Deutschland - Beratungsdienste im Bereich Wirtschaftsförderung - 81322945-Technical Support for Ukraine"s Financial Sector on its Reform and EU Accession Path

Ukraine's economy has faced significant challenges due to the ongoing war, resulting in a significant GDP contraction and only a modest growth forecast of about 2% for 2025. The country is now in its fourth year of operating under wartime conditions, with over 3.6 million internally displaced people and about 5.8 million refugees as of late 2024 and October 2025 respectively. These displacements destabilize households and local economies, while repeated Russian attacks have damaged critical infrastructure, particularly in the heating and energy sectors, affecting production across various industries. Additionally, financing for companies remains constrained also due to war-related risks. Despite these challenges, Ukraine sees potential for economic and financial sector reforms driven by its EU accession aspirations. The Ukraine Plan outlines the government's vision for recovery, reconstruction, and modernisation, aiming to foster the necessary reforms for EU integration. This plan also serves as the basis for funding from the EU's Ukraine Facility, supporting reforms in the economy and financial sector until 2027. Ukraine"s financial sector is undergoing a significant transformation as part of the EU accession process, with the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and financial sector associations playing a key role in aligning and implementing national regulation with EU requirements. The international cooperation programme STEP IN 2 EU is co-funded by the German and Norwegian Governments, and the European Union under its EU4Business initiative and implemented by the German federal company "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH". The programme aims to support the Government of Ukraine in the EU accession progress on economic chapters and create better economic conditions and financing options for Ukrainian companies to benefit from integrating into the EU single market. The overall objective of the Programme is: "The economic policy environment for the EU Single Market integration of Ukrainian businesses, including financing options, has improved." The expected outputs are: - Output 1: "The institutional capacities of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine (MEEA), National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and other relevant actors for drafting economic policy reforms for the EU single market integration of Ukrainian businesses have been strengthened." - Output 2: "Implementation of economic policy reforms to support single market integration of Ukrainian businesses and financial institutions has improved." - Output 3: "The location-based conditions for prioritised sectors in selected regions have improved." - Output 4: "The capacity of selected financial institutions to provide financial services for Ukrainian businesses has improved." This tender covers output 1, 2 and 4 focused on technical support for Ukraine"s financial sector on its reform and EU Accession path as well as improving small and medium sized enterprises" (SME) access to financial services. This assignment forms part of the GIZ Programme STEP IN 2 EU, which supports Ukraine"s EU accession process, economic resilience, and integration into the EU Single Market. The financial sector is one of the most crucial reform areas, and this contract focuses on strengthening the technical, institutional, and operational capacity of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), financial sector associations (AUB, NABU, NASU), and financial institutions throughout the country. Within the above-described context, the contractor is responsible for contributing expert support to achieve targets related to Outputs 1, 2, and 4 in the financial sector. The contractor shall offer comprehensive expert support, technical capacity building, facilitating dialogue and communication with relevant stakeholders in view of EU/international standards and regulation required related to the Ukraine"s EU integration process, and the gradual implementation of respective laws and directives. The support to be provided is primarely on technical level. The main objective is to reinforce institutional and technical readiness for EU integration - especially under Chapter 9 (Financial Services) - by strengthening supervisory capacities, deepening an industry-wide understanding of EU regulatory frameworks, and improving MSME financing ecosystems. Work Package 1: Strengthening Technical Capacity of NBU (Part of Output 1) The scope of this work package encompases delivery of professional training, targeted coaching, and expert guidance on EU regulatory frameworks and international standards (Basel III accord, CRR/CRD, DORA, AML/CFT, Solvency II, etc.). The focus is on building practical, applicable skills and improving supervisory practices. Key deliverables include: - Conducting needs assessments - Designing and delivering training modules - Supporting NBU departments in developing guidelines and policy papers - Assisting in designing and implementting a Summer School format for NBU staff Work Package 2: Capacity Building and Dialogue Facilitation through Associations (Part of Output 2) The tasks within this work package involve support of AUB, NABU, and NASU in planning and delivering training for banks, insurance companies, and non-bank financial service providers. The focus is on strengthening reform readiness across the sector and enhances dialogue between regulators and industry. Key deliverables include: - Creating training plans - Organising and conducting seminars and workshops jointly with the Associations; providing technical inputs - Organising up to four conferences with Ukrainian and EU stakeholders to promote alignment - Facilitating discussions, summaring key findings and providing follow-up recommendations Work Package 3: MSME Financing - Challenges and Opportunities for Financial Institutions in Ukraine (Part of Output 4). The tasks within this work package concentrate on assisting financial institutions expand and improve their MSME financing engagement and portfolio. The focus is on building a more resilient and accessible financing opportunities for businesses. Key deliverables include: - Facilitating dialogue between banks, insurers, SMEs, BDF, and DFIs - Advising on risk management, product development, and diversification of financial products - Supporting the development of export and trade finance instruments - Preparing analytical studies on MSME financing gaps and bottlenecks - Organising expert exchanges with EU institutions and market actors Work Package 4: Project consultation. The tasks within this work package cover ongoing strategic and technical advice to the GIZ Financial Sector Development Team, support alignment across workstreams, and participate in high-level meetings with partners. Key deliverables include: - Contributing to monitoring, reporting, and results documentation - Ensuring coordination between EU-level discussions and the technical work - Providing timely responses to partner requests