The Global Disability Fund (GDF) is pleased to announce the launch of its new Call for Proposals, Ukraine’s Cities: Inclusive by Design — Disability-Inclusive Relief, Recovery and Reconstruction for Cities and Communities.
Ukraine’s recovery presents a critical opportunity to ensure cities are rebuilt for everyone. Decisions made today about infrastructure, housing, transport, public services, governance, and financing can either reinforce existing barriers or create more accessible, inclusive, and resilient communities from the outset.
This opportunity is particularly significant in Ukraine, where an estimated 6 million people live with disabilities, and where conflict-related injuries, trauma, displacement, and disruptions to essential services continue to increase support needs. More than 2 million persons with disabilities are among those requiring humanitarian assistance, while around two-thirds of displaced households include at least one person with a disability.
Yet persons with disabilities remain under-identified and under-served in both humanitarian and recovery efforts. In 2024, only 12% of people reached through the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan were recorded as having a disability, highlighting persistent gaps in data, coordination, and service delivery.
With recovery and reconstruction needs estimated at nearly USD 588 billion over the next decade, Ukraine has a rare opportunity to embed accessibility, inclusive services, OPD leadership, and disability-inclusive governance and financing into recovery systems from the start.
This Call for Proposals aims to place disability inclusion at the heart of Ukraine’s urban relief, recovery, and reconstruction agenda. It will support cities and communities across the crisis-to-recovery continuum: from urban areas facing acute humanitarian challenges to those advancing large-scale recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Funding Lots
The call is structured around three funding lots:
Lot 1: Scale What Works: Supporting proven solutions for disability-inclusive recovery and reconstruction.
Lot 2: Build What’s Missing: Supporting innovative models for inclusive urban service delivery.
Lot 3: Reach Those in Crisis: Supporting disability-inclusive relief, humanitarian response, and early recovery.
Eligibility and Partnership Requirements
The call is open to eligible organizations working in Ukraine, subject to the specific requirements of each lot.
Applications must be submitted through a multi-stakeholder consortium that includes at least one Organization of Persons with Disabilities (OPD) as a formal consortium partner. A minimum of 10% of the total programme budget must be allocated to OPDs for direct implementation and fund management.
Key Dates
- Deadline for questions and requests for clarification: 5 August 2026
- Deadline for Expressions of Interest (EOIs): 10 August 2026
- Submission email: globaldisabilityfundcalls@undp.org
Selection Process
The selection process will be conducted in two stages.
Step 1: Expression of Interest
Applicants will submit an Expression of Interest outlining their proposed intervention and demonstrating eligibility. Eligible submissions will undergo a technical assessment against predefined criteria. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to proceed to the next stage, with consideration also given to geographic, thematic, and stakeholder diversity.
Step 2: Full Proposal
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to submit full proposals using GDF guidance and templates. Eligible and compliant proposals will be assessed by an independent external review panel against predefined criteria. The panel’s assessment will inform funding recommendations submitted to the Programme Committee, alongside considerations related to thematic, geographic, and stakeholder balance.
For full details, including eligibility requirements and application guidance, please consult the Call for Proposals documentation.
UN GDF – Ukraine Inclusive Cities Call
