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Cross-border
economic
development
37
Practical guide : promoting projects
For projects that have received
public-sector funding (for
example through INTERREG
programmes), the main issue
is to sustain the activity after
the cessation of the funding.
The financial viability of these
projects is a crucial question
that should be taken into
consideration at the time the
project is launched. At the
level
of European programmes
,
it is important to consider
project sustainability right
from the outset.
The projects
must therefore include actions
to sustain the activity (drafting of
a business plan, seeking private
funding, etc.).
To ensure the continuity of
funding sources, there must
be
closer collaboration with
banks and other financing
structures,
to facilitate access
to private funds.
Beyond the financial aspect,
it is necessary to showcase
the benefits of cross-border
economic projects. For
European programmes for
instance, there should be
indicators to measure the
impact of projects and
demonstrate their long-term
utility.
Capitalisation activities also
help to identify the value added
of the cross-border approach.
They may be conducted through
capitalisation events held
at the end of programming
periods
to highlight what
worked well, and to disseminate
this information.
E x a m p l e :
Capitalisation seminars
for
project developers but financed
by the French-Italian cooperation
programme ALCOTRA were
organised by the Provence-Alpes-
Côte d’Azur Region and the Alpes-
Maritimes, Hautes-Alpes and Alpes
de Haute-Provence Departments
with the support of the MOT.
http://www.espaces-transfrontaliers.org/en/european-activities/
the-mots-european-projects/
project-five-seminars-on-
operational-arrangements-for-cross-
border-projects-on-french-borders/