Senior Expert on Optimizing the Network of Vocational and Professional Pre-higher Education Institutions

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST ( LEARN-2.5-EUE-7- Senior Expert on Optimizing the Network of Vocational and Professional Pre-higher Education Institutions) UKRAINE Lifting Education Access and Resilience in Times of Need in Ukraine Program GPE № TF0D0613 Assignment Title: Senior Expert on Optimizing the Network of Vocational and Professional Pre-higher Education Institutions No . LEARN-2.5-EUE-7 Ukraine and World Bank have signed the agreements for the Program "Lifting Education Access and Resilience in times of Need in Ukraine Program" (hereinafter referred to as the LEARN or Operation). LEARN was developed to address critical challenges and provide essential support to the education sector, aligning with the Ministry of Education and Science's (MoES) Strategic Action Plan. The Senior Expert on Optimizing the Network of Vocational and Professional Pre-higher Education Institutions provides expert and analytical support to the MoES in coordinating activities for preparing regional plans for the formation of the network of vocational and professional pre-higher education institutions by local authorities, according to the Methodological Guidelines for Forming the Network of Institutions of Vocational and Professional Pre-higher Education, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Order No. 216-r of March 4, 2026.. The Consultant will be contracted through competitive selection in line with Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers, Feb 2025. The detailed Terms of Reference and submission modalities for the assignment are attached to this Request for Expression of Interest. MOES now invites qualified interested persons to submit their expression of interest in Ukrainian and English as provided in the Terms of reference. The deadline for submission of applications is 14:00 am Kyiv time May 19, 2026. TERMS OF REFERENCE Consulting Services (Individual Consultant) Senior Expert on Optimizing the Network of Vocational and Professional Pre-higher Education Institutions LEARN Contract No. LEARN-2.5-EUE-7 Lifting Education Access and Resilience in Times of Need in Ukraine Project GPE № TF0D0613 Background Ukraine and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (hereinafter referred to as the IBRD or the World Bank) have signed the agreements for the Program "Lifting Education Access and Resilience in times of Need in Ukraine Program" (hereinafter referred to as the LEARN or Operation). LEARN was designed to address critical issues and provide the necessary support to the education sector in accordance with the Strategic Action Plan of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine until 2027, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine dated 07.03.2024 No. 276 (hereinafter referred to as the Strategic Plan). The Operation focuses on supporting the priorities "1. Early Childhood and Preschool Education" and "2. Reform of the "New Ukrainian School"" stipulated in the Strategic Plan. The LEARN objectives are: (i) to improve teaching and learning conditions; and (ii) to strengthen the management capacity of the education system. The total LEARN financing amounts to US$451 million provides a combination of the World Bank financing instruments: Program for Results (PforR) and Investment Project Financing (IPF). The Program-for-Results (PforR) is implemented through a US$235 million credit provided by Bank resources, supported by credit enhancement from the Advancing Needed Credit Enhancement for Ukraine (ADVANCE Ukraine) Trust Fund, which is backed by the Government of Japan. This is formalized under the Financing Agreement between Ukraine and the International Development Association for the Program (CREDIT No 9721-UA). An additional US$150 million is provided under the Special Program for Ukraine and Moldova Recovery (SPUR) of the International Development Association (IDA) Crisis Facility, as outlined in the Loan Agreement between Ukraine and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the Program (LOAN No 7626-UA). On July 1, 2025, the Financing Agreement (Additional Financing: Lifting Education Access and Resilience in Times of Need in Ukraine Program) between Ukraine and the International Development Association (CREDIT No 7905-UA) was signed in the amount of US$4.9 million. Furthermore, US$30 million in Investment Project Financing (IPF) is secured under the Grant Agreement between Ukraine and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association, acting as the administrator of the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction, and Reform Multi-Donor Trust Fund (URTF GRANT No TF0C5794). On December 19, 2025, the Grant Agreement (Additional Financing for Lifting Education Access and Resilience in Times of Need in Ukraine Project) between UKRAINE and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association jointly acting as a Supervising Entity for the Global Partnership for Education Fund and as administrator of the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Multi-Donor Trust Fund (GPE GRANT No TF0D0613, URTF GRANT No TF0D0612) was signed in the amount of US$31.1 million. More detailed information about the LEARN program is provided at https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/project-detail/P504171 The latest additional grant agreement provides for expanded support for reforms in the education sector, in particular by: financing activities for the development of preschool education; providing grant support of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to implement educational reforms. In accordance with the provisions of the agreements concluded, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is responsible for the overall implementation, coordination, monitoring and reporting on t