EIB and UNDP strengthen cooperation to accelerate Ukraine’s recovery

• Two new agreements expand EIB-UNDP cooperation to strengthen support for community-based recovery and reconstruction across Ukraine.
• Technical assistance provided by UNDP will support faster implementation and ensure high-quality results for more than 500 EIB-financed projects in over 150 municipalities, including the reconstruction of schools, kindergartens and hospitals.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is deepening its cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to accelerate Ukraine’s recovery and improve essential public services across the country. Supported by over €9 million from the Bank’s EU for Ukraine Advisory Programme, the new agreements will provide technical assistance to ensure the efficient delivery of EIB-financed recovery and district heating programmes.

Through this cooperation, over the next two years UNDP will support the implementation of three EIB Recovery Programmes and the Ukraine District Heating Programme. These initiatives will rebuild and modernise more than 500 schools, hospitals, municipal facilities and heating systems in over 150 communities across the country. By providing hands-on operational and implementation support, this partnership will help projects move faster, meet required standards and deliver tangible benefits to Ukrainians.

The district heating agreement comes at a crucial time, as Ukraine faces immense challenges to its energy security following extensive damage to its energy infrastructure. The partnership will combine the EIB’s financial and technical expertise with UNDP’s local experience to help municipalities make their heating systems more independent, efficient and resilient.

This new phase builds on more than a decade of EIB-UNDP cooperation in Ukraine. This partnership has already supported the delivery of 100 recovery projects – hospitals, schools, water plants, social housing and heating and strengthened institutional capacity at the local level.

The agreements were signed in Washington, DC on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings by EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle and UNDP Acting Administrator Haoliang Xu, in the presence of EIB President Nadia Calviño and Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko.

EIB Group President Nadia Calviño said: “Across Ukraine, every two weeks we are inaugurating new schools, hospitals and community facilities that bring hope and dignity back to people’s daily lives. I am encouraged by the opportunity to extend our partnership with UNDP to cover even more municipalities and improve essential services – from heating to healthcare, from education to housing – for millions of Ukrainians.”

UNDP Acting Administrator Haoliang Xu said: “This deepened partnership with the European Investment Bank is vital to accelerating recovery where it matters most: at the community level. By combining the EIB's financial power and technical expertise with UNDP’s proven local presence in Ukraine, we're more than just rebuilding infrastructure like schools, hospitals, and critical heating systems; we're helping communities build resilience through stronger local government systems. And we ensure that the recovery process is efficient, accountable, and delivers tangible, life-saving improvements for millions of Ukrainian people.”

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko said: “Ukraine’s recovery is built on strong partnerships. The support of the European Investment Bank and the United Nations Development Programme enables our communities to rebuild faster and deliver what people need most – safe schools, modern hospitals and reliable heating. This cooperation combines financial support, technical expertise and local commitment, ensuring that recovery efforts translate into real improvements in people’s lives.”

Background information

The EIB in Ukraine 

Present in Ukraine since 2007, the EIB has stepped up its financial support for the country’s resilience and modernisation since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Since then, the EIB has provided €4 billion in financing, with almost two-thirds already disbursed. Through its EU for Ukraine (EU4U) Initiative, coupled with its key role in implementing a dedicated window under Pillar 2 of the Ukraine Facility, the EIB is strongly committed to stepping up and accelerating its activities in line with the mandate given by EU leaders and in close cooperation with the European Commission, the European Parliament, Member States and international partners.