Introduction
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is mandated by the UN-General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. UN-Habitat works with varied partners including cities, central governments, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector in the implementation of the Habitat Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in particular, Goal 11 of “Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”.
As cities around the world rapidly urbanising, they are increasingly facing urban mobility challenges key among them traffic congestion, pollution and road traffic crashes. The transport sector also significantly contributes to global energy related carbon emissions. Public transport comprising efficient bus systems, trams, metros and non-motorised mobility such as walking, and cycling are emerging an ideal mix to curb the growing urban transport challenges and meet the transport needs of citizens. UN-Habitat collaborates with governments at city, regional and national levels on development and implementation of policy, guides and tools for sustainable urban mobility; provides technical support for development of effective transport systems and supports knowledge, advocacy and capacity building.
UN-Habitat is the lead implementing agency for the Project on: “Building back safe, sustainable and resilient transport and urban mobility systems in Western Balkan and Central Asian landlocked developing regions”. This initiative is funded by the 15th tranche of the United Nations Development Account with the primary objective to strengthen the capacity of local and national governments within the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regions in sustainable urban mobility planning. The focus is on establishing durable, long-term investment strategies that improve accessibility and connectivity for all while concurrently addressing climate emissions and reducing road fatalities. Specifically, this project aims to support two cities in Western Balkans and Eastern Europe - Chisinau in Moldova and Kragujevac in Serbia, and two cities in Central Asia - Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan and Almaty in Kazakhstan - the focus is on establishing durable, long-term investment strategies that improve accessibility and connectivity for all while concurrently addressing climate emissions and reducing road fatalities.
Along with UN-Habitat, this project is co-implemented with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).
Objective
The proposed collaboration under this call is to support the development of a National Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) platform for Serbia, a sustainability initiative for the project in Serbia. The concept for a National SUMP Platform for Serbia emerged from discussions during the national SUMP workshop in Serbia, hosted by the City of Kragujevac.
The proposed National SUMP Platform for Serbia would serve as a digital hub for sustainable urban mobility planning, supporting municipalities, planners, decision-makers, and citizens throughout the SUMP process. The platform would include a Legislation and Standards Module, providing easy access to national laws, SUMP guidelines, technical standards, and relevant EU mobility requirements through a user-friendly interface.
A Central Register of SUMPs would be the platform’s main feature, offering an interactive map of municipalities, access to adopted mobility plans, information on implementation progress, and tracking of key indicators such as emissions reductions and modal shift targets.
To support knowledge sharing, the platform would include a Best Practices Library showcasing successful mobility projects, including case studies on public transport, active mobility, micromobility, traffic calming, and intelligent transport systems. These would highlight challenges, solutions, costs, and results.
The platform would also promote collaboration and learning through forums, training resources, event calendars, and self-assessment tools, helping municipalities share experiences, measure progress, and align with European good practices.
Expressions of interest
UN-Habitat invites Expressions of Interest from Not-for-Profit Organizations, academic or research institutions based in Serbia to support the delivery of the National Platform for Cities.
The selected implementing partner(s) will support the development and operationalization of the National SUMP Platform for Serbia, working closely with national and local stakeholders. The platform will serve as a central resource for sustainable urban mobility planning, knowledge sharing, and monitoring of SUMP implementation. The implementing partner(s) will undertake the following activities:
1. Development of the National SUMP Platform
1.1. Support the design and development of the platform, including its main modules and functionalities.
1.2. Coordinate with relevant stakeholders to collect and organize platform content.
2. SUMP information and monitoring
2.1. Support the establishment of a Central Register of SUMPs, including information on adopted plans, implementation progress, and key mobility indicators.
2.2. Compile and maintain relevant legislation, guidelines, standards, and other resources related to sustainable urban mobility planning.
3. Knowledge sharing and capacity-building
3.1. Develop and maintain a library of good practices and case studies on sustainable urban mobility solutions.
3.2. Facilitate knowledge exchange among municipalities and other stakeholders through the platform.
The EOI should contain, but not be limited to, the following:
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Overview of the organization: the vision, mission, main areas of work, organisation’s governance structure, number of staff members and other key information that describes the organisation;
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Experience of the organization in the areas of urban mobility planning;
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Experience of the organization in collaborating with local governments and local authorities in the area of urban planning, design or urban mobility, or relevant fields.
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Description of experience and qualifications, or CV/Resume of key staff.
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A short conceptual proposal (max. 4 pages) on how the organisation plans to develop and implement the project including scope and nature of the work.
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The support/ contribution the organization is willing to make, including cash and in-kind; (contribution in terms of staff time, office space and equipment and other support in cash and in-kind should be expressed in monetary terms)
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If applicable, provide publications, tools, and/or other relevant resources that showcases the experience of the organization in urban planning, urban design, governance and public engagement;
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Copies of the statement of annual budget and annual reports of the previous 2 years;
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Copy of the two latest audited reports, and
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Governance and organisational structure; experience and qualifications of key professional staff and infrastructure facilities of the organization.
Structure of the application
To help you with the submission of your application, you are encouraged to follow the template attached. The evaluation of the applications will follow the structure of that template.
Budget
UN-Habitat will contribute financial resources up to USD 15,000 (Fifteen Thousand United States Dollars).
Overall Timeframe
The work outlined in this EOI is expected to commence by 20 November 2026 and completed by 20 December 2026.
Deliverables
D1. National SUMP Platform with the following functionalities: Online repository of Legislation and Standards; Online Register of SUMPs and Best practices library
D2. Financial Report
Submission Requirements and Guidelines
Expression of Interest must be delivered by email no later than 8 November 2026 to unhabitat.ubss.eoi@un.org and mark.ojal@un.org with the Email Subject containing “EOI_Serbia”. Failure to indicate the reference may result in your proposal not being considered.
Contact Information:
For any questions related to the application, please write to:
Dr. Mark Ojal
Urban Basic Services Section – Urban Mobility
United Nations Human Settlements Programme
(UN-Habitat)
P.O. Box 30030 Nairobi, Kenya
NOTE: Please submit the following to unhabitat.ubss.eoi@un.org and mark.ojal@un.org:
Required documents:
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Filled Implementing Partner Project Document Template (attached) incl. short conceptual proposal on how the organisation plans to develop and implement the project, including the scope and nature of the work.
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Copies of financial statement and audit reports
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Organisation’s pamphlet or Annual Reports
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CV or Resume of key expert(s) [at least one CV/ Resume]
Other:
Please note that this EOI notice does not constitute a solicitation. UN-Habitat reserves the right to change or cancel this requirement at any time in the Expressions of Interest/or solicitation process.
Submitting a reply to an EOI does not guarantee that an Implementing Partner will be considered for receipt of the solicitation when issued and only Implementing Partners who are deemed qualified by UN-Habitat upon completion of evaluation of submission, will receive the final solicitation document.