Best practice in
Local Initiative “Company founding
in rural areas” (“Gründen auf dem Land”)
Initiating rural population to founding companies /
becoming entrepreneurs
Country and Region:
Actors: Business
Development Agency of Vulkaneifel county and neighbouring counties, Inmit
(Institute for SME economies at the
Financing:
Community Initiative “LEADER +” (until 2008) and European Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development (new programming period), Federal State of Rhineland
Palatinate, County Councils, non monetary contributions (services) of other
organisations.
Project period: since 2005
Objectives:
Initiating rural population
to creating enterprises, establishment of a entrepreneurship-friendly
environment in rural areas
Short description of the project:
Foundations of new businesses are an important factor for regional
development and the creation of new labour. This is also true for rural areas
facing particular challenges due to often poor infrastructure, demographic
change and constant “brain drain” to the bigger cities and metropolitan
regions. But there are potentials for businesses also in remote areas.
The Initiative aims at initiating and supporting rural potential
entrepreneurs to build up their own company in the region.
A whole package of activities has been set at the disposal of persons
willing to take initiative.
-
Awareness
rising activities
-
Qualification seminars to fill up gaps
-
Trainings in entrepreneurship
-
Consulting activities (seminars and individual
consultations)
-
Networking of relevant institutions and organisations
in order to support company founders (regional business development agents,
BRO, consultants of the Chambers, regional credit institutes, regional employment
centres, marketing experts etc.)
Results:
Since the first activities in 2005, the initiative counts more than 600
participants of seminars and other training and information activities. The
participating counties, albeit rural areas, had an company foundation rate
above the regional (Chamber of Industry and Commerce district) average The
great demand let to the decision to perpetuate the initiative in the next
years. The Federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate decided to integrate a funding
opportunity for this type of activities in the European Agricultural Fund for
Rural Development (Axe 3) Operational Programme 2007-2013. Examples and histories of companies founded
in the last years can be found on the website www.gruenden-auf-dem-land.de under
“Gründer/-innen-Portraits” (in German only).
Contact:
Please contact first: Olaf Gruppe,
Europa Direkt Trier
Mr. Alfred Bauer (languages:
German, English)
Manging Director
Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft
Vulkaneifel mbH
Mainzer Straße 25
D- 54550 Daun
Fon: 0049 (0) 6592/933-200
Fax: 0049 (0) 6592/985-900
E-Mail: wfg-daun@vulkaneifel.de