Sofia has shown that European funds go directly to the people, both for large infrastructure projects and the Integrated Urban Recovery and Development Plan and the Project for construction and overhaul of 26 schools and kindergartens under the Operational Program Regions in Growth (OPRG). The funds are earmarked to improve the learning environment and will go to the most important people - the children. This is what the Mayor of Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova said today at the signing of the contract with Deputy Minister and head of OPRG Managing Authority, Denitsa Nikolova in the presence of the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Nikolay Nankov and the Deputy Mayor of Sofia in charge of the Investment and Construction Department, Irina Savina.

Vitoria Aliata di Vilafranca, Director of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy, and Andriana Sukova, Deputy Director General of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion attended the event.

The project for construction, repair and reconstruction of 26 schools and kindergartens amounts to BGN 63.6 million, of which BGN 58 million is grant and Sofia Municipality co-finances BGN 5.6 million.

Schools and kindergartens will be renovated with an emphasis on energy efficiency in the districts of Krasna Polyana, Nadezhda, Vrabnica and Ilinden, as well as construction of a new building for Kindergarten № 53 "Sveta Troitsa" in Ilinden district, reconstruction of a building of a former military department, which is a monument of culture and is located in the yard of 43 Hristo Smirnenski School in Ilinden district. There will also be an expansion of 9th French Language Secondary School "Alphonse de Lamartine" in Sredets district.

“Currently, we are undergoing a very serious reform in education, but the environment educates and our efforts are aimed at improving the learning environment in different neighbourhoods of the city”, Fandakova pointed out.

Minister Nankov congratulated Sofia Municipality on the well-prepared programme in which the distribution of the sites is well balanced. 

At present, 17 contracts have been signed with selected contractors. The contract signing for 1 site is pending and the bids for 8 sites will be opened on June 29, 2018. Construction works are scheduled to begin this year and end in 2019, as a special work organization will be set up.

The sites planned for complete modernization are as follows:

• District of Krasna Polyana – 123th “Stefan Stambolov” Secondary School; 57th "St. Naum Ohridski" Secondary School and 147th “Yordan Radichkov” Primary School (all in 1 building);

• District of Nadezhda – Kindergarten № 115 “Osmi Mart”; Kindergarten № 152 “Vrabnitsa”; Kindergarten № 15 “Chuchuliga”; Kindergarten № 27 “Detska Kitka”; Kindergarten № 90 “Vesa Paspaleeva” (2 building); Kindergarten № 170 “Pchelitsa”; 15th “Adam Mitskevich” Secondary School; 16th "Rayko Jinzifov" Primary School; 54th "Ivan Rilski" Secondary School; 102nd “Panayot Volov” Primary School; 101st “Bacho Kiro” Secondary School;

• District of Vrabnitsa – Kindergarten №42 “Chaika”; 62nd “Hristo Botev” Primary School; 70th "St. Kliment Ohridski” Primary School; 140th "Ivan Bogorov" Secondary School

• District of Ilinden – Kindergarten № 51 “Shturche”; Kindergarten № 179 “Sinchets”; former subsidiary of the Second English Language Secondary School "Thomas Jefferson"; 3rd "Marin Drinov" Secondary School; 113th "Sava Filaretov". Secondary School.

The investment program of Sofia Municipality is implemented based on an agreement with the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works and amounts to BGN 280 million. It also includes projects for the second phase of the integrated urban transport, urban renewal, educational, social and cultural infrastructure.