Конкурс від CIPE: підвищення голосу українського приватного сектору

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is seeking proposals from Ukrainian think tanks, independent business membership organizations (chambers of commerce, associations), economic consultancies, or a consortium of these types of organizations, to complete a series of activities that will elevate the voice of the Ukrainian private sector on issues related to the new global environment for trade affecting Ukrainian business, economic security and economic resilience as well as advance reform priorities and efforts on these topics. The selected organization/consortium will implement an intensive and thorough consultation and research process to develop a series of policy papers that outline key recommendations from the business community. Then, the selected organization/consortium will facilitate a panel in a CIPE-sponsored international conference in Europe to discuss the policy papers. Lastly, the organization/consortium will implement advocacy campaigns to engage key policy makers and promote reform as outlined in the policy papers.  All deliverables should be achieved throughout the summer and fall of 2025, concluding by the end of January 2026.

Background

The international economic environment is experiencing dramatic changes driven by rising trade and geopolitical tensions, an increasing focus on economic security and sovereignty, efforts by companies and governments to secure near-shore supply chains, and growing controls on export and the sale of dual-use technologies. Even as Ukraine continues to fight for its sovereignty and independence, these changes to the international economic landscape present new risks and opportunities for Ukraine and offer new considerations for Ukrainian economic resilience as the country looks toward its future recovery, reconstruction, and increased trade with Western allies, including the United States. To reframe the voice of Ukrainian business amid these rapid global changes, it is crucial that Ukrainian business leaders identify their priorities for economic resilience by advancing key institutional and structural reforms that, among other benefits, will strengthen public-private partnerships, attract investment, and foster closer cooperation between Ukrainian and foreign companies, including US companies.

To achieve these goals, CIPE will engage with a leading convener to host a series of business dialogues in Ukraine and produce a series of policy memos. These outputs will inform a major international convening in Europe in the fall of 2025 to allow the Ukrainian private sector to articulate these priorities and needed reforms to an international audience and connect with key government and business stakeholders from leading G7 economies. CIPE’s effort will be distinct from and additive to the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Rome in July by having a sharper focus on cohering and amplifying the voice of Ukrainian business, amplifying their recommendations on the international stage, and embedding these recommendations and priorities in the context of an evolving trade, geoeconomic, and geopolitical realities.

Objectives

The primary objective of this RFP is to engage an organization/consortium in Ukraine with recognized expertise in convening private sector actors and advancing a constructive dialogue on economic reform among government and business in Ukraine. Ultimately, by accomplishing the series of activities outlined in the Scope of Work below, the selected organization/consortium will strengthen the role of the private sector in supporting Ukraine’s economic resilience and drive the country’s continued reform. The goal of these efforts is to identify and cohere the priorities of the Ukrainian private sector, develop recommendations to enhance economic resilience amidst rapid changes in the global trade and the economic and security landscape, elevate them on the international landscape, and advocate on behalf of their implementation.

Scope of Work

The selected organization/consortium will be responsible for:

• Consulting with Private Sector Actors: The selected organization/consortium will launch a participatory consultative process to identify private sector priorities that would enhance Ukraine’s economic resilience. This will require the organization/consortium to identify key themes relevant to Ukraine’s international economic resilience which can serve as the foundation of the consultations and develop a map of key stakeholders to invite and include in the workshops from the Ukrainian private sector. This consultative process will identify the priorities of Ukrainian businesses in navigating the current economic and security landscape, both domestically and internationally. The methodology may consist of a series of public-private dialogue (PPD) sessions, key informant interviews (KIIs), and focus group discussions (FGDs) with representatives of the private sector, key government stakeholders, and members of economic policy think tanks. The selected organization/consortium may also implement a national survey of businesses throughout Ukraine to identify key business priorities. The consultations should engage businesses within various oblasts of Ukraine and target responses from at least 10-12 business associations with wide geographic coverage.
• Conducting Research on Economic Trends: The selected organization/consortium will conduct in-depth desk research on key economic trends affecting Ukrainian businesses and the economic resilience of the country. The research should identify key opportunities for economic growth, legislative gaps, implementation shortcomings of current legislation, and reform priorities.
• Producing Policy Papers: The selected organization/consortium will produce a series of policy papers that identify key recommendations and areas of consensus from business leaders and experts, based on extensive research and the results of the consultation process. This will require the organization/consortium to develop a series of priorities, policy reforms, and specific policy recommendations aimed at both Ukrainian and international audiences published in Ukrainian and English. The purpose of these position papers is to outline specific legislative and regulatory proposals to address existing and emerging challenges resulting from Ukraine’s war-affected economy, while also implementing effective mechanisms to provide swift support to its private sector. The policy recommendations should target policymakers at the national level and focus on increasing Ukraine’s economic resilience and security as well as increasing trade with Western allies including the United States.
• Facilitating a Panel on Key Findings: Representatives from the partner organization/consortium that played key roles in drafting the policy papers will facilitate a panel on their findings during a CIPE-sponsored international conference on Ukraine’s resilience in Europe in fall 2025. Representatives from the partner organization/consortium will be required to travel to a country within Europe that is to be determined and present the findings of the policy papers with key stakeholders.
• Conducting Advocacy: The selected organization/consortium will be responsible for facilitating a series of PPDs with key government officials after the policy papers are published to advocate implementation of identified private sector priorities. The selected organization/consortium should seek to engage relevant committees of the Verkhovna Rada, e.g. the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Development and the Parliamentary Committee on Finance, Tax, and Customs Policy, and Government Ministries and Agencies, e.g. the Ministry of the Economy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, and the State Regulatory Services of Ukraine.

Deliverables

The activities outlined in the Scope of Work will result in:

• A series of policy papers with key recommendations and takeaways from Ukrainian business leaders directed to the Ukrainian government and international decision makers to bolster economic resilience in a changing global context for trade and economic security. The policy papers will be informed by a thorough consultation process and desk research as outlined in the Scope of Work.
• Facilitation of a panel in a major international convening hosted by CIPE in Europe later in 2025, which will bring the voice of Ukrainian business leaders (including those who participate in these roundtables) into an international conversation in partnership with leading G7 business and policy allies of Ukraine.
• A series of PPDs with relevant policymakers to advocate for policy recommendations as outlined in the policy papers.

Eligibility Requirements

• The applicant must be a legally registered nonprofit, non-governmental organization (NGO), research institution, business association, policy think tank, or consortium of such entities.
• Both individual organizations and consortia are eligible to apply, provided that the lead applicant assumes overall responsibility for project coordination, implementation, and reporting.
• The lead applicant or at least one member of the consortium must have a registered operational presence in Ukraine and the capacity to conduct activities across multiple oblasts.
• Demonstrated ability to work in Ukraine’s current political, economic, and security environment is required.
• At least five (5) years of experience in conducting multi-stakeholder consultations, PPDs, or similar participatory processes.
• Experience conducting policy research, legislative analysis, and developing policy recommendations targeting both domestic and international audiences.
• Previous work with or engagement of Ukrainian private sector actors, business associations, and/or government institutions.
• Proven capacity to organize and manage nationwide consultations, including outreach to business associations and stakeholders in multiple oblasts of Ukraine.
• Capability to coordinate international travel and participate in high-level conferences or public forums.

Proposal Requirements

Interested parties should submit a proposal that includes the following elements:

• Please use the proposal and budget template located here: https://bit.ly/449i5BP
• Please ensure your proposal includes:
  • An overview of the organization/consortium, including relevant experience and expertise in implementing similar activities.
  • A detailed description of the proposed methodology for conducting participatory consultations with private sector stakeholders, including:
  • Identification of key themes related to Ukraine’s international economic resilience and security and how they relate to U.S. priorities.
  • Stakeholder mapping strategy, including proposed criteria for selection of businesses and business associations from across multiple oblasts of Ukraine.
  • Approach to conducting Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) sessions, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and, if proposed, a national business survey.
  • A comprehensive research approach for conducting in-depth desk analysis on economic trends affecting Ukraine’s economic resilience.
  • A description of the methodology for synthesizing consultation and research findings into policy papers with actionable, targeted recommendations.
  • Plans for facilitating a policy panel during the CIPE-sponsored international conference in Europe in Fall 2025, including staff roles and logistical preparedness.
  • A proposed advocacy strategy to engage government stakeholders (including parliamentary committees and ministries) in post-publication PPDs to promote the implementation of policy recommendations.
  • A budget breakdown for the proposed activities including staff time, activity cost, travel, etc. Please note that travel to the international convening in Europe should be included in the applicant’s budget. The entire project budget should range from $80,000 – $110,000.
  • Registration documents of the organization or members of the consortium.
  • CVs of key experts.
  • References.
  • The application contains all the requested documents and is submitted in English.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on:

• Only organizations/a consortium based in Ukraine will be considered.
• Quality, clarity, and feasibility of the proposed methodology for stakeholder consultations (PPDs, KIIs, FGDs, and optional survey).
• Comprehensiveness and realism of the proposed approach to conducting desk research on economic trends.
• Integration of consultation and research findings into policy papers with actionable and evidence-based recommendations.
• Relevance of the engagement strategy, especially about businesses from a wide geographic span and engagement of business associations.
• Demonstrated experience in:
  • Conducting multi-stakeholder consultations and public-private dialogues.
  • Producing high-quality policy research and recommendations.
  • Working effectively with both private sector actors and government institutions in Ukraine.
• Qualifications and experience of proposed key personnel.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in Ukraine’s current economic and security context.
• Cost-effectiveness and budget justification. Please note the technical proposal will account for 80% of the overall evaluation score, while the cost proposal (budget) will comprise the remaining 20%.

Reporting Requirements

• The selected organization/consortium will be required to submit weekly updates during implementation and a final narrative report to CIPE upon completion of the project. The final narrative report will be due no later than January 30, 2026. Please note that CIPE is required to reserve some of the project funds until the final report is accepted to ensure compliance and achievement of objectives.
• The selected organization/consortium will be required to report on:
  • The number of businesses and/or associations supported under this objective that participate in project advocacy activities, disaggregated by type of organization/consortium and project activity.
  • The number of economic policy initiatives drafted with support from this project
  • The number of publications from media outlets engaged through this project that accurately report on discussions and proposed solutions from the expert community.

Submission Guidelines

Proposals must be submitted by July 18, 2025 at 5 PM ET to [email protected] with the subject line “Ukraine RFP.” Please ensure all required elements are included in the submission.

Timeline

• RFP Release Date: 6/18/2025
• Proposal Submission Deadline: 7/18/2025
• Selection of Organization/Consortium: 7/25/2025

Contact Information

For any questions or clarifications regarding this RFP, please contact Anna Goltermann, Program Manager, Europe and Eurasia, at [email protected]

We look forward to receiving your proposals and collaborating to elevate the voice of Ukraine’s private sector in the international economic arena.

About CIPE

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is a global organization that works to strengthen democracy and build competitive markets in many of the world’s most challenging environments. Working alongside local partners and tomorrow’s leaders, CIPE advances the voice of business in policymaking, promotes opportunity, and develops resilient and inclusive economies. Visit cipe.org, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter to learn more about CIPE.