As part of the second Swiss Contribution to selected EU member states, the Swiss-Lithuanian Cooperation Programme contributes to the strategic reforms undertaken by Lithuania and aims at improving the lives of people. The Programme will strengthen existing and create new long-lasting Swiss-Lithuanian partnerships, as well as provide for an exchange of experience and knowledge in priority areas for both sides. This continues the long-standing and successful bilateral cooperation established in the first Swiss Contribution with sustainable and visible results.

The second Swiss Contribution to Lithuania amounts to 45.2 million Swiss francs. In addition, Lithuania contributes 15% as co-financing to each Programme.

The Framework Agreement between the Swiss Federal Council and the Government of Lithuania was signed on 22 May 2023 and foresees the implementation of the following three Programmes:

Civic Engagement Programme

The overall goal of the Programme is to empower civil society by strengthening its participation in the decision-making, improving the competencies of civil society organizations, and enhancing the well-being of disadvantaged groups, including residents with a migratory background. Activities planned in this Programme will contribute to the measures set in the National Progress Plan 2021-2030. It has three strategic focuses:

1. Enhancing civic engagement in decision-making by developing tools for public involvement in the process, focusing on first-time participants (youth and residents with a migratory background);

2. Strengthening civic society organizations through the development of an accountability standard for NGOs, focusing on the migrant-led local level organizations;

3. Increasing the quality of volunteering through the development of an organizational standard for quality volunteer management.

The Programme operators are the Ministry of Social Security and Labour and the Central Project Management Agency of Lithuania.

Switzerland contributes 9.8 million Swiss francs to this Programme.

Maternal and Child Health and Wellbeing Programme

The overall goal of the Programme is to improve healthcare services for pregnant women, newborns, infants and children with developmental disorders by developing a sustainable structure of integrated health, education and social care services.

In the frame of previous Lithuanian-Swiss cooperations and their contribution to the strategic development of the national health system, the main qualitative and quantitative changes were made in the field of hospital services for pregnant, delivering women and newborns. The quality of services and patients' satisfaction reached a very high level, as well as newborns’ mortality rates have decreased significantly. On the other hand, the outpatient services for pregnant women, infants and children remain at previous levels and need to be improved.

• The first component of the Programme focuses on improving the quality and accessibility of the outpatient healthcare services for pregnant women, newborns and infants.

As more premature infants survive, also thanks to previous Swiss contributions, the improvement of the Early Child Rehabilitation Services (ECR) is a logical continuation of the Swiss-Lithuanian cooperation in the health sector. The ECR Services ensure early diagnoses and thereby help prevent developmental disorders. Complex early rehabilitation of children and their integration into society and the education system is also enhanced. Early rehabilitation services are not sufficiently developed in Lithuania and are provided in only 36 out of all 60 municipalities. Due to the difficult or missing access to early rehabilitation outpatient services, some children do not receive ECR services or they are treated in an inpatient setting, although and according to their level of the disorder it would be more (cost) effective for the children to receive outpatient services.

• Under the second component of the Programme, the main emphasis is put on improving the health and wellbeing of infants and children with a development disorder through the implementation of holistic child development services.

The Programme is coordinated by the Ministry of Health and the Central Project Management Agency of Lithuania.

Switzerland finances this Programme with 29.6 million Swiss francs.

Vocational Education and Training Programme

The Vocational Education and Training (VET) Programme is contributing to Lithuania’s National Progress Plan 2021-2030, with the aim to align the VET system with labour market needs. The Programme does so by improving the match between the competencies acquired in the education system and the requirements of the labour market.

The Programme focuses mainly on:

• Piloting and implementing the model for mastery qualifications acquired in the workplace. The model will enable the recognition of a person’s competencies, regardless of the means of their acquisition. 
• Developing and piloting a quality assurance model for the non-formal practical work-based training, which will facilitate the incentive to improve the competences of the employees.
• Adapting the VET system to the integration of people with a migratory background, with the aim to address their needs and facilitate their integration into the labour market and society.

The Programme is led by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation and the Central Project Management Agency.

Switzerland allocates 4.4 million Swiss francs to this Programme.