14 new projects approved for European funding under ESF+

14 new projects which will be benefitting from a total funding of around €16 million under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) have been announced, the Ministry for European Funds stated on Tuesday.

The ministry said that these approved projects address the social needs of the country and cover several important areas such as health, inclusion, lifelong learning, and community development. It continued that seven projects in particular, with an investment of €11.6 million, will be implemented by the Health Ministry, focusing on public health, professional training, as well as the creation of a better working environment in the medical field.

The European Funds Ministry continued that other projects that will be funded are projects that are in direct support of children, youth, and persons with disabilities, and involve organisations such as Inspire Malta, the Jesuit Refugee Service, and the Church Schools Children’s Fund. The ministry said that there are also lifelong learning projects in various sectors that will be carried out by the Ministry for Culture and Local Government, as well as by the Ministry for Tourism. It added that there are also other projects which will be aimed at the integration of persons from third countries.

Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi presented the grant letters to the representatives of the selected projects, kicking off the implementation of the initiatives.

He spoke of the importance of such investments, commenting that the projects are not just numbers on paper, but that they are real projects which aim to improve people’s lives, as well as strengthen services and ensure that no one is left behind. He added that these initiatives demonstrate the government’s commitment to ensuring that European funds are used efficiently and to enact initiatives which can have the greatest possible impact on people’s lives.

The Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Jonathan Vassallo said that it is important to administer European funds with a sense of responsibility, leadership, and continuous collaboration.

The ministry concluded that with these new projects, the ESF+ programme in Malta now includes 25 approved projects, with a total investment of approximately €159 million and a co-financing rate of 60%. It added that the ministry will continue to lead the monitoring and support process to ensure that the projects achieve the desired result while leaving a sustainable impact at a national level.