Third National Grant Award Ceremony Successfully Held in Albania

April 16th, 2024, Tirana – The Regional Challenge Fund ( RCF) organised the Third National Grant Award Ceremony in Albania in order to share the results of the Third Call and to award the grants to winning consortia. The third round of applications attracted a total of 155 Expressions of Interest from Western Balkan 6. Out of this number 39 EoIs were received from Albania. The Selection Committee`s decision about the funds available for the third call resulted in 35 winning projects considered for RCF support accross WB6. 10 successful projects from Albania are proposed for finance, allocating approximately 5.4 million Euros for investments in equipment, infrastructure and training at vocational training institutes implementing cooperative training.

After three rounds of applications, a total of 21 projects have been awarded in Albania, comprising 23 vocational training institutes and 128 partnering enterprises, allocating approximately 10.4 milion Euros. 

The Award Ceremony took place at Maritim Plaza Hotel in Tirana and gathered the officials from the WB6 CIF, Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation, German Embassy, Swiss Embassy, KfW, SDC, Regional Challenge Fund, Chambers, Donor’s Projects and the awarded consortia from Albania, to mark the success.

Mr. Renato Vasili, Regional Coordinator in Regional Challenge Fund, welcomed the participants to the closing ceremony of the RCF Third Call in Albania. He underlined that with the announcement of the Third Call results, we are witnessing impressive results that show the dedication and innovation present in the vocational education sector. He stated that after three calls, 21 winning projects in Albania, which include 23 vocational training institutes and 128 partner enterprises, benefit from a significant investment in a total of about 10.4 million euros, paving the way for 3,400 students to participate in 39 innovative collaborative training programs, covering key sectors such as ICT, Tourism, Energy, Construction, Finance. “Your efforts and responsibility to do the best for the younger generations and their careers serve as our guiding principles in RCF and charge us with the responsibility to, together, redouble our efforts and accelerate the implementation process of these projects in 2024” he further added. Mr. Vasili concluded his word by expressing his gratitude on behalf of RCF, WB6 CIF, KfW and SDC to all the winning consortia who committed themselves with dedication and passion to prepare competitive and innovative cooperative training projects.

Ms. Ines Muçostepa, President of Albania Union of Chambers expressed her gratitude to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and KfW, for the continuous support offered to all Western Balkans countires and in particular to Albania. We believe, she said, that the long-term cooperation between companies and vocational training institutions is a solid basis for a stable and stronger economy and therefore we consider it very important to improve dual education in Albania. Even this year we at CIF are highly satisfied with the great interest that the companies showed for this project, she added, and I am even more satisfied with the fact that 10 consortia were selected for financing in Albania, being allocated  5.4 million Euros for investments. The Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Albania, as an important player in this process, will continue to work hard to have as much involvement of Albanian entrepreneurship in future projects as possible.

Mr. Iven Schad, Head of Cooperation at the German Embassy in Albania, congratulated the winning consortia on behalf of the German Embassy and the German Ambassador. He stated that as we navigate the complexities of global economic challenges, it is becoming increasingly clear that a skilled workforce is the cornerstone of a thriving economy and of business competitiveness. For Albania, investing in vocational education and training is not just an option but a strategic imperative for sustainable growth and prosperity, and, he underlined, in this regard I am therefore particularly glad that the German Government has also allocated 10.8 Mio EUR to a dedicated Albania RCF window and 1 Mio EUR for TA to support. Close cooperation in dual vocational training links us with Switzerland, and specifically with the Swiss Development Cooperation, and I am therefore particularly pleased that Switzerland is co-financing the RCF. In total, the RCF has until now committed to fund 99 projects across the Western Balkans creating more than 3,000 new training places. 21 of those projects with a total volume of 10.4 Mil EUR will be implemented in Albania. He further added that: “I am delighted that we have been able to implement the RCF together with many partners in Albania and throughout the Western Balkans. He concluded his word by thanking WB6 CIF, the RCF Fund Management Unit and highlighted the cooperation with MoECI, particularly the TVET Department and National Agency for Employment and Skills (NAES) , that has mobilized incredible support to the country’s VET schools in the application process, resulting in a great success in acquiring such a remarkable share of RCF funding for the future labor force.

Mr. Philipp Arnold, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Switzerland adressed the winning consortia form Vlora, Shkodër, Korça, Tirana, Elbasan and Durrës by congratulating them for the results and stated that their engagement is an essential ingredient for a successful implementation of the Regional Challenge Fund. When Germany and Switzerland cooperate, you can be sure of one thing: vocational education will get a little closer to the private sector. He underlined that in order to achieve this cooperation the skills taught in classrooms should align seamlessly with the needs of the private sector. And this is where the approach of the Regional Challenge Fund is so useful: it bridges the gap between education and industry, between schools and business, and eventually between employees and employers. He concluded by stating that with its focus on improving infrastructure, RCF complements nicely the Swiss programme on vocational education, working also at policy level and building capacities at VET schools. All of us and especially the winning schools are now certainly looking forward to the implemenation of the selected projects and to benefit from concrete results.

Mr. Blendi Gonxhja, Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation congratulated the 10 winning consortia in the RCF Third Call for their remarkable achievements and He highlighted that the Government of Albania has initiated a series of strategic initiatives for VET education that aim at reducing skills mismatch for all occupations and a better functioning of the labor market for all. Through RCF support, he added, the public providers of vocational education and training meet part of their needs that are related to infrastructure, equipment/laboratories or training of management and teaching staff. Undoubtedly, state budget funds in support of vocational education and training have increased in recent years, but one more alternative adds ti increasing support and improves the activity of vocational education and training providers. He added that this acquired experience enables us to have staff capable of writing projects and applying to other financing alternatives such as EU funds . Also, through these projects, cooperation with the private sector and business companies is strengthened and increased, as applications are made as consortia in cooperation with these companies. He conluded by extending his sincere gratitude to the German Government, the Swiss Government KfW and SDC for their support to RCF but also for their continuous support for employment and VET education in Albania.