Nearly two and a half thousand Hungarian organizations abroad won support in the first phase of the National Restart Program, announced the State Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office responsible for national policy.
János Árpád Potápi recalled: since 2011, the government has been announcing tenders for Hungarian organizations abroad in order to support operations, development, equipment procurement, events and programs. This year, however, the grants and calls for tenders previously provided as part of several programs were unified under the title National Restart Program.
In the first tender, it was possible to apply for operation, development and equipment procurement in six categories - education, culture, church, sport, youth, scouting and community, as well as diaspora - from April 15 to May 14. The support amount was 1.5 billion forints, of which the organizations could claim between 300 thousand and 5 million forints as non-refundable support.
The state secretary said: 3,223 applications were received, the support requirements of which were almost eight times the amount available, about HUF 12 billion. Due to a formal error, they had to reject 76 applications, but almost half of the valid applications, 1,464, won money. The list of winners can be found on the website of Bethlen Gábor Alapkezelő Zrt. (bgazrt.hu).
795 applications from Transylvania won 581 million forints, 173 applications from the Highlands received 207 million forints, 118 applications from Transcarpathia received 128 million forints, 36 applications from Muravidék received 40 million forints, 35 applications from the Dráva angle received 42 million forints, 98 applications from Vojvodina received 152 million forints and 209 from the diaspora. tender 350 million forints.
János Árpád Potápi noted that 23.3 percent of the subsidy amount was won by applications from the diaspora, mainly for the operation of schools and kindergartens in Hévég. He drew attention to the fact that 2-2.5 million Hungarians live in the diaspora, roughly as many as - outside of Hungary - in the Carpathian Basin.
Among the sub-programmes, the cultural and educational ones were the most popular.
The State Secretary emphasized: they have done everything to preserve and strengthen the Hungarian identity and are still working on it.
Hungarians living abroad can count on the government to restart after the epidemic. Everything Hungarian is important to them, whether they live in Hungary, in the countries of the Carpathian Basin or in the wider world, he declared.
On the occasion of August 20, the Secretary of State greeted the Hungarians of the world and, he said, wished that wherever they live, they would be able to commemorate the founder of the state, King Szent István, the founding of the state and the fact that "we have been writing a common history for 1,100 years".
In the second part of the National Restart Program, Hungarian organizations abroad can apply for support for programs and events.
MTI
Cover image: Illustration / Photo: MTI/Zoltán Balogh
