Rural Development projects

 Supporting the municipality of Rheden and others, both as partner and as consultant, in developing the “Green Valley” (Groene Vallei) Initiative, focusing on establishing the region as a “knowledge centre” and living lab for landscape, park management, nature and “green economy” creating new jobs, but also as place to live and as tourist destination, a proposal is currently being developed for INTERREG Europe (2015-17).

– Project management of the INTERREG IVB project “Vital Rural Area“, for and with the Dutch Lead Partner NOFA, 4 municipalities in the Northeast of Friesland (2012-2015).

– Supporting the province of Gelderland (NL) to develop a LIFE+ proposal on Farming for Nature, establishing contacts with the Naturpark Kaunergrat region in Austria, that is now working on follow-up proposal under LEADER+ (2011-12).

– Advisor to the RIGO Innovation programme for ”Green Secondary Education (knowledge) network” in the Netherlands, focusing on regional transition. In cooperation with the Ministery for Economic Affairs Agriculture and Innovation, GKC (Green knowledge Centre)/KGO, and “De Werkplaats”. Main themes covered: regional transition, rural innovation and international cooperation (2007-present).

– Support of the INTERREG IVB NW Europe project GreenCook, for Foundation “De Proeftuinen”, both in management and application (2009-present).

– Development of an INTERREG IVB (NW Europe) project on sustainable rural development, “EnergEthic Communities”, for the Flemish Land Agency VLM (lead partner, Belgium) and the Municipality of Hardenberg (the Netherlands), 2009-2010.

– Regional Innovation Agenda. Development of a project proposal INTERREG IVB for the municipality of Borne as lead partner, in cooperation with Europa Werkstatt (autumn 2007).

– Development of several project ideas for EU-cooperation projects in Northern Netherlands, especially the “Veenkoloniën” region, including a MATRA application for cooperation with the Kaliningrad oblast (RU) and a LEADER application on behalf of the Polish Vojvod of Lublin (2008-2010).

– Assistance and advice of Europa Werkstatt, the Dutch Keuning Instituut and the Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, on rural development programmes and European funding opportunities for several Dutch municipalities and related organisations. These projects include the implementation of a new concept called the “workspace” (workplace, workshop), where local stakeholders together with students and scholars are invited to participate in local or regional development programmes and projects (2007-2010).

– Advice on and search for funding opportunities for the “Riverstone”-project – development of the location of a former brick factory for future activities (nature, water, housing, tourism; 2006-2010)

– Assistance of a project on farmers who abandon their farming activities in exchange for new housing and other activities, for example tourism related, on their premises (2004-2010, Province of Gelderland)

– Setting up nature walks, organising funding and developing new projects for the Rhederoord Estate near Arnhem, the Netherlands (2004-2010, Rhederoord)

– Cooperation on rural development projects with Franck Jaarsma/Agrosubsidies, a partner consultancy specialised in project funding for small rural enterprises, as of November 2004

– Advising member of the agricultural project-group within the cooperation programme between the districts of Grafschaft Bentheim/Germany) and Slawsk (Kaliningradskaya Oblast)/Russian Federation, which includes the generating of ideas on follow-up projects (ongoing, from 2003, Landkreis Grafschaft Bentheim). Field visits to Kaliningrad in October 2003, August 2004 and December 2008 – development of follow-up projects ongoing

– Strengthening capacity for agri-environmental programming and implementation in Lithuania: a draft proposal for a training and exchange programme was drafted, and successfully submitted for funding within the Dutch pre-accession programme (2002, carried out 2003/2004 by Avalon/DLV and others)

– Restructuring and rural development plan for region “Achterhoek”, the Netherlands: coordination of regional working groups and participating in the communication of the draft plan to municipalities and other regional organisations, and incorporating their feedback in the follow-up version (2002-2003, Province of Gelderland/Regio Achterhoek and others)

– Development of project-ideas, including successful applications, for example, a water-management and development project in the Abava Valley in Latvia, and preliminary proposals for cross-border agri-environment projects in the Baltic and the Balkans (2001-2002, Avalon)

– Successful application of the “Agri-environmental programme for Croatia”, funded within the Dutch PIN-MATRA programme (2001, Avalon)