Montenegro: €11 million EU grant for modern education infrastructure

• The EU grant provided under Team Europe will enable schools and kindergartens in Montenegro to be built, renovated and equipped, resulting in close to 1 700 additional places for pupils.
• The project will promote digital education and skills development and improve the employability of the country’s future workforce.
• With over €64 million to be invested under the Montenegro education programme, the European Union is contributing an €11 million grant channelled through the Western Balkans Investment Framework, while the EIB is providing an €18 million loan and a €2.5 million grant.

EIB Global, the financial arm of the European Investment Bank for activities outside the European Union, has signed an €11 million EU grant for the Montenegro education programme to enable 13 education facilities, including kindergartens, primary schools, vocational schools and secondary schools, to be modernised and equipped. The upgraded infrastructure will improve learning conditions and the quality of teaching, while promoting digital transformation, skills development and the shift to a knowledge-based economy. It will help the country increase its schooling capacity by creating close to 1 700 new places for pupils and 530 full-time jobs for teachers.

Provided under Team Europe and channelled through the Western Balkans Investment Framework, the grant will also enable the construction of a new secondary school and the reconstruction of the Vladimir Nazor primary school in Podgorica, which will set new standards for the country’s education infrastructure. The grant agreement was signed today in Podgorica in the presence of EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris, Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Anđela Jakšić Stojanović, and Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Montenegro Yngve Engstrom, as well as high-level representatives of the EU countries.

EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris, who is responsible for operations in Montenegro, said: “As a long-standing partner of the country, we have embraced this opportunity, together with the European Commission, to support Montenegro’s education strategy, reform and infrastructure and intend to expand our fruitful cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation further. Going forward, we hope to jointly contribute to significant skill improvements that respond to labour market demands, with equal opportunities for all people in Montenegro in terms of employability, social integration and lifelong learning.”

The renovations will enable electrical systems to be upgraded with cabling for digital equipment and internet connections, and energy efficiency improvements to be made to buildings. EIB Global will also provide technical assistance for project management, procurement and contract administration to strengthen the capacities of the local project implementation team.

Minister of Education, Science and Innovation of Montenegro Anđela Jakšić Stojanović said: “At the beginning of the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation’s mandate, we said that this would be a year of large infrastructure projects. The signing of the contract donating funds for the construction, reconstruction, upgrading, adaptation and equipping of educational institutions marks a significant step towards the improvement of the Montenegrin system, creating better learning conditions in which the youngest generation can thrive.”

With over €64 million to be invested under the Montenegro education programme, bilateral donors and the European Union are contributing an €11 million grant channelled through the Western Balkans Investment Framework, while the EIB is providing an €18 million loan and a €2.5 million technical assistance grant under its Economic Resilience Initiative.

Education is the foundation for development and prosperity, both at an individual and societal level, said Yngve Engstrom, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Montenegro. “The education sector in Montenegro is in need of attention and faces many challenges. We hope that these investments will improve the conditions for Montenegrin students, teachers and other school personnel, and that they will support the comprehensive reforms needed in the education sector,” he added.

During the visit to Podgorica, EIB Vice-President Kakouris and the Bank’s delegation also met with the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatović, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, Minister of Finance Novica Vuković, and Minister of Transport and Maritime Affairs Filip Radulović. The meetings focused on possibilities to extend EIB Global’s support for the country and move forward with the strategic projects under the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, as well as the recently proposed New Growth Plan. As a reliable partner to Montenegro, EIB Global has signed over €240 million in the country since 2020, providing vital support for education, environment, transport and SME projects.