In Goiener we would like to do much more than we are doing now. A multitude of ideas and suggestions are collected from our working groups and other creative teams, and many of these are adopted in our strategic plan, such as the recovery of hydroelectric power plants, the fight against energy poverty and offering solutions for sustainable mobility. There are many more ideas in this list than we can work on with the resources (people and financial means) at our disposal. This is where projects with financial contributions from the European Commission or other entities (local, regional, national) offer important support. Given the high level of competition, they are often difficult to obtain, but they offer important advantages.
Participation in a funded European project means for Goiener:
- to work in a medium- to long-term framework (usually 3 years) to develop and structure a new service,
- to reduce the (financial) risk in developing and experimenting with new services and business models,
- to be able to recruit a new partner-worker,
- to join strengths with stakeholders similar to us or other organisations, some with much more experience, knowledge (practical and/or theoretical) and/or resources (laboratories, equipment…),
- commit ourselves to a demanding and well-structured development plan,
- to gain recognition which opens doors to consolidate relations with others: REScoops and the REScoop.eu federation, public administrations, interest groups aligned with our own interests…,
- to gain attention in the local and international press and thus create public awareness,
- to influence European and regional policies through events and position papers.
In short, by participating in these projects we can go further than we could on our own.
Next, we will give a brief overview of the different projects we are involved in. For each project we first describe the overall objectives, and then focus on the particular objectives and tasks of Goiener and how they can affect our cooperative members. Finally, we list the ways in which you can get more information, follow up, communicate or even participate, as the case may be, in the project itself.
* Although each project is independent, they support a common and structured development strategy. This figure demonstrates the relationship between the projects and highlights the common aspects they address.
