- The EIB has granted a €100 million framework loan to Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg (ILB) for school building investments.
- The aim of the project is to improve education by modernising and digitalising nurseries, schools and vocational schools in Brandenburg.
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.”
Background information
EIB
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances sound investments that contribute to EU policy objectives. EIB projects bolster competitiveness, drive innovation, promote sustainable development, enhance social and territorial cohesion, and support a just and swift transition to climate neutrality. EIB projects bolster competitiveness, drive innovation, promote sustainable development, enhance social and territorial cohesion, and support a just and swift transition to climate neutrality.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed a total of €88 billion in new financing for over 900 projects in 2023. These commitments are expected to mobilise around €320 billion in investment, supporting 400 000 companies and 5.4 million jobs.
All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Accord. The EIB Group does not fund investments in fossil fuels. We are on track to deliver on our commitment to support €1 trillion in climate and environmental sustainability investment in the decade to 2030 as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Over half of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.
Approximately half of the EIB's financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower. This underscores the Bank's commitment to fostering inclusive growth and the convergence of living standards.
ILB
The Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg (ILB), based in Potsdam, has served as the promotional bank of the federal state of Brandenburg since 1992. It supports the federal state of Brandenburg and other public institutions in promoting public and private investment projects in the fields of business, employment, infrastructure and housing. ILB advises investors on funding programmes and financial instruments. Using its own funds and funds from the federal state, the federal government and the European Union, it offers low-interest loans, grants, liability exemptions, guarantees, and venture and equity capital. ILB works with savings banks and cooperative and private banks in Brandenburg and is a partner of the promotional institutions of the federal government and of the European Investment Bank.