The "Land(auf)Schwung" pilot project

The aim of the “Land(auf)Schwung" ("Rural upswing") pilot project was to increase regional added value, safeguard jobs in rural areas and actively shape demographic change.

With the “Land(auf)Schwung” pilot project, the BMEL provided 13 structurally disadvantaged German regions with the opportunity to develop and implement a multitude of local projects.

The rural districts chosen for the programme were each provided with a regional budget and had complete autonomy in managing the local project support, based on a development contract. This contract set out the objectives that each region pursued within the priorities of “basic services” and “regional value-added”. The BMEL supported the regions with a total of approximately 32 million euro. Around 550 projects were launched between 2015 and 2019 in the context of the pilot project.

The Rural Development Competence Centre at the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) accompanied and supported the regions in implementing the “Land(Auf)Schwung” programme. The Thünen Institute for Rural Areas provided scientific support.

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