Skopje, 18 May 2023 (MIA) — All nine state university dormitories — in Skopje, Prilep, Bitola, Shtip and Ohrid — will be thoroughly renovated with an EU grant of EUR 5 million and KfW Development bank loan of EUR 20 million, according to the Ministry of Education and Science in a press release.

The dorms will have their electrical wiring, plumbing, furniture, doors, and windows replaced; walls painted; facades repaired; and heating systems updated, the release says.

According to the release, qualifying companies have already submitted their bids and the Ministry of Education will select a contractor with the lowest-costing bid.

The reconstruction will be done in three stages. The first two to be reconstructed will be the Skopje dorms Stiv Naumov and Kuzman Josifovski Pitu. The first stage should take 18 months after construction works begin, the release says.

The second stage will include the renovation of the Skopje dorm Tome Stefanovski Senikj; the Ohrid dorm Nikola Karev; the Shtip dorm Brakja Miladinovci; and the Prilep dorm Orde Chopela, which are all to be remodeled into nearly zero-emission buildings.

The third stage will focus on renovating the dining hall at Skopje's Goce Delchev dorm, Bitola's Kocho Racin dorm and Skopje's Pelagonija dorm.

"The start of construction works is planned for the first half of 2024," the release says.

The European Union grant was provided by the Regional Energy Efficiency Program within EU's Western Balkans Investment Framework. mr/