Istria County will fund 55 projects by associations in health and social care this year, having secured more than 263,000 euros. Boris Miletić, the county mayor, signed financing agreements with representatives of 46 associations at the county’s Coworking Centre. Some applicants secured funding for two projects.
The funds were distributed across three priority areas. Twenty-three projects aimed at improving citizens' health were approved for nearly 105,000 euros. Twenty-seven projects strengthening social well-being were approved for a total value of 130,000 euros. Five projects intended for veterans of the National Liberation War (NOR), Croatian war veterans, and their family members received 28,730 euros.
The tender was conducted on the basis of the Health Plan and the Social Plan of Istria County for the period 2025 to 2027. As noted at the signing ceremony, all projects that met the criteria received support.
Mayor Miletić emphasised that 20 per cent more funding had been secured for health and social care this year compared to last, and that, alongside education and sport, these sectors are priorities for the county over the last two mandates. "The strength of any society is measured by its care for its most vulnerable members," Miletić told the associations.
Davorka Maras-Tkačuk, head of the Department for Health and Social Care, reminded attendees that the county increases funding for the civil sector annually. This year's amount is approximately 20 per cent higher than last year and 50 per cent higher than in 2024. She described the associations as partners closest to users who are the first to recognise their needs, adding that the tender is published in line with the county's strategic documents.
The funded projects focus on working with people with disabilities, older people, the ill, and other groups requiring additional support in their daily lives.
