The Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA) is a regional authority in the Northern and Western region of Ireland that covers the county councils of Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Galway, Mayo, Monaghan, Roscommon and Sligo and the city council of Galway.
The NWRA is crafting a vision for the region that is vibrant, connected, natural, inclusive and smart. Simply, the NWRA has three clear objectives: it is working to create BETTER PLACES by adopting best practice in international spatial and economic development, it is committed to achieving COMPETITIVENESS by optimising EU and exchequer funding and harnessing the strengths of the ‘place’, through COLLABORATION.
The NWRA is responsible for drawing up and managing the Regional Operational Programme for the Border, Midland and Western (BMW) Region. The BMW Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020 is a funding package of €320 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Irish exchequer.
The priorities for the BMW Regional Operational Programme are:
- Strengthening Research, Technological Development & Innovation (RTDI) in the BMW Region
- Enhancing access to, and use and quality of ICT
- Enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs
- Supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors
- Sustainable Urban Development
The programme aims to facilitate transitioning to low-carbon economy through an increased use of renewable energy, development of green technologies and promotion of energy efficiency. Although the programme recognises the impact of agri-sector on greenhouse gas emissions, some supports remain inaccessible to the agricultural sector in line with EU State Aid guidelines, making the transition more challenging.
As the Managing Authority for the BMW Operational programme and also as a responsible body for the Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy for the Northern & Western Region of Ireland, the NWRA is in a good position to ensure that the findings, knowledge exchanges and technological developments highlighted throughout the AgroRES project are acted upon in an effective way, through policy change and funding opportunities for the agricultural sector in the region.
Learn more: www.nwra.ie/
Read about our other Irish partner, It Sligo, here.
