The “Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski — City ReNEWal” project reaches halfway point

In the presence of a delegation from the partner city of Sogndal, a summary of the halfway point of activities within the project “Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski — City ReNEWal” was conducted last week. The project is being carried out by the Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski local government, funded by a grant of EUR 2,974,766 from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway under the EEA Funds. The project aims to improve the lives of residents of all ages by achieving various changes in the city’s socio-economic development, and in the sphere of local public administration.

There are numerous initiated and already completed tasks within the scope of the “Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski — City ReNEWal” project. Based on these funds, the development of the Ostrowiec Entrepreneurship Support Program is planned, alongside the establishment of the Ostrowiec Education and Entrepreneurial Integrator, including the acquisition of necessary equipment (the design phase has been completed, and the task is now in the contractor selection phase). The completion of the Modern Junior Academy by the partner institution PCK and the municipality, along with equipment procurement, has been accomplished. Additionally, an Educational-Entrepreneurial Program for the Ostrowiec Education and Entrepreneurial Integrator and a School Development Program have been prepared. The first stage of the Young Entrepreneur Academy has been concluded. The ongoing task involves fostering entrepreneurial attitudes among adult residents of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski. The creation of an Ecological Education Program for the city of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski has been finalized. By the end of October 2023, playgrounds will be equipped with facilities for use by people with disabilities, and educational stations for waste segregation will be installed.   In September, an air quality measurement device is set to be installed on the City Hall building, providing Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski residents with access to air quality information.  The needs of Ostrowiec residents regarding the development of cycling transportation within the city were identified through social consultations. The implementation of the component “I am an Ostrowiec Resident – Documenting and Reintroducing Elements of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski Identity” is currently underway. “Ostrowiec Legends” have been published, including a city monograph and a comic. Norwegian funds have contributed to the creation of OstraKarta, the Resident’s Portal (encompassing activities such as participatory budgeting, consultations, service centers, Youth City Council, Resident Card, Transport Card, among others), as well as the expansion of the city's server room. 

Tender procedures are also in progress for tasks related to accessibility in public utility buildings (PP No. 11, PP No. 12, PP No. 19, Social Welfare Center) and public spaces (Armii Krajowej, Szymanowskiego, Dąbrowskiej, Kopernika). This is only a portion of the tasks within the “Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski — City ReNEWal” project.

- We highly value our collaboration with our Norwegian partner, the Songdal municipality, stated Deputy Mayor Artur Łakomiec during the concluding conference.  Our numerous online discussions coupled with knowledge exchange are meticulously analyzed by us.  We observe, admire, and learn, as Songdal is a city where 40 percent of residents are young individuals. 

During the task realization meeting from the Norwegian side, Ingrid Kristiansen and Torkjel Solbraa from the Development Department of the Songdal Municipality shared their insights. Progress of the project was discussed by  Dominik Smoliński, Head of the Planning and Development Department of the Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski City Hall, Łukasz Kot and Ewa Mochul-Zwolińska from the Local Development Center, Beata Barska-Jagiełło from PCK, as well as Artur Majcher, Head of the Investment Department of the City Hall, and participants of the Youth City Council Academy. 

Expressions of gratitude to the Norwegian guests were extended by Agnieszka Rogalińska, President of the Local Development Center. 

The project “Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski – City ReNEWal” is financed by EEA and Norway Grants and the state budget for the years 2014 – 2021. The current value of the project is PLN 20,816,281.00, with funding of PLN 17,267,478.94.