Impact.Zhytomyr 2.0 Forum: Revitalization projects presented in Kyiv

On November 25, Kyiv hosted the Impact.Zhytomyr 2.0 Forum — the final event of a three-month educational program designed to strengthen local initiatives, transform ideas into concrete action plans, and attract international funding.

The Impact.Zhytomyr 2.0 Forum featured the welcome remarks by Mariin Ratnik, Undersecretary for Economic and Development Affairs of the MFA of Estonia; Vitalii Bunechko, Head of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration; Klen Jäärats, Executive Director of  Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV); as well as representatives of the Embassies of Estonia and Switzerland in Ukraine. The event brought together local government leaders from 15  communities across the region and international partners, including representatives of the Belgian development agency Enabel, the German Marshall Fund (GMF), EIB JASPERS, and SIDA.

“Estonia has been supporting Ukraine continuously in its efforts to win this war but also to win the peace. We help to recover Ukraine not only with cement and mortar but with strengthening the resilience of its people through sharing knowledge and developing the expertise of local government officials. I am glad to see an excellent outcome of Impact Zhytomyr 2.0. Now it is up to you to make a real impact.”– said Mariin Ratnik, Undersecretary  for Economic and Development Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia.

“Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Estonia became the first among our international partners to respond to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call to partner with the Ukrainian regions in reconstruction initiatives. Together with ESTDEV, we have already implemented a number of important projects in education, healthcare, community support, and assistance to internally displaced persons. More projects are in progress or being prepared for the future. We are confident that together we can do even more to strengthen our regions and improve people’s well-being. Our cooperation has long grown from a reliable partnership into true friendship,”– said Vitalii Bunechko, Head of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration.

More than 60 participants of Impact.Zhytomyr 2.0 received three months of individual mentorship from Civitta UA experts, where they learned how to develop viable projects to attract funding and drive change in the region.

During the Impact.Zhytomyr 2.0 Forum, the finalist teams pitched their community development project concepts for the Zhytomyr region to international partners:

• revitalization of Zhovten Cinema and creation of the “Zshyto” creative economy space in Zhytomyr;
• a children’s extracurricular education center, pediatric center, and public safety video surveillance system in Berdychiv;
• STEM laboratories in Brusyliv;
• youth hub “NE_SYDY_MOLOD” in Horodnytsia community;
• energy-efficient modernization of a lyceum in Luhyny community;
• career guidance center “The Future is Here” in Semenivka community;
• mobile medical teams with mammography services for five communities in the region;
• waste sorting eco-initiative in Cherniakhiv community;
• psychosocial support system for healthcare workers in Ovruch;
• modernization of wastewater treatment facilities in the Irshansk community.

The jury awarded “Mobile Medicine for Remote Communities of Zhytomyr Region”. The project provides accessible diagnostics and mammography services for women in small communities – Olevsk, Slovechne, Ovruch, Hradkivka, and Narodychi. It promotes medical equity and equal access to healthcare. The winners received a symbolic “ticket to Tallinn” for the study trip to Estonia.

The forum also featured a networking session, enabling the finalist teams to connect directly with international development partners.

Impact.Zhytomyr 2.0 is the continuation of Impact.Zhytomyr 1.0, implemented by Civitta in partnership with the University of Tartu and supported by ESTDEV.

The first phase focused on enhancing the institutional capacity of local governments to develop and implement internationally funded projects, with special emphasis on EU financing. More than 280 participants from 64 communities gained practical skills in project management, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable development. As a result, 150 participants developed 63 project concepts and submitted grant applications.

“Impact Zhytomyr 2.0 is a natural continuation of the first phase of the program. Improving the capacity of local governments will have a significant impact on accelerating Ukraine’s recovery and meeting European Union standards.” – said Margus Gering, Head of Development Cooperation in Ukraine at ESTDEV.

According to Yaroslav Zhydyk, Associate Partner at Civitta and Head of Regional Development at EasyBusiness, analytical thinking, understanding the logic of rapid transformation, and donor requirements are critical to a high-quality project application – skills that participants developed throughout Impact Zhytomyr 1.0 and 2.0.

Ivanna Didur, Associate Partner at Civitta, emphasized that teaching communities to develop projects is only one part of the work. Equally, it is important to invest time in creating a culture of partnership and collaboration. Such changes are already taking place throughout the Zhytomyr region and can become a compelling case for other Ukrainian regions facing similar challenges.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Estonia has been supporting the reconstruction of the Zhytomyr region. The country has allocated over €50 million for recovery and regional development, including €12 million for 2025. These funds support vital initiatives that are transforming local communities.

The IMPACT.Zhytomyr 2.0 program is implemented by the consulting company Civitta with the support of the Government of Estonia, the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), the Zhytomyr Regional State Administration, and the Regional Development Agency of Zhytomyr Region. The program’s informational partner is the NGO EasyBusiness.