Grant Management System Ukraine

In the context of Ukraine’s ongoing reconstruction and resilience efforts, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) initiated the development of a dedicated Grant Management System (GMS) to support the deployment of subsidised retail lending programmes for households and small businesses. The system was designed to enable the efficient, transparent and secure administration of investment incentives linked to loans for energy efficiency improvements and small-scale reconstruction measures.

Retail lending programmes with grant components typically involve high transaction volumes, complex eligibility criteria and stringent verification requirements. In the Ukrainian context, these challenges are further amplified by disrupted supply chains, damaged infrastructure and the need for rapid, scalable solutions. The GMS therefore serves as a central digital backbone supporting the full sub-project lifecycle, from borrower registration and grant application to verification, approval, payment and reporting.

The system was developed to handle large volumes of sub-borrowers (up to approximately 100,000 applications) and to support multiple participating financial institutions (PFIs) under a single, harmonised framework. It enables local financial institutions, verification experts and the EBRD to interact through a secure, role-based platform, ensuring consistent application of eligibility rules, verification standards and reporting requirements.

A core objective of the assignment was the deployment of a client-ready online application tool to allow grant applications to be received at the beginning of the construction season, followed by agile, phased development of additional functionality through regular releases. The system was designed to be robust, user-friendly and accessible, including mobile-optimised interfaces, multilingual functionality and support for Cyrillic characters.

Beyond basic application intake, the GMS supports remote and on-site verification workflows, automated grant calculation, structured decision-making processes, appeals and additional information requests, and comprehensive reporting at both sub-project and portfolio level. The system captures and aggregates key indicators, including investment volumes, energy savings, renewable energy generation and CO₂ emission reductions, thereby supporting programme monitoring, and donor reporting. 

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