EastCode: UNDP and the Ministry of Education and Science announce a competition for innovative IT solutions for communities

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Ukraine together with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine invites everyone to participate in an innovative competition to find creative IT solutions to strengthen and develop the communities of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

About EastCode

The EastCode National IT Solutions Competition for the Communities of Eastern Ukraine is a call for action to increase research, new developments and technology projects that will transform Ukrainian communities into thriving digital communities. Today, the digital transformation of communities is relevant, as local authorities located along the line of contact, where physical movement is limited, need special adaptive tools in the areas of e-democracy, access to services and the environment.

The national IT solutions competition is organized within the framework of the UN Peacebuilding Program and in partnership with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk Regional State Administrations with financial support from the governments of Canada, Denmark, Switzerland and Sweden.

Who are we looking for?

Developers, designers, marketers, activists, representatives of local authorities and businesses are invited to submit the idea of a new service or startup to address pressing issues of local development in eastern Ukraine.

Applications will be accepted from October 12 to November 23, 2020. You can apply for participation here.

Thematic areas

Participants individually or with a team can submit ideas in the following areas:

I. Effective governance and increased citizen participation in decision-making

II. Environmental protection and sustainable local development

III. Modern tools for bringing public services closer to community residents

Grant support for winning projects

Winning projects will be able to receive a grant to implement their ideas from the UN Peacebuilding and Reconstruction Program (grant amount can range from $ 5,000 to $ 10,000 depending on the idea and geography of the project) and support in drawing up a grant application.

More information about the competition can be found here.