Uzbekistan Launches a New Season of the “Initiative Budget” Program from 1 February

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan has announced the launch of a new season of the “Initiative Budget” program on the Open Budget portal. This stage will be the first in 2026 and the tenth since the mechanism was introduced.

The submission of citizen initiatives will run from 1 to 20 February. The project selection stage is scheduled for 21 February to 7 March, followed by the promotion period from 8 to 10 March. Voting on initiatives will take place from 11 to 20 March. The winners of the first season will be announced on 21 March, coinciding with the Navruz holiday, while additional winning projects are expected to be announced between 21 and 31 March.

From 1 February, a new financing mechanism based on partnership between citizens and the state will be introduced. Under this approach, if residents voluntarily cover half of the project’s implementation costs, the initiative will be recognized as a winner within the “Initiative Budget” framework, with the remaining 50 percent financed from the republican budget.

It is planned that 1,000 projects will be supported under this partnership-based scheme.

A total of 6 trillion soums has been allocated for the implementation of the “Initiative Budget” program in 2026. Of this amount, 496 billion soums will be directed to projects initiated by deputies, while 506 billion soums will be allocated to projects based on joint financing with citizen participation.

The “Initiative Budget” program remains one of the key instruments for engaging the population in local development, encouraging citizens to take part in addressing community needs and supporting socially significant initiatives.