France : la BEI et le Département de Seine-et-Marne signent un nouveau contrat de financement pour les collèges

• Provision of €140 million in EIB funds for 19 institutions in the Department.
• Implementation of higher environmental standards than those in current regulations for most of these projects.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is granting a €140 million loan for the extension, renovation and construction of 19 lower secondary schools (collèges) in the Seine-et-Marne Department. The operation has a sizeable environmental component as over half of the projects will be implemented in line with more ambitious standards than those in the current thermal regulation.

Following the July 2015 signature of a €100 million finance contract, the Seine-et-Marne Department decided to put in place a new multiannual finance contract with the EIB under its ongoing collège investment programme.

Seine-et-Marne is experiencing the greatest level of demographic growth in the Île-de-France region after the Essonne Department. Lower secondary schools – for which the Department is responsible – are therefore taking on more than 1 000 additional pupils every year. Beyond the necessary additional capacity provided by the extension of existing institutions and the construction of new collèges, the Department’s investments also focus on ensuring standards are met for accessibility, support of various teaching methods for pupils experiencing difficulties, and energy efficiency improvements.

From all the projects included in the Department’s plan, the EIB has selected 19 with a total eligible cost of €303 million. Of these projects, seven involve the construction of new collèges, ten cover the extension and renovation of existing collèges, and two are operations to renovate other existing cultural and educational infrastructure.

At the end of the project implementation period, over 13 000 collège pupils – i.e. more than 15% of pupils attending the Department’s public collèges – will have access to new or renovated facilities.

For Seine-et-Marne Department President Patrick Septiers, “the Department’s ambitious investment policy provides collège pupils and educational teams with a working environment promoting development and success across the board. The Department has opted to pursue an efficient sectorisation policy and to invest heavily in building new collèges in areas experiencing major demographic increases and in renovating and maintaining existing institutions. The signature of this new contract with the EIB ensures that we have optimal financing conditions for successfully implementing our educational investments.”

“Educational investment is one of the EIB’s top priorities due to its immeasurable impact on the economy and our societies,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. “We are very proud of the trust the Seine-et-Marne Department is placing in us by allowing us to support it for a second time in the construction and renovation of its educational facilities.”

About the Seine-et-Marne Department

With a view to offering high quality teaching conditions to its over 82 000 collège pupils, the Seine-et-Marne Department pursues a proactive and ambitious educational policy tailored to the needs of pupils and teachers alike. Providing structural facilities across the Department, implementing new teaching tools and ensuring individual safety are all among the ongoing projects to improve the quality of life in the 145 collèges in Seine-et-Marne (128 public and 17 private collèges). In line with its construction and renovation policy, the Department is also implementing a strong investment programme to ensure the regular renewal of collège furniture, renew IT equipment and guarantee security at collèges.