The Polaris Programme: Support to Multi-Level Governance in Ukraine invites eligible tenderers to submit proposals for the provision of Services to develop Development Strategies and Action plans for 2028-2034 and the preparation of Terms of References for the subsequent development of Comprehensive Spatial Development Plans. The services are to be provided as part of SALAR International’s four-year Programme Polaris: Support for Multilevel Governance in Ukraine (2024-2028), funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

SALAR International (SALAR-I) has been operating in Ukraine since 2014, supporting the decentralization process in Ukraine through three main initiatives aimed at building a robust multilevel governance system, improving the accessibility and quality of services at the local level, and strengthening international cooperation between Ukrainian municipalities and the EU.

The Polaris programme focuses on short- and long-term efforts aimed at meeting the needs of Ukraine’s multilevel governance system while simultaneously strengthening the delivery of public services at the municipal level and ensuring municipalities’ direct participation in the recovery and reconstruction process in accordance with EU accession requirements. The four-year programme currently has activities scheduled until May 2028.

The Programme’s ”Locally-Led Recovery component” (LLR) completed its first phase in June 2026 during which technical assistance was extended to 13 Territorial Hromadas and one Oblast in the preparation of strategic and spatial planning documents. In addition, projects of priority for investments were identified for Territorial Hromadas. The LLR component is now entering into the second phase (2026-2028) during which support will be extended to additional Territorial Hromadas.

In summary, the selected Contractors are expected to set up and organise the planning process, collect and analyse both spatial and non-spatial data, undertake strategic analysis and scenario planning in preparation of the Development Strategy and related Action Plan as well as the Terms of Reference. During this process, the Contractor will map and engage with stakeholders and conduct required public engagement activities. The Contractor is also expected to participate in additional activities conducted as part of the “Locally-Led Recovery” component of the Polaris Programme.

The procurement is conducted through an open bidding process. Interested tenderers are invited to submit their proposals by October 9 (10:00 p.m. EET) 2026 to ukraine@salarinternational.se.

All details regarding participation conditions, qualification requirements, and the scope of work can be found in the attached tender documentation.

Response for Proposals - English

Response for Proposals - Ukrainian

Appendix 1 - Three-party agreement - English and Ukrainian

Appendix 2 - Scope of work - English

Appendix 2 - Scope of work - Ukrainian

Appendix 3 - Code of Conduct - English

Appendix 3 - Code of Conduct - Ukrainian