Project partners 6 municipalities, tourist board, Fryslân Marketing, Province of Fryslân, NFW, sme’s, ambassadors, Markant Fryslân, gastengilde 'selfdiscovering hostmanship', Onof (sme board), Denkgenoten (Lauwersdelta innovationhouse)

Contact data
Frederieke van der Lijn
Municipality of Achtkarspelen|
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.dwaande.nl

Key words network, strategy, cooperation, tourism, entrepreneurship, stakeholders

Policy frameworks to be dealt with/fitting in and main problems to be solved (analysis) Four Noordoost Friese gemeenten, Dongeradeel, Dantumadeel, Kollumerland and Achtkarspelen started in 200.? with the Noordoost Friese Aanpak. A coöperation between the four municipalities, to find out if working together will make the positions of the municipalities in a changing rural are stronger. (Threath of reclasscification of municipalities in the Province of Fryslân.) To work on a strategy to deal with decline of the rural area Noordoost Fryslân. One of the projects of the cooperation was the plan to connect the south part of the westside of NO Fryslân to the north part with a new highroad. This plan forced the municipalities to thing broader than a highroad, but to look also at the economical and social effects of this highroad. This led to a economical masterplan. This plan was made with strong input of the region itself, the Province of Fryslân and the municipalities. The plan was presented at the first big network event in 2010 under the name Nerwerk Noordoost. Netwerk Noordoost became an organisation of the municipalities and stakeholders in the region that started with an implementationplan. This plan is called Agenda Netwerk Noordoost, ANNO. During this process the start of the project idea Vital Rural Area was made and was stimulating for the process of the economical masterplan and ANNO. (format titel: Masterplan of North East Fryslân, workpackage 1)

Regional branding, workpackage 2 of the Vital project was the first overall, regional project that was inviting all stakeholders and other parties in the region to join. Although the pay off was Noordoost Fryslân 'echt mooi' and Dwaande for developing new activities (to use as a concept for arrangements and activities), the region spontaneously picked up Dwaande, as the title to brand the region. The kick off of Dwaande was in februari 2011. Before the kick off 'regional branding/Dwaande' worked on strong connections between regional partiesand the municipalities to gain commitment to work on regional development, promotion and innovation. The choice to promote the region with the title Dwaande was a bottum up choice. The project team offcourse went along with it. The idea of Dwaande was to give the region a campaign that included every activity, party, company, characteristic etc. And to make it a regional ownerschip in terms of how the campaign would develop, which accents would be made etc.

Aim of the project Create a strong image and empowerment for old/young in the region to enhance regional development and bring welfare for all stakeholders of the region: economical growth, investments in infrastructure and services, new product arrangements for visitors. How to achieve Dwaande as a significant stimulant for regional development, for stimulating new activities and promoting the region internally.

Dwaande facilitates and stimulates. Dwaande is a communication tool, a platform for all small and medium enterprices and organisations. These small scaled companies and also a small scaled landscape is characteristic for the region. By it self every company is to small and has to low budget to be innovative on a visible scale (wider than the region). Thats why Dwaande invests and facilitates in networks.

Organising the region with networks Support of the campaign to organisations on several themes and levels. touristic companies (small), ambassadors (selected group of leading companies, local gouvernment, workgroups with politicians. Innovation grows, and more budget is available if companies work together. New ideas have more exposure when promoted together. These small companies work on internal promotion, but with output for external promotion. (format 1: creating networks)

Dwaande facilitates and supports new ideas that regional parties develop and implement together, Dwaande supports by organising regional and (in the future) national exposure. Dwaande offers a platform, a 'look and feel' for the region. Facilitating and promoting new activities and new innovations for stimulating economical growth. (format 2: activities)

Overall Dwaande is the basis of regional development

Every party: Can identify with Dwaande and join the campagne in a way that fits the companies activity. Can use the campaign for regional and national exposure. Can join one of the networks for sharing knowledge, cooperation, wider exposure and implementing new ideas

Expected outcome for the region as a whole (impact of the project) 1. Common and well known and appreciated identity by inhabitants 2. 20 new initiatives in order to promote the region with the brand ‘Dwaande’ 3. 25 private companies which support ‘Dwaande’ as ambassadors 4. Integration of branding on program level with the regional development 5. 10% more visitors in the region in 2013 6. Appreciation of the region by companies: stable number of companies 7. Building strong, inspiring and flexible networks: using modern digital tools 8. Create a climate of sharing experiences, knowhow, storytelling, innovation. 9. First mover advantage and ambition of launch and learn. 10. Eliminate policy boundaries to enable partners to create quick results (regional ownership)

Planning 2008-2013 aim: to make it sustainable (long term)

Costs € 800.000 (50% Vital, 40% NOFA (6), 10% private investments)

Financing Interreg 4B

Date of production of this project format: December 10, 2012