LandVersorgt: Innovative projects for local service provision in the countryside
The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has issued a call for project proposals entitled “LandVersorgt – new approaches to local service provision in rural areas”. It has been issued under the “Action alliance for rural life” and is designed to support exemplary, innovative projects that are suitable for improving local service provision in rural areas, thus making a contribution to ensuring participation and basic services.
The present support scheme is being flanked by the German Association of Towns and Municipalities (DStGB – Deutscher Städte- und Gemeindebund) and is targeted at rural municipalities.
Funding is provided to assist in formulating project concepts on the development of sustainable solutions for the local supply of everyday goods. It is intended that the projects should be exemplary, take up new ideas and develop transferable solutions – so that they can serve as role models for other rural regions. The plan is to support the implementation of a selection of the concepts in a second phase.
Timeline
The Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE – Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung) will accept suitable project drafts on behalf of the BMEL until 31 March 2020. Whether a project will receive funding or not depends, among other things, on the benefit for the rural regions and the local population, the project’s prospects of success, the degree of innovation, the concept’s creativity and the transferability of the solution. The concept phase can be funded for a maximum of 12 months. The projects submitted should address at least one (more are possible and welcome) of the following subject areas:
- Multifunctional local service provision
- Local service provision and logistics
- Local service provision and digital future
- Local service provision and mobility services
- Design and structures
Following the review and evaluation of the project drafts, selected municipalities will be invited to submit an application for funding, probably in the summer of 2020.
“Action alliance for rural life”
The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), the German Association of Towns and Municipalities (DStGB), the Association of Rural Districts (DLT), the German Association of Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) and the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH) have joined together to form the “Action alliance for rural life” The Alliance strengthens rural regions under the slogan “Regional networks for united strength”. In this context, the aim is to implement exemplary support measures together with one of the respective alliance partners under the Federal Rural Development Scheme (BULE).
