PNRR and School 4.0: FAQs from the Ministry of Education

PNRR and School 4.0: with the publication of the note no. 4302 of 14 January 2023 the Ministry of Education and Merit (MIM) has provided answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) as regards the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and the Plan School 4.0.

The aforementioned note from the Ministry of Education and Merit, in particular, is public clarifications and FAQs under the line of investment 3.2 of the PNRR (Mission 4: Education and Research, Component 1 – Strengthening of the offer of education services: from kindergartens to universities).

PNRR and School 4.0: here are all the answers to the most frequently asked questions (FAQ) that have been published by the Ministry of Education and Merit

As regards action 1 – Next generation classrooms of the “School 4.0” investment line, Does the target value refer to the number of classes or the number of rooms?

“The target value refers to the number of environments to be transformed”.

In fact, with the aforementioned action, the aim is to transform school spaces into learning environments with the following characteristics:

• innovative;
• adaptable;
• flexible;
• connected;
• integrated with digital, physical and virtual technologies.

Still with regard to the same action, the operating instructions provided by the Ministry of Education and Merit provide for a minimum limit of 60% for the purchase costs of digital equipment. Is it possible to purchase equipment and accessories necessary to make the best use of the technologies?

The Ministry replies in the affirmative, clarifying the fact that the aforementioned minimum limit includes all technological equipment necessary to achieve the objective of the action. In particular, we are talking about:

• digital equipment and devices;
• teaching equipment integrated with technology;
• apps;
• software;
• digital content;
• other goods and accessories necessary for the best educational use of technologies;
• assets capable of enabling the use of technologies and the adoption of innovative teaching methodologies in transformed environments.

When formulating the financial plan, is it necessary to include all the expense items or is it also possible to decrease the maximum amounts corresponding to the maximum percentage values ​​of expenditure? Is it possible to allocate all the resources to the expense item on “Expenses for the purchase of digital equipment”?

“The expense items provide for a minimum percentage of 60% for the ‘Expenses for the purchase of digital equipment’ type, which can be increased. For other expenditure items, maximum but not minimum percentages are envisaged. Therefore, the school can reduce or cancel the other cost items in favor of the item ‘Expenses for the purchase of digital equipment’, without prejudice to the obligation to ensure testing and advertising, even if not for onerous reason”.

Are expenses for internal school personnel who are involved in project management within the limit of 10% of design and technical-operational expenses eligible? Can school principals, the DSGA, ATA staff and teachers also hold positions in the project? What are the payable technical-operational activities?

“Yes, expenses for all school personnel directly involved in project management are eligible. As already clarified in the Operating Instructions, all internal staff at the school (DS, DSGA, ATA, Teachers) can carry out the additional activities in accordance with the respective collective labor agreements”.

Between repayable technical-operational support expenses include:

• those of planning the spaces and setting up the rooms;
• those of technical-administrative testing;
• the other functional and essential technical-operational activities for the realization of the project activities and the achievement of the target.

The Ministry then specifies that i members of the design team can be paid as part of the design and technical-operational expenses of the “School 4.0” plan.

If the project must be presented by February 28, is it possible to commission the figures for the design before this deadline?

“The deadline of February 28, 2023 refers exclusively to the upload of a rough preliminary design proposal on the basis of a form (any cost of completing it is not eligible for funding), while the detailed executive design is carried out after the launch activities”.