EBRD, EIB and EC provide EUR30 mln for preparation of reconstruction projects in Ukraine

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission are launching the Ukraine Facility for Infrastructure Reconstruction (Ukraine FIRST) program with EUR30 million in financing to assist in the preparation of public investment projects for the reconstruction of infrastructure facilities in Ukraine.

The new program will cover the preparation of public investment projects in Ukraine, providing technical assistance, including feasibility studies, environmental assessments, cost estimates and procurement plans, the EBRD press release says.

It is noted that in addition to the initial financing, additional funds are also planned to be provided by EU countries, in particular the Netherlands and Italy.

The program consists of two components. One, managed by the EBRD, will pool donor contributions and provide grants from international financial institutions to support project preparation. The second, led by the EIB, will provide expert advisory services: feasibility studies, technical designs, procurement plans. They will cooperate with the Ukrainian government’s project preparation department.

The pilot project of the program will be a EUR160 million loan to state-owned Ukrnafta for the development of distributed generation and the installation of 250 MW of capacity.

Another project will be technical support from the EIB, in partnership with the World Bank and possibly the EBRD, to prepare investments in the reconstruction and modernization of the M-15 Odesa-Remi highway, the report says.

The Ukraine FIRST program was presented by partners at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 (URC) in Rome. It is part of the Framework for Project Preparation initiative, developed by the Ukrainian government and international partners last year.