As part of the European Union’s cohesion policies, which aim to reduce development disparities between the regions of the Member States, the European project REFERENCE, launched in 2021 and still ongoing, continues.
REFERENCE, which stands for REgional Funds for EuRopEaN CohEsion, enables citizens and companies in the member regions of the consortium to find out about structural funds opportunities related to EU cohesion policies in a simple and intuitive way.
The project, funded by the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG Regio), is the result of the collaborative effort of four member countries: Italy, Romania, Greece and Lithuania.
The project leader is the consulting company JO Consulting, active since 1998 and based in Catania, Sicily, which, thanks to the technical-digital skills it has developed over the years, is responsible for the development of the MyFunds App, the core of the project (see following paragraphs). The other consortium’s partners are:
- Iceberg, another consulting company based in Brasov, Romania;
- iED (Institute of Entrepreneurship Development), a Greek non-profit organisation and certified centre of excellence committed to the enhancement of European entrepreneurial initiatives;
- Civitta, a Lithuanian group of consulting firms, the result of mergers and acquisitions in as many as 17 countries.
Table of contents
Goals
The REFERENCE project, which was also designed to disseminate information about the Just Transition Fund and the Recovery Plan for Europe, has 4 objectives:
- to foster a better understanding of cohesion policy by illustrating to citizens good practices for effective communication of job, career and investment opportunities within their territory;
- to promote, through a guided approach facilitating access to funds, the structural funds opportunities related to EU cohesion policy;
- to actively promote EU cohesion policy by informing and involving citizens through promotional videos, communication campaigns, events and webinars in each partner country;
- collect citizens’ proposals and suggestions concerning cohesion policies in a document (The Citizens’ Voice) to be delivered directly to the European Commission and local policy-makers.
What has been done
Since the beginning of the project in 2021, the partners have been actively collaborating with transnational meetings to share their ideas, visions and realise their planned objectives. In May 2022, they met in Catania to discuss their achievements and define future goals.
Currently, the European consortium has:
- produced the Catalogue of Dos and Don'ts describing successful and unsuccessful practices already tested by the authorities of the consortium countries during the 2014-2020 programming period;
- developed the MyFunds web app, accessible from both mobile (via smartphone) and desktop (PC/Mac). The app makes all calls – and thus opportunities – related to EU cohesion policies easily and intuitively accessible. The measures are aimed at citizens, national and regional stakeholders, local authorities, academic institutions and, in particular, companies already established or to be established (depending on the facility guidelines). The platform's database is continuously updated by the project partners and already contains several calls for proposals for the 2021-2027 programming period;
- created and disseminated newsletters, press releases, brochures and promotional videos on the project, its results and EU cohesion policies.
What needs to be done
With the publication of the new calls for the 2021-2027 period, REFERENCE continues its mission: to bring citizens closer to the opportunities offered by the European Union. To do this, in addition to the actions already undertaken, it will focus on points 3 and 4 of its programme (see above):
- by involving off- and on-line newspapers throughout the national territory of each partner;
- launching communication campaigns on different channels (radio, television and social media);
- continuing to produce dissemination materials on the European initiative;
- organising round tables, webinars and/or in-person events.
Want more information on REFERENCE or other soft finance opportunities? Contact us
REFERENCE is a great opportunity, for everyone. In addition to its objectives, it aims to raise awareness on issues such as climate change, environmental protection, research, innovation and reducing disparities between the regions of Europe.
If you would like more information on the REFERENCE project, please contact us by filling out the contact form below, via WhatsApp or by calling +390950936053.
JO Consulting is a company, part of the JO Group cluster of companies, specialised in consulting on European projects and structural funds.
We can offer support to companies that want to seize the opportunities offered by the European Commission, Ministries and Regions.
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