This initiative will cater to 45,512 diners in 329 public centers, contributing to the effective functioning of the educational system and facilitating work-life balance. The contract will span 30 months, with a potential extension of an additional 20 months.
This comprehensive service includes both the preparation and distribution of menus, including special diets, as well as the necessary tasks for the service's operation, such as kitchen duties and student supervision. The transported menu is one of three modalities for school canteen services in the public network, currently serving 83,776 diners in 526 public centers.
The Department of Education also offers an in situ service, prepared within the school itself, which is being progressively strengthened, and a mixed modality combining both approaches. Menus are adapted to student needs, including special diets, with four types offered: basal, pork-free, ovo-lacto-vegetarian, and ovo-lacto-vegetarian with fish, alongside specific protocols for allergies and food intolerances.
Furthermore, the Governing Council has approved several other key items, including the signing of a collaboration agreement between the Basque Government and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia for the construction and financing of Line 4 of the Bilbao Metro. This agreement will enable the construction of a new 6.7-kilometer infrastructure connecting Bilbao's southern neighborhoods to the metro network, with six new stations at Deusto/University, Parque, Zabalburu, Moyua, Irala, and Rekalde. The initial estimated budget is 412 million euros, with the Basque Government covering 55% and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia the remaining 45%, up to a maximum of 200 million euros until 2032.
An increase of 50 million euros for the Hazitek program has also been approved, bringing its total to 169 million euros, aiming to transform the Basque industrial fabric through technological development. An additional 87 million euros are added to the record 2026 budget for the transformation and diversification of SMEs, allocating a total of 277 million euros in aid to SMEs, representing a 51.4% increase compared to the 2025 budget.
In the cultural sphere, three grants totaling 10.5 million euros have been approved for the promotion and production of culture, through calls for Audiovisual Production, Performing Arts Promotion Programs, and Literary Editorial Production. Additionally, a direct grant of 300,000 euros has been awarded to the En Tol Sarmiento (ETS) group's Bihotzen Konkista project, to promote their concerts in Barcelona and Madrid and project the Basque language and culture outside Euskadi.
Aid for work-life balance has also been approved, with a budget allocation of 940,102.92 euros for the 2026 fiscal year, intended for hiring caregivers for children under 14 years old. Finally, the collaboration agreement with the Provincial Council of Álava and the Official College of Pharmacists of Álava for the pilot project Botika etxean eskura has been extended, seeking to improve pharmaceutical care in the rural regions of Añana and Montaña Alavesa, with funding of 250,000 euros, of which 190,000 euros come from the Basque Government.
