Clubs are happy about LEADER grants

Since 2017, more than 70 clubs and project groups from the Moselle Franconia region have received a LEADER grant through the "Volunteer Citizens' Projects" program. A success story that should continue in the years to come.

In its last meeting on April 28th, the LAG Moselfranken decided on a total of 25 new projects and approved grants from the European LEADER program. There were 16 of them in total "Voluntary Citizen Projects" . This funding offer has existed since 2017 and is supported every year with funding from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The approach is bearing fruit, because since then numerous creative, voluntary projects have been supported by the program: The ideas range from the design of community areas to the maintenance of the cultural landscape to the upgrading of the tourist infrastructure. Around €40,000 will flow from the program to the citizens' projects this year. In the LEADER region, people are happy about the brisk demand and have produced a video on the "voluntary citizen projects" approach. This was published on the YouTube platform: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXXhOYW0RT8

For so-called "Small Projects" , which do not cost more than €20,000 net, there are also LEADER grants. This year, a total of seven projects were able to successfully apply for funding from the program. For example, an educational space on the subject of hydropower is to be realized in Saarburg, the local community of Igel would like to make the Igel Column more attractive to tourists, and a sales room is to be built in Freudenburg-Kollesleuken for the regional brand “Wildling”.

However, projects with higher overall costs can also benefit from LEADER grants. The creativity of the applicants is also evident here: Applicant Dirk Sieren receives the Equipment for his private brewery in Trassem a LEADER grant of around €38,000. In future, locals and visitors to the region will be able to look forward to a locally brewed beer.

In addition, the LAG Moselfranken has also selected a project of the Saarburg-Kell and Konz associations: In April 2023, the associations want a joint, regional symposium on the topic of “building with wood” host. At the event followed by an excursion, experts will provide information about what modern timber construction can achieve and what potential there is. The project was initiated by the architect Simone Grimm "Conscious Places, Saarburg). Target groups of the symposium are, for example, architects, engineers, building authorities and municipalities. With total costs of around €29,000, funding of 65% (around €19,000) was approved.

The current EU funding period ends at the end of 2022. What will happen then with LEADER in the region? The Moselfranken region is currently applying to the state of Rhineland-Palatinate to be recognized again as a funding region for the period 2023 to 2029. If the application is successful, attractive EU grants for creative projects beckon for the next few years - also for "voluntary citizen projects".