The EU-funded Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) initiative, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), launches a new chapter of the Mission-Oriented Economy Journey with 6 new municipalities to join the programme and foster its resilience and local economic growth.

This is up to a year-long journey in the seed phase, where selected municipalities will engage closely with UNDP in a learning journey to create mission-oriented portfolios and implement designed interventions.

A total of up to US$60,000 in financial support will be available through a phased approach: 

1. The provision of up to $20,000 as a seed grant for each selected town/city to design and develop their mission-oriented portfolio and begin the testing and implementation activities 

2. The opportunity to apply for a growth grant of up to $40,000 after the implementation and iteration of the mission-oriented portfolio to further develop the mission-oriented portfolio and further test and scale select activities

The selected communities are:

Ukraine: Zviahel, Kamianets-Podilskyi

Armenia: Gavar, Charentsavan

Republic of Moldova: Zubrești, Anenii Noi

Background:

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

Since 2021, the M4EG has rebuilt and engaged a network of over 430 municipalities across the EaP region. Nearly 50 municipalities have benefitted from innovative financing for urban development, funding the green and blue energy transition in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, and providing crucial assistance to refugees and internally displaced people in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as sustainable tourism in Armenia and green and smart solutions for cities in Azerbaijan and Georgia. 

For more information about the M4EG, please visit https://eum4eg.com