General background
The EU Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine (EUACI) is the European Union’s technical support program in the area of anti-corruption in Ukraine, co-funded and implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Denmark. The overall objective of the EUACI is to achieve significant progress in preventing and countering corruption, ensuring the coherence and systemic anti-corruption activities of state and local self-government bodies, and to empower civil society and citizens to contribute to the combatting of corruption, as well as the proper process of Ukraine’s post-war recovery. The program runs till April 2027.
One of the key beneficiaries of the EUACI is the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Established in 2015, SAPO is a prosecutorial agency with a primary mandate to prosecute high-level corruption, including criminal offences committed by senior public officials and cases affecting national security. In March 2024, SAPO was reorganised into an independent prosecutorial body with the status of a legal entity under public law. This reform granted SAPO institutional autonomy and created the organisational and legal conditions for further development. SAPO identified the enhancement of international cooperation as one of strategic priorities in its new institutional status.
During 2024 and 2025, with technical assistance and expert support from the EUACI, SAPO actively developed collaborations with international partners. Numerous official and working-level meetings were organised in Ukraine and abroad, involving SAPO representatives at various levels and leading international institutions, including the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation (IRZ), the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS, United States), and others.
New working channels for information exchange were established with a wide range of partners in EU Member States, including Poland, Romania, Croatia, France, Spain, and Germany, thereby strengthening coordination on international cooperation and improving responsiveness in cross-border cases. A key milestone in this process was the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between SAPO and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in October 2025, marking an important step towards closer institutional collaboration at the European level.
To consolidate these achievements and further strengthen SAPO’s international partnerships, the EUACI will continue its efforts to reinforce SAPO’s institutional capacity in international cooperation. This will include the provision of expert advisory support to SAPO’s leadership and newly appointed staff, ensuring the sustainable development of international engagement in line with SAPO’s strategic objectives and operational priorities.
Objective
The objective of this activity is to enhance SAPO’s institutional effectiveness and capacity to perform according to its mandate through strengthened international cooperation.
Scope of work
The scope of work of SAPO’s International Adviser will include, the following:
- Establishing, maintaining, and developing partnerships between SAPO and international stakeholders, including embassies, foreign representations, intergovernmental organisations, law enforcement and prosecutorial bodies of EU Member States and other countries, as well as international technical assistance projects;
- Initiate discussions with the Austrian Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office on structuring inter-institutional relations (data exchange, mutual legal assistance coordination, confiscation, and asset recovery);
- Providing specialised advice to the Head of SAPO on maintaining the achieved level of international cooperation and further developing SAPO’s international cooperation;
- Supporting and providing expert accompaniment for the Head of SAPO, and, as delegated, other SAPO staff, during international visits, negotiations, roundtables, and other events in Ukraine and abroad;
- Delivering expert support to SAPO staff on matters of international legal cooperation, including engagement with foreign counterparts, international law enforcement structures, and professional networks;
- Providing mentoring support to the SAPO staff responsible for international cooperation, when appointed through an open competition;
- Performing other tasks within the scope of the project and as assigned by the Head of SAPO.
The scope of work can be adjusted based on discussions between the Service Provider, EUACI and SAPO leadership if other activities become more relevant to achieving the objective.
Deliverables
- Sustained and enhanced mechanisms of cooperation between SAPO and its international partners, including the deepening of existing partnerships and expansion of the institutional network engaged in cooperation with SAPO;
- Strengthened SAPO visibility and standing in the international arena through expert and organisational support for high-level visits, bilateral and multilateral meetings;
- Enhanced institutional capacity of SAPO in the field of international legal cooperation through expert advice and mentoring support for the designated staff;
- Successful organisation and expert facilitation of at least one international visits undertaken by SAPO leadership and staff;
- Preparation of comprehensive informational and briefing materials, including meeting notes and analytical summaries, to support engagement with international partners;
- Submission of a detailed final report (not exceeding five pages) outlining the results achieved and providing strategic recommendations for further action. The report shall be submitted in Ukrainian with an English translation, subject to EUACI approval.
Qualifications
The assignment might be implemented by a Service provider (as a private entrepreneur) who has the following qualifications:
- A higher education degree in international relations, law, or a related discipline.
- A minimum of 4 years of professional experience in the field of international cooperation.
- Demonstrated experience in mentoring and supporting new staff members.
- Familiarity with Ukraine’s anti-corruption reforms will be considered an advantage.
- Fluency in Ukrainian and English is essential. Proficiency in additional languages, such as German or French, will be regarded as an asset.
Budget, timeframe, and location
Budget Ceiling: The maximum allowable budget for the entirety of the activity is up to EUR 10,000.
Duration: The contract shall enter into force upon signature and shall remain valid for a maximum period of three (3) months. It is expected that the Service Provider will work between 15 and 22 days per month. Subject to the proposal submitted by the Service Provider.
The EUACI will award only one contract to fulfil this objective.
Location: It is expected that the Service Provider will spend at least half of the time working from SAPO premises (Kyiv, Ukraine), with potential international travel as necessary.
Payment Terms: Remuneration shall be made on a monthly basis, contingent upon the Service Provider’s submission of a written activity report detailing the number of consultations/activities/documents delivered during the relevant period, subject to the EUACI’s review. All the payments under the contract will be made on a monthly basis in UAH according to the official NBU exchange rate published on the business day of the invoice issuance by the contractor. Payments will be made based on invoices and timesheets approved by SAPO and EUACI representatives.
Reporting and management
The performance of the Service Provider will be judged upon reaching the purpose of this contract as well as obtaining its results, as indicated in the section “Objective” and “Deliverables” herein respectively. Moreover, the performance of the Service Provider will be judged upon the successful implementation of all the specific activities indicated in Section “Scope of work” of this document
By signing the contract, the Service Provider agrees to hold in trust and confidence any information or documents (“confidential information”) disclosed to the Service Provider or discovered by the Service Provider or prepared by the Service Provider in the course of or as a result of the implementation of the contract, and agrees that it shall be used only for the contract implementation and shall not be disclosed to any third party. The Service Provider also agrees not to retain copies of any written information or prototypes in its archive and for its use.
Regular reporting to the EUACI on the progress of contract implementation is mandatory. Regular briefings will be conducted on weekly basis. The Service Provider should refer to the Head of SAPO and Head of Organisational, Legal and Information-Analytical Department.
How to apply
The deadline for submitting the proposal is 1 December 12:00, Kyiv time.
All interested candidates should submit:
- CV of the Service Provider.
- Financial proposal outlining the daily rate, total number of working days, as well as an estimate of international travel costs, if applicable.
- Motivation letter of the Service Provider (not exceeding one page in length).
The proposal shall include the aforementioned information and should be submitted within the above deadline to [email protected] cc to [email protected], indicating the subject line: National Adviser on International Relations for SAPO.
You will receive an auto-reply from the [email protected] mailbox when the offer has been received. If you do not receive an auto-reply, your offer was not received and you should contact the EUACI by phone.
Bidding language: English.
Any clarification questions regarding the terms of reference should be addressed to [email protected], not later than 30 November, 12:00 Kyiv time.