1) Can you share some details about the policy context addressed by your Action Plan and on how its implementation will contribute to improving the policy instruments tackled within your region?
The main objective of Hamburg’s Action Plan is to generate support from the local and national ecosystem (citizens’ organisations, businesses, research) to develop Hamburg into a Smart Healthy Age-Friendly City with the support of The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This objective is in line with the aims of the City of Hamburg to promote high-level quality of independent living and to boost business opportunities for innovative and creative companies.
2) Which are the actions you are going to implement and how much have they got inspired by the EU_SHAFE project’s activities devoted to the interregional exchange of experiences?
Action 1: Improve the accessibility of ERDF for SMEs and get funding. Based on stakeholder needs and expectations evoked by project activities, it turned out that it is intensive to get access to ERDF funding. Particularly for SMEs.
Action 2: Encourage funded projects by minimizing the administrative expense. While a project runs, it often turns out that the administrative burden is still high, especially for smaller projects. This is also confirmed by an interview with a key project manager for an ERDF-funded project.
Action 3: Develop a proposal for implementing Aarhus Good Practice DokkX in Hamburg. DokkX is a welfare technology experience space funded by the City Council of Aarhus Municipality. At DokkX, citizens can get advice and guidance so that they can acquire the right technologies and tools that support an independent and active life.
3) On which main financial sources you will leverage for the execution of the actions envisaged and which is the related time frame for their completion?
Action 1 & 2: The Hamburg Ministry of Social Affairs is a member of the ERDF managing board. In this rule, we are working continuously on both goals, especially in the development phase of the new operational program until summer 2022. Additionally we are in close contact with the ERDF managing authority about the development of the new administrational and controlling system of the ERDF until the end of this year.
Action 3: The process of finding and addressing the right project partner. The definition of the best funding scheme is complex. In the implementation phase, we will discuss it with different stakeholders and work on the plan on how to realize and implement the idea.
