Introduction
The Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA), hosted by UN-Habitat in Bonn, Germany, spearheads a global movement promoting Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs). These not-for-profit, peer-support arrangements empower well-performing water and sanitation service providers (mentors) to support other providers (mentees) in building capacity and enhancing service delivery.
The Project
This project seeks to strengthen the capacity of two Ukrainian water utilities—Zaporizhzhia City Municipal Water Utility and Krivbassvodokanal (Kriv Rih Municipal Water Utility)—through the WOPs approach. It addresses the critical need for improved access to sustainable water and sanitation services in the face of infrastructural degradation, war-related damages, and climate-related vulnerabilities. The project also aims to foster replicable WOP models across Ukraine, in partnership with UNICEF Ukraine Country Office.
Eligibility of Partners
- Eligible Applicants: Only public water and sanitation utilities from all regions.
- Collaborative Applications: Allowed with:
- Other public utilities
- Not-for-profit relevant organizations
- Lead Partner: Must be a public utility; Agreement of Cooperation will be signed with them.
- Personnel: Must be primarily utility staff; local Ukrainian consultants may be contracted.
- Required Competencies:
- Adherence to GWOPA’s Code-of-Conduct and not-for-profit principles.
- Proven experience in peer-based capacity building (WOP-type projects).
- Proven track record of performance aligned with international water and sanitation standards.
- Deep knowledge of EU water/sanitation norms and directives.
- Prior collaboration with Ukrainian utilities is a strong advantage.
Submission Requirements and Guidelines
Applicants must provide:
- Name of the Ukrainian mentee utility they intend to partner with.
- Proof of not-for-profit status for themselves and partners.
- Terms of Reference (ToR) for recruitment of a local Ukrainian consultant/partner.
- Signed GWOPA Code of Conduct (Annex 2).
- Supporting documents outlining experience, track record, and EU standards alignment.
- A motivation letter.
- A detailed approach and timeline of activities, including remote engagement modalities.
- A provisional budget using the provided template (Annex 3).
Submission Requirement and Guidelines
- Email: Send EOIs to unhabitat.ubss.eoi@un.org
- Subject line: “UKRAINE WOPs EOI”
- CC: anne.bousquet@un.org, kennedy.kamau@un.org
- Contact for Clarification:
- Anne Bousquet (anne.bousquet@un.org)
- Kennedy Kamau (kennedy.kamau@un.org)
Note: Applicants should refer to the complete requirements of the call in the Annex 1: Full call package.
Links
- Annex 1: Full call package - English
- Mentee profile for Krivbassvodokanal (Kriv Rih Municipal Water Utility) - English
- Mentee profile for Zaporizhzhia City Municipal Water Utility - English
- Annex 2. Gwopa code of conduct (to be signed and submitted with the application)-English
- Annex 3: WOP Project Level Budget Template - English