LOAN NUMBER 9721-UA Loan Agreement (Lifting Education Access and Resilience in Times of Need in Ukraine Program) between UKRAINE and INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT LOAN NUMBER 9721-UA LOAN AGREEMENT AGREEMENT dated as of the Signature Date between UKRAINE ("Borrower") and INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT ("Bank"). WHEREAS : (A) following an international effort to provide development support to Ukraine and having satisfied itself as to the feasibility and priority of the program and the project as further described in Schedule 1 to this Agreement ("Program" and/or "Project", collectively, "Operation"), the Borrower has requested the Bank to extend a Loan to assist in the financing of the Program; (B) the Borrower has also obtained from the International Development Association ("Association") through the Special Program for Ukraine and Moldova Recovery, on an exceptional basis, a credit in the amount of one hundred and fifty million Dollars ($150,000,000), which credit has been extended for the Program by the Association under the Financing Agreement (as defined in the Appendix to this Agreement); and (C) the Borrower also obtained from the Bank and the International Development Association acting as administrator of the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction, and Reform Multi-Donor Trust Fund, a grant in the amount of thirty million Dollars ($30,000,000), which grant has been extended to finance the Project under the Grant Agreement (as defined in the Appendix to this Agreement). The Borrower and the Bank hereby agree as follows: ARTICLE I - GENERAL CONDITIONS; DEFINITIONS 1.0 I. The General Conditions (as defined in the Appendix to this Agreement) apply to and form part of this Agreement. 1.02. Unless the context requires otherwise, the capitalized terms used in this Agreement have the meanings ascribed to them in the General Conditions or in the Appendix to this Agreement. 2 ARTICLE II - LOAN 2.01 . The Bank agrees to lend to the Borrower the amount of two hundred and thirty- five million Dollars ($235,000,000) ("Loan"), to assist in financing the program described in Schedule I to this Agreement ("Program"). 2.02. The Loan is supported by and is subject to the Credit Enhancement denominated in the Loan Currency. Accordingly, Currency Conversion shall not be permitted in respect of this Loan, and the provisions of the General Conditions relating to Currency Conversion, including the provisions of Article IV, shall not apply to this Loan. 2.03. The Borrower may withdraw the proceeds of the Loan in accordance with Section IV of Schedule 2 to this Agreement. All withdrawals from the Loan Account shall be deposited by the Bank into an account specified by the Borrower and acceptable to the Bank. 2.04. The Front-end Fee is one quarter of one percent (0.25%) of the Loan amount. 2.05. The Commitment Charge is one quarter of one percent (0.25%) per annum on the Unwithdrawn Loan Balance. 2.06. The interest rate is the Reference Rate plus the Variable Spread; or such rate as may apply following a Conversion; subject to Section 3.02(e) of the General Conditions. 2.07. The Payment Dates are April 15 and October 15 in each year. 2.08 . The principal amount of the Loan shall be repaid in accordance with Schedule 3 to this Agreement. ARTICLE III - PROGRAM 3.01. The Borrower declares its commitment to the objectives of the Program. To this end, the Borrower, through Ministry of Education and Science ("MoES"), shall carry out the Program in accordance with the provisions of Article V of the General Conditions and Schedule 2 to this Agreement. ARTICLE IV-EFFECTIVENESS; TERMINATION 4.01. The Additional Condition of Effectiveness consists of the following, namely that the Financing Agreement and the Grant Agreement have been executed and delivered and all conditions precedent to their effectiveness or to the right of the Borrower to make withdrawals under them (other than the effectiveness of this Agreement) have been fulfilled. 4.02. The Effectiveness Deadline is the date ninety (90) days after the Signature Date. 3 4.03. For purposes of Section 9.0S(b) of the General Conditions, the date on which the obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement (other than those providing for payment obligations) shall terminate is twenty (20) years after the Signature Date. 4.04. Without limitation to Section 10.02(b) of the General Conditions, any modification to this Agreement shall be executed by written instrument agreed by the parties hereto. Such amendment shall become effective as set forth in the amending agreement. ARTICLE V - REPRESENTATIVE; ADDRESSES 5.01. The Borrower's Representative is its Minister of Finance. 5.02. For purposes of Section 10.01 of the General Conditions: (a) the Borrower's address is: Ministry of Finance of Ukraine 12/2 Hrushevskoho Kyiv 01008 Ukraine; and (b) the Borrower's Electronic Address is: Facsimile: E-mail: +38 (044) 425-90-26 infomf@minfin.gov.ua 5.03 . For purposes of Section 10.01 of the General Conditions: (a) the Bank's address is: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20433 United States of America; and 4 (b) the Bank's Electronic Address is: Telex: Facsimile: 248423(MCI) or 1-202-477-6391 64145(MCI) AGREED as of the Signature Date. UKRAINE 1 By ,£{!/!/ ' INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT By 5 SCHEDULE 1 Operation Description The objectives of the Operation are: to (i) improve teaching and learning conditions; and (ii) strengthen management capacity of the education system. The Operation consists of the Program and the Project as follows: I. The Program: The Program consists of the following activities: Results Area I: Improving Teaching and Learning Conditions Improving critical government subprograms and related Shelter Subvention, School Bus Subvention, and New Ukrainian School Subvention, for teaching and learning conditions including: (a) providing access to safe conditions to students and teachers for in-person teaching and learning through: (i) construction and rehabilitation of climate-resilient shelters in selected schools; and (ii) ensuring free, inclusive, and low-emissions bus transportation to selected schools; (b) developing and implementing a training plan on the New Ukrainian School ("NUS") curriculum and standards to teachers and managers, including on climate and environmental awareness, green skills for the green transition, and responding to climate-related disasters; and (c) providing updated textbooks and teaching materials nationwide aligned with the NUS principles of competency-based and student-centered education, including climate and environmental awareness and green skills for the green transition. Results Area 2: Lmproving Management Capacity Improving the Borrower's management capacity to distribute resources efficiently, through strengthening the Education Subvention process by modifying the allocation criteria for a gradual increase in the minimum number of students required in schools for allocation of funds. 6 II. The Project The Project consists of the following activities: Part I. Support NUS .Pilot in Grades 8 to 12 Providing technical support to pilot the NUS reform in selected schools for grades 8 to 12, through: (a) developing, printing, delivering, and testing teaching and learning materials for the NUS Pilot; (b) (i) developing and carrying out teachers' Training programs to teachers, school principals and their deputies; and (ii) providing technical assistance to design a fit-for-purpose instrument for measuring teacher classroom practices and to implement said instrument in a sample of classrooms in grades 8 and 9; and (c) providing STEM, ICT, and other required equipment aligned with the NUS standards to schools in the NUS Pilot at the basic education level for grades 8 to 12. Part II. StTengthening the MoES Management Capac ity Strengthening the MoES capacity to manage, monitor, and evaluate the rollout of the NUS reform through: (a) providing technical assistance to: (i) the Directorate of School Education and its office responsible for NUS implementation to plan, monitor, and evaluate the reform at national and decentralized levels; and (ii) MoES units in charge of NUS reform administration and communication; (b) strengthening the Ukrainian Institute of Education Development's ("UIRO") capacity through: (i) carrying out an organizational capacity audit; (ii) designing a capacity development plan; (iii) carrying out staff Training; (iv) creating a digital platform for the storage, distribution, organization, and assessment of digital educational materials; and (v) providing material and equipment for educational and methodological laboratories of UIRO; (c) creating a Special Online Platform ("SOP") for State Final Examination ("DPA") including: (i) development and piloting of SOP software; and (ii) modernization of SOP software during implementation and provision of technical support; (d) modernizing the education management information system ("AIKOM"), through: (i) development of new AIKOM functionalities; (ii) support for 7 AIKOM interoperability with the solutions/clients; and (iii) provision of services and equipment for proper systems functioning and management; and (e) improving the education infrastructure planning through: (i) development of innovative designs aligned to the NUS teaching and learning practices; and (ii) preparation of infrastructure development plans for investment prioritization in educational institutions. Part 111. Project Management and Monitoring Support to the Borrower in the areas of Project management and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, technical assistance, data collection and analysis, hiring the independent verification agent, including Training and Operating Costs, procurement, environmental and social, and supervision of implementation of the ESCP. Parl IV. Contingent Emergency Response Provision of immediate response to an Eligible Crisis or Emergency, as needed. 8 SCHEDULE 2 Program Execution Section I. Implementation Arrangements A. Program Institutions 1. The Borrower shall vest the overall responsibility for the implementation of the Program on its Ministry of Finance ("MoF") and its MoES. To this end: (a) MoF shall be responsible for Program overall supervision and coordination; and (b) MoES shall be responsible for the overall implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the Program. 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1 above, the Borrower, through the MoES, shall: (a) establish by not later than one (1) month after the Effective Date, and thereafter maintain throughout the period of implementation of the Program, a steering committee ("Steering Committee") with terms of reference agreed with the Bank: (i) with composition, mandate, and resources satisfactory to the Bank; (ii) to be chaired by MoES; (iii) to be comprised of, inter alia, representatives of the MoF; and (iv) to be responsible for, inter alia, high-level interinstitutional coordination and strategic implementation overview functions, all further described in the Operational Manual; and (b) maintain, throughout the Program implementation, a Program Implementation Unit ("PIU") responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the Program, with composition, functions, staffing, facilities, and other resources satisfactory to the Bank and as further described in the Operational Manual. B. Additional Program Implementation Arrangements 1. Program Action Plan (a) The Borrower, through the MoES, shall : (i) carry out the actions set forth in the Program Action Plan in accordance with the schedule set out in the said Program Action Plan and in a manner satisfactory to the Bank; (ii) except as the Bank shall otherwise agree in writing, not assign, amend, abrogate, or waive, or permit to be assigned, amended, abrogated, or waived, any obligation and/or responsibilities set forth in the Program Action Plan, or any provision thereof; and 9 (iii) maintain policies and procedures adequate to enable it to monitor and evaluate, in a manner and substance satisfactory to the Bank, its obligations/commitments under Program Action Plan. 2. Verification Agent (a) The Borrower, through the MoES, shall ensure that: (i) by not later than one ( 1) month after the Effective Date and thereafter maintain, at all times during the implementation of the Program, a verification agent (or agencies) having experience and qualifications in the relevant technical fields is hired under terms of reference acceptable to the Bank ("Verification Agent"), to verify the data and other evidence supporting the achievement of the Disbursement Linked Results and to recommend corresponding payments to be made, as applicable; and (ii) ensure that the Verification Agent: (i) carries out the verification process(es) in accordance with the Verification Protocol; and (ii) submits to the MoES and the Bank the corresponding verification reports in a timely manner and in form and substance satisfactory to the Bank. C. Operational Manual I. The Borrower, through the MoES, shall, not later than one (I) month after the Effective Date, develop and adopt an operational manual for the Operation (the "Operational Manual"), in a manner and substance satisfactory to the Bank, and thereafter ensure that the Program is carried out in accordance with such manual, which shall set forth the institutional, administrative, financial, technical, and operational guidelines and procedures for the implementation thereof, including: (a) the definition of the contours of Program activities, including results framework, overall budget and detailed Program Expenditures; (b) the composition and terms of reference, satisfactory to the Bank, of the Steering Committee, as well as the Program's intra- and inter-institutional arrangements, including delineation of roles and responsibilities, allocation of functions and decision-making powers at national and sub-national levels; (c) the detailed environmental and social risk mitigation measures and documents for the Program; (d) the financial management protocols and standards applicable to the Program; (e) detailed guidelines for the administration of the Program proceeds, as well as the flow of funds; (f) procurement arrangements for the Program, the clear allocation of procurement responsibilities thereunder, including record keeping systems and corruption prevention and reporting mechanisms; (g) the protocols for reporting to the Bank on, and sharing the findings of, any case of fraud and corruption denounced and/or investigated under the Program, in accordance with the Anti-Corruption Guidelines; (h) the Verification Protocols agreed with the Bank for evaluating the achievement of the DLls and their respective DLRs, 10 including the annual schedule therefor; (i) the criteria to assess sustainable procurement (to be incorporated into the Verification Protocols); G) the implementation arrangements and allocation of responsibilities for the execution of/compliance with the Program Action Plan; (k) the grievance mechanism for the Program, as well as their associated protocols and procedures (including timelines) for addressing and reporting on grievance complaints; (1) monitoring and evaluation requirements, including verification systems for the Program; (m) internal and external audit requirements, including regular submissions of audit reports to the Bank; (n) quality assurance standards, protocols, and review mechanisms; and (o) any other technical and organizational arrangements and procedures as shall be required for the Operation. 2. The Borrower, through the MoES, shall refrain from materially and/or substantially amending, revising, waiving, voiding, abrogating, or suspending any provision of the Operational Manual, whether in whole or in part, without the prior written concurrence of the Bank. 3. In the event of any inconsistency between a provision of the Operational Manual and those of this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall prevail. Section II. Excluded Activities The Borrower, through the MoES, shall ensure that the Program excludes any activities which: A. in the opinion of the Bank, are likely to have significant adverse impacts that are sensitive, diverse, or unprecedented on the environment and/or affected people; or B. involve the procurement of: (1) works, estimated to cost $50,000,000 equivalent or more per contract; (2) goods, estimated to cost $30,000,000 equivalent or more per contract; (3) non-consulting services, estimated to cost $30,000,000 equivalent or more per contract; or (4) consulting services, estimated to cost $15,000,000 equivalent or more per contract. Section III. Program Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation A. The Borrower, through the MoES, shall furnish to the Bank each Program Report not later than one ( 1) month after the end of each calendar semester, covering the calendar semester. B. Without limitation upon the provisions of Section 5 .13 of the General Conditions and paragraph 6(c) of the Anti-Corruption Guidelines, the Borrower, through the MoES, shall prepare or cause to be prepared periodic ACG Reports, in form and substance satisfactory to the Bank. The Borrower shall furnish, or cause to be furnished, each ACG Report to the Bank not later than one ( 1) month after the end of each calendar semester, covering the calendar semester. 11 Section IV. Withdrawal of Loan Proceeds A. General 1. Without limitation upon the provisions of Article II of the General Conditions and in accordance with the Disbursement and Financial Information Letter, the Borrower may withdraw the proceeds of the Loan to: (a) finance Program Expenditures (inclusive of Taxes), on the basis of the results ("Disbursement Linked Results" or "DLRs") achieved by the Borrower, as measured against specific indicators ("Disbursement Linked Indicators" or "DLis"); and (b) pay: (i) the Front-end Fee; (ii) pay each Interest Rate Cap or Interest Rate Collar premium; and (iii) interest and Commitment Charges all as set forth in the table in paragraph 2 of this Part A. 2. The following table specifies each category of withdrawal of the proceeds of the Loan (including the Disbursement Linked Indicators, as applicable) ("Category"), the Disbursement Linked Results for each Category (as applicable), and the allocation of the amounts of the Loan to each Category: Category Disbursement Linked Disbursement Amount of the (including Result Formula Loan Allocated Disbursement Linked (as applicable) (expressed in Indicator as USD) applicable) (I) DLI #1: Updated DLR #1.1 : 2024 Shelters allocation criteria Subvention prioritizes hub for the Shelters schools working in distance Subvention to the or hybrid mode, located in NIA 25 ,000,000 regions high-need regions, and utilizing the DREAM System for project processing. (2) DLI #2: Additional DLR #2.1: Number of For each 500 students and students and teachers with additional students teachers with access to shelters or teachers, an access to constructed or rehabilitated amount of constructed or to meet minimum $1 ,015 ,625, and up 0 rehabilitated conditions. to $65,000,000 shelters Baseline= 0 Target= 32,000 (3) DLI #3: Updated DLR #3.1: 2024 School allocation criteria Bus Subvention is allocated NIA 25,000,000 for the School Bus based on data-driven needs, prioritized high-need 12 Subvention to the regions and streamlined regions redistribution mechanism. (4) DLI #4: Additional DLR #4.1: Number of For each 100 students with access students with access to free additional students, to free bus bus transportation. an amount of transportation $250,000 and up to $35,000,000 35,000,000 Baseline= 0 Target= 14,000 (5) DLI #5: Teachers DLR #5.1: Teachers NIA 20,000,000 trained to implement training plan for grades 7, the NUS reform 8, and 9 adopted by MoES . DLR #5.2: Number of For each 100 20,000,000 teachers who completed teachers who NUS-aligned training for completed training grade 7. for grade 7, an amount of$33,334, and up to $20,000,000 Baseline= 0 Target= 60,000 DLR #5.3: Number of For each 100 0 teachers who completed teachers who NUS-aligned training for completed training grade 8. for grade 8, $33,334 and up to $20,000,000. Baseline= 0 Target= 60,000 (6) DLI #6: Students DLR #6.1: 2024 textbooks NIA 10,000,000 with access to NUS decree establishing that teaching & learning 100% of grade 7 students, materials including those with disabilities, will receive NUS-aligned textbooks, has been adopted by MoES. DLR #6.2: Number of For each 1,000 40,000,000 students of grade 7 who students who receive free NUS-aligned receive new NUS- textbooks. aligned textbook 13 for grade 7, an amount of $133,334 and up to $40,000,000 Baseline= 0 Target= 300,000 DLR #6.3: Number of students of grade 8 who NIA 0 receive free NUS-aligned textbooks. (7) DLI #7: Support for DLR #7.1: 2025 Education NIA 25,000,000 school network Subvention allocation optimization formula is updated to increase minimum student requirement per school by at least 50% relative to 2024. DLR #7.2: 2026 Education NIA 0 Subvention allocation formula is updated to increase minimum student requirement per school by at least 30% relative to 2025. (8) Front-end Fee to be paid pursuant to Section 2.03 of this Agreement in accordance with NIA NIA 587,500 Section 2.05(b) of the General Conditions (9) Interest Rate Cap or Interest Rate Collar premium to be paid pursuant to Section NIA NIA 0 4.05(c) of the General Conditions (10) Interest and commitment to be paid pursuant to Section 2.05(c) of NIA NIA 34,412,500 the General Conditions 14 ~OT AL AMOUNT 235,000,000 B. Withdrawal Conditions; Withdrawal Period 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of Part A of this Section, no withdrawal shall be made: (a) on the basis of DLRs achieved prior to the Signature Date, except that withdrawals up to an aggregate amount not to exceed eighty million Dollars ($80,000,000) may be made on the basis of DLRs achieved prior to this date but on or after February 8, 2024; and (b) for any DLR under Categories (1) to (7), until and unless the Borrower has furnished evidence satisfactory to the Bank that said DLR has been achieved. 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of Part 8.1 (b) of this Section, the Borrower may withdraw an amount not to exceed twenty five million Dollars ($25,000,000) as an advance; provided, however, that if the DLRs in the opinion of the Bank, are not achieved (or only partially achieved) by the Closing Date, the Borrower shall refund such advance (or portion of such advance as determined by the Bank) to the Bank promptly upon notice thereof by the Bank. Except as otherwise agreed with the Borrower, the Bank shall cancel the amount so refunded. Any further withdrawals requested as an advance under any Category shall be permitted only on such terms and conditions as the Bank shall specify by notice to the Borrower. 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of Part B. l(b) of this Section, if any of the DLRs under Categories (1.1), (3.1), (5.1), (5.2), (6.1), (6.2), or (7.1) has not been achieved, the Bank may, by notice to the Borrower: (a) authorize the withdrawal of such lesser amount of the unwithdrawn proceeds of the Loan then allocated to said Category which, in the opinion of the Bank, corresponds to the extent of achievement of said DLR, said lesser amount to be calculated in accordance with the formulas set forth in the table of paragraph IV.A.2 of this Schedule 2 as applicable; (b) reallocate all or a portion of the proceeds of the Loan then al located to said DLR to any other DLR ; and/or (c) cancel all or a portion of the proceeds of the Loan then allocated to said DLR. 4. (a) The Borrower undertakes that no Loan proceeds or resources may be used for defense, security, or military purposes, or for any payments made to any defense, security, or military forces. 15 (b) If the Bank determines, at any time, that an amount of the Loan was used to make a payment for either: (i) ineligible Program Expenditures; or (ii) used for defense, security, or military (including any other types of military forces, if such may be relevant) purposes, the Borrower shall, promptly upon notice from the Bank, refund an amount equal to the amount of such expenditures financed by the Bank. All amounts so refunded to the Bank pursuant to the abovementioned request will be subsequently cancelled. 5. Payments under Category (10) shall be made out of the proceeds of the Loan for the interest and Commitment Charges accrued up to the Closing Date and up to the amount allocated under Category ( l 0) above; provided that should the actual interest and Commitment Charges accrued up to the Closing Date exceed the amount indicated under Category ( 10), the Borrower shall be responsible for paying any such additional interest and Commitment Charges. 6. The Closing Date is September 1, 2027. Section V. Other Undertakings A. Credit Enhancement. I. The Borrower acknowledges and confirms that the Loan is supported by a Credit Enhancement, pursuant to which certain obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement are supported through the Credit Enhancement Trust Fund, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the TF Documents. 2. The Borrower understands and agrees that, in the event ofany payment to the Bank pursuant to the terms of the TF Documents as a result of any non-payment by the Borrower under this Agreement, the Contributor under the Credit Enhancement Trust Fund may have certain rights of subrogation and the Bank may assign to the Contributor any right to receive repayment from the Borrower under this Agreement, all subject to the terms and conditions of the TF Documents. 16 SCHEDULE3 Commitment-Linked Amortization Repayment Schedule The following table sets forth the Principal Payment Dates of the Loan and the percentage of the total principal amount of the Loan payable on each Principal Payment Date ("Installment Share"). Level Principal Repayments Principal Payment Date Installment Share On each April 15 and October 15 Beginning October 15, 2034 through April 15, 2054 2.5% 17 APPENDIX Definitions I. "ACG Report" means the Borrower's periodic report, to be prepared by the MoES, in form and substance satisfactory to the Bank, and in accordance with the provisions of the Anti-Corruption Guidelines, including whether or not there has been: (a) any credible and material allegations and other indications of fraud and corruption under the Program which come to the Borrower's MoES attention during such period; (b) any investigations launched into such allegations, their progress and findings; and (c) any remedial or corrective actions taken or planned in response to such allegations or the findings of such investigations. 2. "AIKOM" means an integrated national information system responsible for ensuring proper digital interaction between national authorities, local self- government bodies, institutions and educational institutions, their structural subdivisions, participants in the educational process and other legal entities and individuals in the education system in Ukraine, as defined by Article 74 1 of the Borrower's Law "On Education" dated September 5, 2017, as amended. 3. "Anti-Corruption Guidelines" means, for purposes of paragraph 6 of the Appendix to the General Conditions, the "Guidelines on Preventing and Combating Fraud and Corruption in Program-for-Results Financing," dated February I, 2012, and revised July 10, 2015. 4. "Category" means a category set forth in the table in Section IV .A.2 of Schedule 2 to this Agreement. 5. "Contributor" means a Member Country making a contribution to the Credit Enhancement Trust Fund in accordance with the terms of the TF Documents. 6. "Credit Enhancement" means the credit enhancement provided for loans made by the Bank to the Borrower pursuant to the terms of the TF Documents. 7. "Credit Enhancement Trust Fund" means the trust fund to be established to provide credit enhancement for loans provided by the Bank to the Borrower. 8. "Directorate of School Education" means the MoES 's unit responsible for primary and secondary education, or any successor thereto. 9. "Disbursement Linked Indicator" or "DLI" means in respect of a given Category, the indicator related to said Category as set forth in the table in Section IV.A.2 of Schedule 2 to this Agreement. 10. "Disbursement Linked Result" or "DLR" means in respect of a given Category, the result under said Category as set forth in the table in Section IV.A.2 of Schedule 2 to this Agreement, on the basis of the achievement of which, the amount of the 18 Loan allocated to said result may be withdrawn in accordance with the provisions of said Section IV. 11. "DREAM System" means the unified digital integrated information and analytical system for managing the process of reconstruction of real estate, construction and infrastructure, as defined by Borrower's Cabinet ofMinisters Resolution No. 1286, dated November 15, 2022, as amended. 12. "Education Subvention" means the inter-budgetary mechanism of yearly transfer from state budget to local budgets to contribute to the financing of teachers' salaries, including at general secondary education institutions. 13. "Eligible Crisis or Emergency" means an event that has caused, or is likely to imminently cause, a major adverse economic and/or social impact to the Borrower, associated with a natural or man-made crisis or disaster. 14. "Financing Agreement" means the agreement between the Borrower and the Association for the Program, of the same date as this Agreement, as such agreement may be amended from time to time. "Financing Agreement" includes all appendices, schedules and agreements supplemental to the Financing Agreement. 15. "General Conditions" means the "International Bank for Reconstruction and Development General Conditions for IBRD Financing, Program-for-Results Financing", dated December 14, 2018 (last revised on July 15, 2023). 16. "Grant Agreement" means the agreement between the Borrower and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association acting as administrator of the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction, and Reform Multi-Donor Trust Fund of the same date as this Agreement, as such agreement may be amended from time to time. "Grant Agreement" includes all appendices, schedules, and agreements supplemental to the Grant Agreement. 17. "JCT" means information and communication technology. 18. "Ministry of Education and Science" and "MoES" each means the Borrower's ministry of education and science, or any successor thereto. 19. "Ministry of Finance" and "MoF" each means the Borrower's ministry of finance, or any successor thereto. 20. "New Ukrainian School" and "NUS" each means the Borrower's reform program of general secondary education approved by the Borrower's Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 988, dated December 14, 2016, as amended. 19 21. "New Ukrainian School Subvention" and "NUS Subvention" means the inter- budgetary mechanism of yearly transfer from state budget to local budgets to contribute to the financing of the national implementation of the NUS reform. 22. "NUS Pilot" means the pilot for testing the content and organization of the NUS in a limited sample of educational institutions for a set period of time, to be followed by nationwide implementation based on results of said pilot, as further detailed in the Operational Manual. 23. "Operation" means the Project and the Program, collectively. 24. "Operational Manual" means the manual in form and substance satisfactory to the Bank, as approved by the Borrower (through the MoES), and referred to in Section LC of Schedule 2 to this Agreement, as said manual may be amended from time to time with the prior and written agreement of the Bank. 25. "Operating Costs" means the reasonable incremental operational costs related to technical and administrative management, preparation, monitoring, and supervision required under the Project, including inter alia, office equipment, supplies, travel costs (including accommodations, transportation costs and per diem) (but excluding salaries ofofficials of the Borrower's civil service), printing services, communication costs, utilities, maintenance of office equipment and facilities, vehicle operation and maintenance costs, and logistics services, all as approved by the Bank. 26. "Program" means activities described in Schedule 1 to this Agreement. 27. "Program Action Plan" means the Borrower's plan dated July 29, 2024 and referred to in Section LB. I of Schedule 2 to this Agreement, as may be amended from time to time with the agreement of the Bank. 28. "Program Implementation Unit" and "PIU" each means the unit established within the MoES and referred to in Section l.A.2.(b) of Schedule 2 to this Agreement. 29. "Project" means the activities described in Schedule 1 to this Agreement. 30. "School Bus Subvention" means is the inter-budgetary mechanism of yearly transfer from the state budget to local budgets to purchase school buses, including for students with disabilities. 31. "Shelter Subvention" means the inter-budgetary mechanism of yearly transfer from state budget to local budgets for the provision of shelters in general secondary education institutions. 32. "Signature Date" means the later of the two dates on which the Borrower and the Bank signed this Agreement and such definition applies to all references to "the date of the Loan Agreement" in the General Conditions. 20 33. "Special Online Platform" and "SOP" each means a digital evaluation tool of the State Final Examination. 34. "Special Program for Ukraine and Moldova Recovery" means the dedicated special program established under the IDA's crisis facility to provide financial support to Ukraine and Moldova. 35. "State Final Examination" and "DPA" each means the monitoring system of educational results compliance with the requirement for general secondary education state standard at the appropriate level. 36. "Steering Committee" means the committee to be established pursuant to Section I.A.2(a) of Schedule 2 to this Agreement. 37. "STEM" means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 38. "TF Documents" means the agreements and documents establishing and governing the Credit Enhancement Trust Fund, including any administration arrangement and notice to the Contributor following execution of this Loan Agreement. 39. "Training" means Project related training courses, seminars, workshops, and other training activities, including costs of training materials, space and equipment rental, travel, accommodation and per diem costs of trainees and trainers, trainers' fees, and other training related miscellaneous costs. 40. "Ukrainian Institute of Education Development" and "UIRO" each means the Borrower's state agency responsible for implementation of national education policies, as established by the Borrower's Cabinet of Ministers' Resolution No. 593 dated July 17, 2019. 41. "Verification Agent" means the verification consultant/s to be selected and appointed in accordance with the provision of Section I.B.2(a)(i) of Schedule 2 to this Agreement for purposes of carrying out the verification of the Borrower's achievement of the DLRs. 42. "Verification Protocols" means the protocol agreed by the Bank and the Borrower to verify the data and other evidence supporting the achievement of one or more DLis and DLRs as specified in the Operational Manual. Such protocols may be modified from time to time with the written agreement of the Bank.