Consultancy Services for Establishment and Operationalisation of Supervisory Boards in Vocational Education Institutions

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES - FIRMS SELECTION) Country: Ukraine Name of Project: Lifting Education Access and Resilience in Times of Need in Ukraine Program Grant No.: TF0C5794 Assignment Title: Consultancy Services for Establishment and Operationalisation of Supervisory Boards in Vocational Education Institutions Reference No . (as per Procurement Plan): LEARN-2.3-VET-SB Ukraine has received financing from the World Bank toward the cost of the Lifting Education Access and Resilience in Times of Need in Ukraine Program, and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services. The consulting services (hereinafter - the Services) include supporting the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine in scaling up the establishment and operationalisation of at least 300 Supervisory Boards (SBs) in vocational education (VE) institutions nationwide. Supervisory Boards are intended to serve as structured platforms for cooperation between VE institutions, founders (local authorities), employers, and local communities. Their role includes strategic oversight, support to institutional development, and facilitation of alignment between training provision and labour market needs. The Services are expected to commence in autumn 2026 and will be provided over a period of 12 months. The required objective of the Services must be achieved by the Consultant within the agreed program and in accordance with the Ukrainian legislation, the World Bank's policies and rules and requirements of the Terms of Reference (TOR), which is attached. Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (hereinafter - Client/MOES) now invites eligible consulting firms (hereinafter - Consultants) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The evaluation of the expressions of interest provided by the Consultants will be carried out based on the following criteria: Legal status The company is registered as a legal entity in Ukraine or abroad (in the case of foreign company, the representative office/JV/consortium with local firm should exist by the date of the Contract signing).. Core Business and Experience At least 6 (six) years of experience in the education sector governance, institutional development, public administration reform, or related fields; At least 4 successfully completed assignments during the last 6 years in one or more of the following areas: capacity building programs; governance reform; institutional management support; vocational education or education sector projects. In case of a JVCA, the Lead Member shall demonstrate substantial compliance with the above requirements, including at least: 6 ( six) years of relevant experience; and participation in at least 2 (two) relevant assignments. The JVCA as a whole must meet all qualification requirements. Financial stability Average annual turnover for the last 3 completed financial years shall be at least USD 250,000 or equivalent. In case of JVCA: Lead Member: minimum 50% of the annual turnover requirement; Other members: minimum 25% of the annual turnover requirement; Combined: must fully meet the annual turnover requirement. Audited financial statements or verified financial documents shall be provided. Experience with Donor-Funded Projects At least one assignment financed by IFIs or bilateral donors (e.g., World Bank, EBRD, EU, GIZ, etc.) within the last 5 years. Staff Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage. Only the Consultant with the highest ranking, determined in accordance with the established Consultant qualification evaluation criteria, will be required to confirm the qualifications and experience of the key experts. The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs, 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank's "Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers" September 2023 with amendments of September 2025 (hereinafter - Procurement Regulations), setting forth the World Bank's policy on conflict of interest. Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or a sub-consultancy. In the case of a joint venture, all the partners in the joint venture shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected. In the case of foreign company, the representative office/JV/consortium with local firm should exist by the date of the Contract signing. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Selection Based on Consultants' Qualifications (CQS) method described in the Procurement Regulations. Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form, in Ukrainian or English, to the address below by e-mail by September 04, 2026, 2:00 pm local time . Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine Attn: Anastasiia Sofiienko - Project Coordinator E-mail: [e-mail removed – see original notice] CC: [e-mail removed – see original notice], [e-mail removed – see original notice] Expressions of interest to be clearly marked: " LEARN-2.3-VET-SB: Expression of Interest " . TERMS OF REFERENCE Consultancy Services for Establishment and Operationalisation of Supervisory Boards in Vocational Education Institutions Contract LEARN-2.3-VET-SB I. BACKGROUND Ukraine with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association (hereinafter referred to as the World Bank) have signed the agreements for the Program "Lifting Education Access and Resilience in times of Need in Ukraine" (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