NSA refused grants for stadiums in Pardubice, Zlín, and now in Hradec

Multifunctional hall at the Brno exhibition center (design: A PLUS, a. s., and Arch.Design, s.r.o.)

Prague – The National Sports Agency (NSA) assessed nine applications for grants for the reconstruction of stadiums and other sports facilities. This includes hockey stadiums in Brno, Zlín, and Kladno, as well as football stadiums in Pardubice and Hradec Králové. The total requested amount for all projects in the call titled Cross-Regional Sports Infrastructure was two billion and 200 million crowns. However, the agency can distribute a maximum of 900 million crowns. Some cities have already had their grants rejected by the agency, while others still have a chance. It was announced today that the NSA has halted the grant application for the football stadium in Hradec Králové:

Grants rejected by the National Sports Agency this year:

January 5 – Deputy Mayor of Liberec Radka Loučková Kotasová (ANO) announced that Liberec was unsuccessful in its application for a grant of 300 million crowns for the reconstruction of the city swimming stadium. Liberec has been preparing the reconstruction of the city swimming stadium since 2015. According to the original plans, the modernization should have already been completed, with construction scheduled to start as early as 2023. The city hall estimates the costs at 820 million crowns.

January 6 – The NSA halted the grant process for the reconstruction of the Luděk Čajka Winter Stadium in Zlín because the city did not own all the land. Zlín applied for a grant of up to 300 million crowns. The estimated reconstruction costs were nearly one billion crowns. Zlín filed an administrative lawsuit in February.

February 23 – Deputy Mayor of Pardubice Jan Nadrchal (ANO) announced that Pardubice is appealing the NSA's decision not to grant funding for the modernization of the summer football stadium. The problem was that the design and build method was used for the construction, where the same firm prepares the project and also carries out the construction work. Pardubice has appealed the agency's decision to the NSA.

April 7 – The NSA decided not to grant Brno a grant of 300 million crowns for the construction of an athletics hall. The city wants to build the hall near the university campus for approximately 800 million crowns. Deputy Mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS) later stated that he proposes the city file an administrative lawsuit against the agency. However, Vaňková doubts its effectiveness. Vaňková also mentioned that if Brno does not receive the grant for the athletics hall, it should not build it. "The reason is the conclusion of an irrevocable commitment with the contractor, which made it impossible to utilize even block exemptions under public support, and the non-submission of a valid itemized budget," stated NSA spokesperson Jakub Večerka.

April 13 – Hradec Králové received a notification in its data box that the NSA has halted the grant process for the football stadium in Hradec Králové. The agency mentions in the letter that providing the grant would represent public support under European Union law, which is incompatible with its internal market. The city disagrees with the NSA's objections and conclusions and is considering legal action. The city has already started construction at a cost of 568 million crowns.

– According to the Seznam Zprávy website, the NSA also rejected the grant for the grounds for landowners and football players in Rakovník.

Cities with a chance of succeeding in grant applications:

– Brno will receive a grant from the NSA for the construction of a multifunctional hall at the exhibition center. In March, the agency informed that the Brno project met all conditions. The city applied for 300 million crowns, but the decision on the amount of the grant will only take place after the selection of the contractor.

– Jihlava is also close to receiving a grant for the construction of a new Horácká multifunctional arena for 1.3 billion crowns. The city requested 300 million crowns. However, the specific recognized amount is not yet confirmed. The procurement procedure for the construction of the arena at the old Horácký winter stadium was initiated by Jihlava this February.

Still under negotiation:

– Kladno is awaiting final evaluation of the NSA grant for the reconstruction of the winter stadium. The total cost of the reconstruction will reach about half a billion crowns. Previous statements from the former regional administration and representatives of the state indicated that the repair of the stadium should be equally financed by the city, the region, and the NSA. However, last month the Central Bohemian Region announced that it would not contribute to the reconstruction.