National
Development Agency

Keen interest was shown in calls for applications announced by the National Development Agency in May in the Central Hungary Region in connection with funding for investments in public education institutions. A total of 165 applications were registered with funding demands of 31 billion HUF. Following review of submission and formal control, 95 applications that were submitted correctly in compliance with requirements were presented to the Assessment Committee, which Committee approved project funding to the value of the available funding framework on the basis of the point scores awarded. Due to the high volume of applications, NDA re-allocated an additional 400 million HUF to the 2 billion HUF funding framework from the resources of the schemes originally scheduled for the coming years. Consequently, 14 applications received a share of the 2.4 billion HUF funding.

The Central Hungary Region call for applications was announced as a „pilot initiative”. This means that a few changes were made in September on the basis of programme experiences to the new call targeting the development of public education institutions published in all regions. We therefore, for example, assess min. 80% use of the institutions at annual intervals, instead of every 3 years. It was not possible to secure EU funding for the development of leased building premises under the previously running calls. Applications for these types of projects can now be submitted if a lease contract valid for a minimum period of 10 years has been concluded.   

The autumn tender package grants funding of 55 billion for the restoration of public education institutions. 

Therefore, it was possible to submit applications in the Central Hungary Region in September. The programme supports the development of the regions by granting nearly 8 billion HUF. Applicants that did not receive a share of the funding in the first round, however, achieved good results in the course of professional evaluation, have the opportunity to decide whether they wish to carry over the point score they received in the first round and re-apply.   If the applicant does not wish to do so, they also have the opportunity to re-submit their application.

Following the deadline for submission in January, results are expected to be announced in spring.

There was a previously running tender scheme similar to the NHDP school restoration call for applications. Developing the infrastructure of kindergartens and primary education institutions was one of the most successful tender schemes of National Development Plan I. 128 investments representing funding of 1.2 billion HUF were launched within the framework of RDOP. 6 projects that received a 1.2 billion HUF share of EU co-financing were implemented in Central Hungary.