Under the EU-funded Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) facility, UNDP Ukraine announces the call for interest among M4EG network members to participate in the Mission-Oriented Economy Programme. 

With UNDP's support, local teams from selected municipalities will participate in a year-long learning and capacity-building process. They will be supported in designing the portfolios and will be awarded EU funding for their activation. 

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

• 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 
• 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 call is open to local authorities in Ukraine that are already part of the M4EG network and have a strong vision and commitment to local economic resilience. In August 2025, 4 Ukrainian cities, Bucha, Zhytomyr, Slavutych, and Khmelnytskyi, piloted the programme. 

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 war of aggression against 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 or reach out to tamara.kharchenko@undp.org — Tamara Kharchenko, Community Development Officer, Local and Regional Economic Development Programme, UNDP Ukraine.