EIB provides €100M for modernisation of educational institutions in Brandenburg

Digitalisation investments will include both the purchase of IT equipment and IT training for teachers.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €100 million to support the modernisation of educational institutions in the German state of Brandenburg. The framework loan will be provided to Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg (ILB), which will in turn finance new construction, modernisation and digitalisation at educational institutions on behalf of the state government. Digitalisation investments will include both the purchase of IT equipment and IT training for teachers.

The goal of the project is to provide better quality education in schools, vocational schools and nurseries across the state, while also improving the digital skills of pupils and teachers. The favourable and flexible EIB loan terms expand the state’s financing options. As Brandenburg’s promotional bank, ILB can offer flexible support to help municipalities and public and private educational institutions to improve the services they provide — often in rural areas — as needed. The state of Brandenburg set out most of the individual projects in its municipal investment programme.    

Large parts of the state are among Germany’s poorest areas and are classified as cohesion regions (where incomes are below the EU average). ILB is currently focusing on supporting new construction and the energy-efficient refurbishment of state schools, as well as helping schools to purchase digital and mobile devices for future-oriented teaching.

In 2023, the EIB visited three completed projects where targeted funding of educational infrastructure led to a significant improvement in the teaching and learning environment. ILB will continue to work on strengthening educational infrastructure using the financing opportunities offered by the federal state of Brandenburg.

EIB Vice-President Nicola Beer, who oversees financing in Germany, said: “Education needs modern spaces offering a creative learning environment. The EIB is happy to support the modernisation and digitalisation of educational institutions to ensure that pupils in Brandenburg receive the best possible education, including on digital skills.”

ILB CEO Tillmann Stenger added: “As its main financier, ILB has always backed investments in Brandenburg’s educational infrastructure, particularly building work in state schools and nurseries and digital infrastructure development. Ultimately, we want to promote the transformation to a carbon-neutral digital society for our children.”