The Local Action Group (LAG) Spree-Neiße-Land e. V. has successfully applied for funding as a LEADER region with the support of aconium GmbH. In the current funding period for Brandenburg, the association will receive almost 13 million euros from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
In May 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Climate Protection of the State of Brandenburg launched a call for competition for the EAFRD funding period 2023-2027.
In this context, the LAG Spree-Neiße-Land applied for funding as a LEADER region, i.e. for the promotion of rural development. The basis for the selection decision in the competition was the submission of a participatory, innovative and integrated regional development strategy. The LAG enlisted the support of aconium GmbH to develop and formulate this strategy in line with the funding. The region has a total of 12.9 million euros at its disposal for regional projects over the next four years. This includes 3.2 million euros in special funding, which will be paid out due to the outstanding quality of the competition documents submitted.
Development strategy: “Shaping the region together”
With the help of the funding, the LAG will meet the specific challenges of the Spree-Neisse region in Lower Lusatia. The central themes of the development strategy are coping with demographic change and shaping structural change following the imminent phase-out of lignite mining. Lion Hubrich, funding consultant at aconium GmbH in Leipzig, explains: “The main aim in developing the strategy was to work together with local stakeholders and in coordination with other funding programs to find out where the specific design approaches of the EAFRD funding program lie for the region.
Under the guiding principle “Region zgromadnje wugótowaś / Shaping the region together”, projects are now being funded in five fields of action:
- Added value on site
- Tourism and local recreation
- Services of general interest
- Attractive villages
- Living regional culture.
Cross-cutting themes are the strengthening of Sorbian/Wendish identity, digital participation, cooperation and internationalization as well as sustainability, natural areas and species protection. In several calls for funding, projects can be applied for from the LAG Spree-Neiße-Land and selected for funding according to the criteria developed in the development strategy. Small and micro-enterprises, associations, foundations and private individuals can receive up to 200,000 euros per project; municipalities, independent school and daycare providers and cultural heritage institutions can receive up to 800,000 euros.
Funding advice as added value for the region
In close coordination with the LAG Spree-Neiße-Land, aconium organized the entire development process of the strategy from conception to editorial finalization. Part of this process was also the moderation of a broad regional participation process in which the contents of the strategy were developed in public events, specialist workshops and surveys together with economic, social, environmental and public partners.
Janina Sembol, Chairwoman of the Board of LAG Spree-Neiße-Land e. V., sums up the collaboration: “The aconium GmbH team was a lively and professional partner for us throughout the entire process. Based on the resulting development strategy, we will be able to implement projects in the coming funding period that create real added value for the people in our region.”