The draft Act on the Development Restructuring of the Savinjsko-Šaleška Region, prepared by the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development, is open for public consultation between 16 July and 25 August.

The draft Act defines the following measures for the development restructuring of the Savinjsko-Šaleška coal mining region:

• the SAŠA development restructuring programme for the coal mining region in the areas of the economy, energy, the environment and social cohesion;
• strategic projects for sustainable development;
• maintaining the operation of the Slovenian Mining Museum and developing the cultural and creative sector;
• purchase of strategic development real estate owned by local communities.

The Act defines the following projects as strategic projects: Renovation of the district heating system;, Energy site redevelopment;, Provision of non-profit housing; and Incentives for start-ups.

The development restructuring programme is adopted by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for two five-year periods (2026-2030 and 2031-2035) for four different areas: the economy, energy, the environment and social cohesion. The draft Act stipulates that the programme shall be prepared by the ministry responsible for regional development in cooperation with the relevant ministries and the Savinjsko-Šaleška Region Development Agency, and that the Development Council of the SAŠA Region’s Regional Development Partnership shall give its opinion on the programme before it is adopted. The programme specifies measures (a set of activities), instruments for their implementation (such as subsidies, loans, etc.), and a time and financial framework. The instruments are implemented by the relevant ministries, public funds, public agencies, and public institutions, while the beneficiaries are municipalities, legal entities, and natural persons. Funds are allocated through public tenders, public calls, or on the basis of directly concluded contracts, and the programme is adopted within nine months of the Act coming into force.

During the public discussion of the Act, a draft programme was prepared in the region in accordance with the areas and sub-areas listed below. The draft is the result of data collection on projects, on the basis of which measures will be developed to enable these groups of projects to be eligible for co-financing.

AREA OF ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING AND PROMOTION OF COMPETITIVENESS

1. Incentives for the development of entrepreneurship and improving the competitiveness of companies, including start-ups and . scale-ups.
2. Investment in research, development, innovation, and digitisation.
3. Development of the cultural and creative sector and protection, preservation, and revitalisation of the cultural heritage of the coal mining region.
4. Development of sustainable tourism.

AREA OF ENERGY RESTRUCTURING

1. Transition to renewable energy sources.
2. Improving the energy efficiency of buildings and processes, including incentives for energy-vulnerable groups.
3. Enabling local smart energy communities.
4. Promoting the integration of renewable fuels into energy supply and sustainable mobility.

AREA OF SOCIAL INTERGENERATIONAL COHESION AND INCLUSION, TRAINING AND EDUCATION

1. Social inclusion.
2. Employment, lifelong career guidance and training.
3. Promoting health, healthy lifestyles, recreation, and sports.
4. Accessibility of housing and improvement of quality of life.

AREA OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESTRUCTURING TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY

1. Revitalisation of spatially and environmentally degraded areas.
2. Changing the purpose of facilities related to coal mining and use.
3. Promoting the circular economy.
4. Reducing negative impacts on the environment.

If you would like to submit your project, by 30 September 2025, please fill in the FORM and send it to cpp@ra-sasa.si.

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