EUR 13.6 million in React-EU funding for modern ICT in educational institutions

Ljubljana, 17 August 2021 – Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the programme React-EU – ICT for educational institutions. The EUR 16.2 million programme will be supported by the React-EU initiative, the contribution from the European Regional Development Fund amounting to EUR 13.6 million.

The programme will be implemented by the Academic and Research Network of Slovenia -  ARNES and will involve purchase of modern ICT for educational institutions, which will facilitate the development and deployment of educational ecosystem in a virtual environment. The ecosystem will support hybrid or blended learning that will allow for a fast shift to quality remote learning - this will help increase the adaptability of the educational landscape.

This is already the ninth investment under the React-EU initiative which aims to support the post-covid recovery and prepare the country for the green, digital and resilient recovery.  In February 2021, a EUR 3.6 million project Covid-19 – Relocation of the Department for Pulmonary Diseases to the University Medical Centre Maribor received a contribution of EUR 3.6 million from the European Regional Development Fund; in March, there was a further EUR 4.5 million injection for the project Covid-19 - Hospital renovation to extend capacities of Ljubljana Intermediate Care Department; in May, EUR 1.5 million were approved for the project Covid-19 – IT supported vaccination appointment scheduling system for primary-level facilities, end-May, a Call for proposals for co-financing investment into infrastructure to strengthen resilience of institutional care facilities by taking into account the deinstitutionalisation efforts worth EUR 93 million was launched as part of the country’s efforts to enhance the resilience of the long-term care system. In mid-June, EUR 30 million were made available under the call for proposals Incentives for digital transformation of SMEs (P4D React EU) with a further EUR 50 million for the project Covid-19 - Comprehensive energy-efficient renovation of the University Medical Centre Ljubljana. Government Office issued two other funding decisions in the summer, namely Small-scale incentives for SMEs-vouchers involving a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund in the amount of EUR 13 million and the project React-EU – Protection of innovative potential that is to receive EUR 7 million in EU funds.