1. Support to rural businesses
Working for the improvement of the implementation of the RDPs
Bringing together stakeholders
Support to rural businesses
Elena Maccioni
Bergamo,

2. From September 2016: Thematic working Group (TG) on Smart and Competitive Rural Businesses
Around 25 stakeholders including:
Managing Authorities
National Rural Networks
Local Action Groups
EU & national stakeholder organisations
European Commission
Messages from the TG
Addressed to policy makers at EU and national level

3. The basics Thriving rural areas cannot do without:
What should be evident…
Thriving rural areas cannot do without:
access to services &
presence of a variety of businesses able to cover the communities needs
Rural areas whose economic activities concentrate purely on farming activities / where no other sectors are developed:
If you are not into farming are simply not attractive
Fail to provide opportunities for demographic groups like the younger and the oldest generations
Don’t fulfil the complex set of needs of active communities

4. Objectives Need for good business ideas &
In order to successfully:
Diversify the offer of services in rural areas
Create job opportunities /new businesses
Give space to innovation & creativity to new & already established businesses
Need for good business ideas &
a good entrepreneurial environment.

5. Opportunities
Diversification & specialization processes
reach the best results if they
Build upon the resources available in the territory (local natural, cultural, economic & human capital),
Provide economic returns that stay in the rural territories
Contribute to the development of the rural communities investing in social innovation
Multifunctional land use

6. Sustainable rural tourism
Sustainable rural tourism is a perfect example of rural business able to provide all these opportunities:
local + open to other markets (urban) + environmental sustainable + economic sustainable + innovation + in many cases provides additional services
It builds up on local people, products, culture, nature
Sustainable tourism both for the sake of preserving nature and also for the sake of giving equal opportunities to future generations
Innovation is key in the tourism sector. Tourism is also stimulated by a endless competition and this oblige people working in the tourism sector to develop competitive products and services
Involving demographic group considered disadvantaged in rural areas (young, women and people with handicaps)

7. Tools examples: accelerators, incubators & digital hubs
Policy (1)
Effective support for rural creative businesses / creation of the ‘entrepreneurial environment’ require:
Tools examples: accelerators, incubators & digital hubs
knowledge transfer
access to capital
development of services for businesses
long lasting mentoring support
networking
peer to peer learning

8. EARLY FINDINGS - RDP analysis (2016-2017)
Diversification & rural business support are provided mainly through LEADER/CLLD
Policy recommendations:
RDP measures addressed to beneficiaries that are not only farmers
Target diversification & specialization processes
Focus more budget on support to farming activities

9. EARLY FINDINGS - RDP analysis (2016-2017)
Ultimate front of rural development &
development of the tourism sector requires access to broadband & support for the development of internet based solutions Recommendations:
Analyse the intensity of the investments for digitization & broadband infrastructures in rural areas  ESIF (structural) funds enough investments?

10. Thank you very much! Elena Maccioni elena@enrd.eu