of the Ukrainian economy. Grant: €225,095
The Estonian Union of Co-operative Housing Associations “Cooperation to Improve the Efficiency of Apartment Building Management (TEAM 2025)”: The TEAM 2025 project will support the reform of the Ukrainian housing sector by creating, for the first time, an opportunity for Estonian and Ukrainian legal experts to cooperate in the preparation of draft laws on the management of apartment buildings. Grant: €218,032
CybExer Technologies “Pilot project for the development of cyber competencies in Ukraine”: This project will develop cybersecurity training in Ukraine and provide professional preparation for SOC analysts who are necessary to ensure the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure and all digital state services. Grant: €163,300
Estonian School of Diplomacy “Ukraine’s European Path: Empowering Ukrainian Officials and the Diplomatic Academy”: The Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine (DAU) plays a key role in developing the capacity of Ukrainian diplomats and officials to effectively manage reforms related to the EU accession process. The project focuses on developing their knowledge in EU topics, cyber and security issues, and good administrative practices. Grant amount: €113,540
Ukraine remains at the heart of Estonia’s development cooperation efforts, with ESTDEV allocating a total of €12 million to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction in 2025.
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