The Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) has announced its 2026 calls for proposals, inviting organisations to apply for funding to implement projects across Estonian partner countries.
This year’s calls cover a wide geographic scope. Funding applications can be submitted also for projects in Ukraine: The call aims to support Ukraine’s EU integration-related reforms and to strengthen societal resilience in the face of long-term Russian aggression. Deadline: 30 January 2026.
“Supporting Ukraine is and will remain Estonia’s priority, and this is clearly visible in the call. At the same time, we have introduced a stronger regional approach in both Europe and Africa to better link Estonia’s development cooperation with external financing. This should create new global opportunities for our partner organisations to grow their impact,” ESTDEV’s CEO Klen Jäärats said.
The Estonian Centre for International Development Cooperation announces:
APPLICATION ROUND
projects aimed at supporting Ukraine in reform processes related to European Union integration and contributing to the resilience of society, which is caused by Russia’s long-term aggression.
The estimated budget for the application round is 1,500,000 euros. The deadline for submitting applications is 30.01.2026.
NB! The application is submitted grants.kul.ee environment. To see more detailed application information, you must log in to the environment.
Applicant
- The requirements for the applicant are set out in § 8 of Regulation No. 11 of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of 3 October 2025 “Conditions and Procedure for Providing Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid” (hereinafter the Regulation).
Requirements
- The activities to be implemented must be aligned with the priorities and development plans of the target country and with the priorities of Estonia’s international cooperation. Projects must support the horizontal objectives of development cooperation and help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. All activities must meet the ODA eligibility criteria set by the OECD.
Criteria
- The application evaluation criteria can be found grants.kul.ee from the environment and the end of the page
Initial task
The application round supports activities that correspond to the following areas of activity.
Supporting good governance and democratic development
- activities that support Ukraine’s democratic governance, human rights, the fight against corruption, and contribute to the implementation of reforms necessary for accession to the European Union;
- activities that strengthen the development of independent media and society’s resilience to disinformation;
- Activities that support the democratic governance of local governments and the modernization of services, including the development of e-services, increasing transparency and citizen participation, and strengthening the institutional resilience and crisis management capacity of local governments in war and recovery situations in Zhytomyr region.
Supporting entrepreneurship and economic development
- activities aimed at promoting small businesses, including preparation for entry into the EU internal market;
- activities related to the development of innovation, start-up entrepreneurship and the green technology ecosystem;
Supporting the implementation of educational reforms and modernizing education systems
- activities that support the strengthening of education quality and management systems, the professional development of educational leaders, and the development of digitally enabled and learning-enhancing solutions, focusing on promoting an innovative and inclusive school culture and ensuring equity and access for all learners;
- activities that promote the professional development of teachers, the implementation of competency-based and learner-centered learning, and the development of digital pedagogy, creativity, and problem-solving skills;
- activities that strengthen the coherence between education and the labour market, including the creation of partnerships between schools, businesses and communities to increase the relevance of education to the world of work and support practical entrepreneurial learning, the development of digital and financial literacy, helping young people to more successfully enter the labour market and contribute to the development of society.
Increasing the inclusion and participation of women and girls
- activities that develop the leadership and digital competencies of female leaders, support equal access to STEM education for girls, and encourage participation in the IT and technology sector, helping all learners realize their potential and contribute to the development of society.
Modernization of the healthcare sector
- activities aimed at training and strengthening professional competence of healthcare professionals, including in-service and retraining programs, practical training and training of trainers, to ensure the growth of the quality and sustainability of healthcare services;
- activities aimed at developing the health education system and curricula, supporting compliance with international standards and the development of modern curricula and training programs;
- activities that support cooperation and knowledge transfer between healthcare institutions and higher education institutions, including increasing the capacity of hospitals and higher education institutions, developing digital learning and guidance solutions, and strengthening international partnerships;
- activities aimed at improving the availability and quality of healthcare services, and the integration of healthcare and social services.
Supporting the development of digital development and cyber literacy
- activities that promote knowledge transfer of e-government best practices and related reforms, including through international cooperation, training and exchange of experiences, to strengthen public sector capacity and accelerate digital transformation;
- activities that promote the development and implementation of e-government and artificial intelligence solutions that increase the efficiency, transparency and quality of public administration and the services provided to citizens, and create the conditions for data-based decision-making;
- activities that support the development of digital skills and awareness of the population, including the promotion of knowledge related to data and cybersecurity skills, the use of artificial intelligence, and the implementation of e-services in various social groups;
- activities that strengthen the cyber resilience of society, including increasing risk management, incident response and awareness-raising capabilities, and promoting cooperation between the public, private sectors and civil society.
Scholarship activities
Within the framework of the application round, it is allowed to plan scholarship activities aimed at supporting knowledge transfer, skills development and capacity building in target countries, based on the needs of the target countries and the overall objectives of the project. Additional funding of up to 50,000 euros in addition to the total project volume may be applied for for scholarship activities.
The scholarship may include:
- completing a continuing education program or short-term training in Estonia, the destination country or as e-learning;
- study or internship formats conducted at universities, research institutions and vocational education institutions;
- learning modules, job shadowing or internship programs that support mentoring or knowledge transfer.
Eligible costs for scholarship activities:
- tuition or training fees (based on the institution’s price list),
- travel and living expenses of participants,
- visa and insurance costs,
- Organizational and mentoring costs related to the study program (up to 5% of the scholarship budget).
Implementation requirements:
- Scholarship activities must be directly related to the overall goal of the project and strengthen the competence of the project beneficiaries.
- The curriculum must have defined clear learning outcomes and be based on the development needs of the target country.
- The study can take place in Estonia, in the target country, or as e-learning, depending on the relevance of the program and the capabilities of the target group.
Contact
Marika Kundla, project manager, [email protected]