Background and context
Supporting anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine is a high political priority for the European Union and Denmark. By combating corruption, the EU contributes to the consolidation of democracy and economic growth of Ukraine, as well as the successful approximation of Ukraine with the EU.
The European Union Anti-Corruption Initiative (EUACI) in Ukraine is a joint EU and Government of Denmark financed programme aimed at supporting Ukraine in its efforts to reduce corruption at the national and local level through empowerment of citizens, civil society, businesses and state institutions. In early 2024, the EUACI entered its phase III which runs till mid-2027. As part of the new phase, the EUACI has been asked to identify activities related to schools.
The school nutrition reform was initiated in 2020 by First Lady Olena Zelenska. During this time, school meals have gone through various stages of improvement to move away from Soviet habits completely.
In 2024, the government allocated UAH 1.5 billion for the modernization of canteens and food service facilities across local communities. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (the Ministry) is responsible for implementing the subvention. The School Nutrition Reform Team, with First Lady Olena Zelenska’s support, works together to implement the reform vision.
In 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the Strategy for Reforming the School Nutrition System (hereinafter – the Strategy) for 2023-2027, and one of the stages of its implementation is the restoration and modernization of canteens in schools using the latest technological processes, improving energy efficiency and following the principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System (HACCP).
In May 2024, the EUACI has received a request to assist in assessing project design of school canteen projects as part of an initiative of School Nutrition Reform project, supported by the Zelenska Foundation and in a partnership with the Ministry.
To allocate subvention funds to projects, the Ministry has set up a Commission to select the projects for funding. According to the procedure established by the Government, applicants submit project applications through the Digital Restoration EcoSystem for Accountable Management (DREAM) software. They fill in information and upload documents in the relevant sections of the Unified Digital System’s electronic cabinet. The Ministry has requested the EUACI to provide support for assessing corruption, sanction and management risks in the project design documentation. EUACI experts have analyzed the projects and provided the necessary recommendations to the Commission.
The design and construction (reconstruction and major repairs) of canteens in secondary schools are carried out using the latest technology, improving energy efficiency, and adhering to HACCP principles. These projects also must comply with fire and safety requirements, Sanitary Regulations for Educational Institutions, state building codes, and national standards for accessibility and safety for people with limited mobility. They must follow the Code of Practice 4:2024, adopted by the state enterprise “Ukrainian Research and Training Center for Standardization, Certification and Quality” on March 25, 2024, under Order No. 98.
Based on the project selection results and EUACI expert`s assessment results, the Ministry, considering the Commission’s proposals, submits distribution proposals for subventions among individual local budgets to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for approval.
As a result of analyzing 187 projects in 2024, 132.9 million UAH was saved and reallocated to include 20 additional schools.
Furthermore, the EUACI team has supported the Ministry in subsequent stages of reform implementation and subvention allocation for canteen modernization. EUACI experts monitored public procurement for construction works and equipment, analyzed the estimates of design project documentation, and provided methodological assistance, including issuing guidelines on transparent procurement and technical supervision for construction work contractors. Currently, remote monitoring of canteen construction processes is ongoing, with experts analyzing:
- Construction documentation to ensure it adheres to approved technological solutions;
- Construction works;
- Equipment specifications and procurement;
- All engineering communications;
- Equipment installation and mounting;
- Signing acceptance forms.
Remote monitoring is conducting based on the results of the analysis of photo materials and forms of acceptance (KB forms) provided by the construction customers.
The submission of these materials by construction customers is carried out under the control and coordination of the Ministry.
The reporting procedure is established by the Resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine related for providing subventions from the state budget to local budgets for the procurement of equipment, creation and modernization (reconstruction and overhaul) of canteens (catering units) of general secondary education institutions.
In 2025 the State Budget of Ukraine also allocates 960 million UAH in subventions for the modernization of canteens under new projects. The Ministry has requested EUACI for further cooperation and support in:
- Analyze prioritized design project documentation (via the DREAM system) for technical, technological, corruption, and sanctions risks. The expert is expected will analyze at least 200 projects.
- Conduct remote monitoring of canteens building processes, including analysis of photo materials of ongoing building processes, forms of acceptance of work for overprizing, corruption risks, compliance of works with technological solutions.
This support also aims to keep ongoing projects on track for implementation.
To complete this task, EUACI needs to find an expert with experience in project management, construction monitoring, risk assessment, and technological processes.
The involvement of such an expert will provide for the effective execution of the task and achievement of the set goals.
Objective:
The main objective of this assignment is to support the Ministry in the effective and transparent implementation of subventions for school canteens. The Construction and Risk Assessment Expert is expected to conduct risk assessment of design projects and organize distance monitoring of construction works of canteens.
Scope of work:
The scope of work of the assignment includes different tasks, including, but not necessarily limited to:
І. Assessment of design documentation:
1.Conducting a technical and technological analysis of project documentation to determine its compliance with standards and technical requirements (Code of Practice 4:2024 “Guidelines for the Design of Food Service Facilities for Preschool and General Secondary Schools, Children’s Health and Recreation Facilities in accordance with Catering Models”, adopted by the Order of the National Standardization Body of the State Enterprise “UkrNDNC” No. 98 of 25 March 2024) (Code), in particular:
- technical plan of the canteen for one of the models of organization of the canteen premises, in particular: canteen of the of the base kitchen and canteen of the main kitchen;
- canteen – a recipient of ready-made hot food;
- canteen – a recipient of ready-made refrigerated food;
- technical plan of the canteen (by the selected model) to the zone requirements of the canteen premises; analysis of the compliance of technological processes and flows with the requirements and principles of HACCP;
- the area of the canteen and the area of each zone in accordance with the number of children studying at the school (Annex A of the Code);
- technological equipment to the Code (specification, quantity) (Annexes B, C, D of the Code).
2. Analysing the financial estimates of selected projects to ensure that they are not overstated for the procurement of goods, equipment, works, and services, with the aim of reducing corruption risks.
Specifically, assessment of the selected projects for:
- Overpricing of equipment.
- Presence of work types that are not covered by the subsidy for the construction for construction (reconstruction and major repairs) of canteens in secondary schools.
- Analysing the design project documentation to identify the presence of equipment originating from sanctioned countries. This assessment is crucial for ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and for mitigating potential risks associated with the procurement of such equipment.
II. The distance construction monitoring
1. Support in drafting policies on distance monitoring and control of construction works of canteens.
2. Minimizing the risks related to the performance of unnecessary works, construction cost overestimation, lack of compliance with construction legislation and other risks during construction and to conduct an analysis of the process of implementing each project
3. Analysis Compliance with current legislation, project decisions, cost of equipment.
4. Analysis and monitoring of forms of acceptance of work (KB forms) for compliance with current legislation, project decisions, cost of equipment, compliance of the specified types of work with the technological solution.
Timeline
The intended commencement date is the date of signature of the contract with the consultant and the period of implementation of the contract will be 9 months / up to 190 working days with a tentative start on the March 2025 and completion on the December 2025.
Budget
The budget should not exceed 32 000 EUR (up to 168 EUR per day).
Requirements to the Service Provider
The contract will be awarded to the expert meeting the following criteria:
General qualifications:
- a minimum of a bachelor degree in construction, engineering, or a similar field is required;
- Experience in project management and/or monitoring of canteens construction will be an asset;
- experience in the construction industry and project management, conducting corruption and/or managerial risks assessments will be an asset;
- fluency in Ukrainian is required.
Adequacy for the assignment:
a) a minimum of 3 years of professional experience working with construction projects;
b) proven experience in cooperation with stakeholders in the national government, local self-government, development partners, state enterprises, public contracting authorities, and civil society in building processes;
The consultant may sub-contract other qualified experts to assist in this work after approval by the EUACI.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
Definition of indicators
The performance of the contractor will be judged upon reaching the purpose of this contract as well as obtaining its results, as indicated in the sections “Objective” and “Expected Deliverables” herein respectively.
Special requirements
By signing the contract, the contractor (and its representatives) agree to hold in trust and confidence any information or documents (“confidential information”), disclosed to the contractor or discovered by the contractor or prepared by the contractor in the course of or as a result of the implementation of the contract and agrees that it shall be used only for the purposes of the contract implementation and shall not be disclosed to any third party without EUACI authorization.
The contractor reports to the EUACI.
The developed deliverables can be checked (as a quality assurance) and payments will be provided by the quality assurance results.
Bidding Details
The bidder must submit the following information to be considered:
- The CV (no more than three pages long) of each key expert that should include a description of the previous relevant assignments, and key duties on this assignment.
- A portfolio that includes a list of assignments similar to this project executed in the last five years.
- A budget for the services in EUR, inclusive of all taxes or other such charges with a calculation of 190 working days.
How to Apply
The deadline for submitting the proposals is 30 of March 2025, 18:00 Kyiv time.
The proposals shall be submitted within the above deadline to [email protected] with copy to [email protected] indicating the subject line “Consultant for Risk Assessment”.
Bidding language: English
Any clarification questions for the bid request should be addressed to [email protected], no later than 26 March 2025, 18:00 Kyiv time.
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More details in attachment document.