After UniCredit Foundation announced the names of the four projects that it will support with funding in the amount of half a million euros in Bulgaria and Romania, now the Call for Education Europe charity initiative will also cover the remaining 10 countries in which UniCredit operates.

In Bulgaria, the initiative was launched in February this year and received nearly 80 applications. Of them, two projects receive the full amount of funding they need: The Education Without Backpacks Association with the project on more successful in mathematics with Khan Academy in junior high school and the Areté Youth Foundation - Bulgaria with the project on Uni Youth - Promoting Roma opportunities for excellence in education. Their representatives received their checks personally from Silvia Cappellini, General Director of UniCredit Foundation and Tzvetanka Mintcheva, CEO of UniCredit Bulbank.

"We strongly believe that ensuring equal educational opportunities for Europe's future generations is crucial. Our initiatives aim to unlock the potential of new generations and we will continue to work with passion and determination to build a better future where education becomes the launch pad for the success and progress of entire communities. Bulgaria and Romania were pilot countries that successfully completed the Call for Education programme, and we are happy to continue its successful development, including the other countries in which the group operates," said Silvia Cappellini, during her visit to Bulgaria. 

"We are happy that Bulgaria, together with Romania, were the first two pilot countries in which UniCredit Foundation launched the Call for Education project to support equal educational opportunities for young people. Education is a supreme value and despite the challenges, we must not stop supporting and assisting the fight against inequality in the educational process. Only with an educated and confident generation can we dream of a successful and bright future", said Tzvetanka Mintcheva, CEO of UniCredit Bulbank, during the official event with the awarded Bulgarian organizations in the Call for Education project. 

UniCredit Foundation, in line with its goals to unlock the potential of the next generation of Europe through equal educational opportunities, launches its programme in the other countries of the group. They are Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. A total of EUR 3,000,000 will be allocated by UniCredit Foundation to identify and support programmes implemented by non-profit organizations for students aged 11 to 19, mainly aimed at:

• Tackling early school leaving;
• Continuing education and success at universities;
• Acquiring the necessary skills to enter the labor market;

"Education is a major driving force for Europe's future and I firmly believe that as a European institution, it is our responsibility to identify and support young talents in our communities, as they will be at the heart of our continent's progress and success in the coming years. That is why I am proud to announce the first edition of Call for Education Europe, which includes the 10 countries in which we operate. This initiative is fully in line with our group's commitment to continue creating growth opportunities for our communities and improving the social aspect in line with our ESG strategy and the overall strategic plan of the bank, commented Andrea Orchell, Chairman of UniCredit Foundation and CEO of UniCredit Group.

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Additional media information:

Ekaterina Ancheva, tel +359 894 518 193 , flbufsjob/bodifwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Darina Radoslavova, tel +359 887 505273, Ebsjob/SbeptmbwpwbAVojDsfejuHspvq/CH