Pins network
Published on 10 June 2019
Croatia
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
Problem and context:
Local development agency PINS is established in mountain area of Gorski kotar in western Croatia. Agency mission is to develop rural mountain area by supporting entrepreneurship. In this mountain area it’s hard to develop entrepreneurship and services with high added value for SME’s. For this reason, Pins develop new benefits for local SME’s – membership in Pins network. New approach through new partnerships has been developed. Starting in June 2016, Local development agency Pins start to promote and develop network for SME’s. This non formal network provides different services for local SME’s like regularly informing SME’s about business opportunities, financing, preparing projects, non formal educations of network members etc. This new created network is funding with income from members fee and partly from income which Local development agency Pins receive from selling entrance tickets for natural
site which is in total up to 5000 € per year. This money within Pins network is investing for preparation of new projects, which we prepared together with members. Nowadays 4 different projects are implemented in the area. These projects are funded by ERDF or national funds in total of
125.000 €. Thanks to development of informal network and new projects SME’s receive free business support service like mentorship, market advise support, promotion on fairs, business plans and promotion on web shop (https://www.pins-skrad.hr/webshop.php).
Local development agency PINS is established in mountain area of Gorski kotar in western Croatia. Agency mission is to develop rural mountain area by supporting entrepreneurship. In this mountain area it’s hard to develop entrepreneurship and services with high added value for SME’s. For this reason, Pins develop new benefits for local SME’s – membership in Pins network. New approach through new partnerships has been developed. Starting in June 2016, Local development agency Pins start to promote and develop network for SME’s. This non formal network provides different services for local SME’s like regularly informing SME’s about business opportunities, financing, preparing projects, non formal educations of network members etc. This new created network is funding with income from members fee and partly from income which Local development agency Pins receive from selling entrance tickets for natural
site which is in total up to 5000 € per year. This money within Pins network is investing for preparation of new projects, which we prepared together with members. Nowadays 4 different projects are implemented in the area. These projects are funded by ERDF or national funds in total of
125.000 €. Thanks to development of informal network and new projects SME’s receive free business support service like mentorship, market advise support, promotion on fairs, business plans and promotion on web shop (https://www.pins-skrad.hr/webshop.php).
Expert opinion
The Pins network is an informal network between the local public sector and SMEs in a peripheral rural area in Croatia. The Pins network promotes entrepreneurship and provides services to SMEs such as on business opportunities, funding opportunity, training activities, e-shop for local products, and so on. The Pins network supports the participation of local actors in projects that are partly funded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), national funding, local public funding, and entrance fees to local natural sites.
Some insights from the good practice:
-The Pins network has generated a positive dynamic among local SMEs to engage more with the European Union’s opportunities and projects. The good practice offers a potential path forward for peripheral rural areas that aim to engage more with EU’s opportunities and projects.
-With an increasing number of members, such informal networks must move towards more formal structures. This transition into a formal network requires additional skills and a clear mandate to be successful. As a result, such transition must be guided by local stakeholders coming from the triple or quadruple helix.
Some insights from the good practice:
-The Pins network has generated a positive dynamic among local SMEs to engage more with the European Union’s opportunities and projects. The good practice offers a potential path forward for peripheral rural areas that aim to engage more with EU’s opportunities and projects.
-With an increasing number of members, such informal networks must move towards more formal structures. This transition into a formal network requires additional skills and a clear mandate to be successful. As a result, such transition must be guided by local stakeholders coming from the triple or quadruple helix.
Works at
Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform
Resources needed
This network is just 10% funded by local public funds. All network activities are funded through different projects and income which is generated from managing public natural site. Education for local coordinator and new contacts is prerequisite for the success.
Evidence of success
The network has overcome the phase of no-cooperation, realized the benefits of working together. Members started dialogue and use of new services. Two of members (small businesses) during 2017 already applied for EU grants for food production. Network coordinator also apply for EU grants for development of new innovative services for SME’s and already implement 4 EU funded projects in the area. At the beginning of 2019 Pins received 50.000 Euros funded project for supporting local SME's.
Potential for learning or transfer
1 The process of realizing the need for cooperation to increase sustainability: In addition to the individual focus, Pins started to focus on a common goal - satisfied customers (SME’s) and satisfy founder (municipality). Pins focus on the business services for SME’s but also on sustainability of the agency which is established through new informal network.
2 The process of moving from informal to formal cooperation:
With increasing no. of Pins-members, they needed to formalize rules on confidentiality, make formal agendas and to introduce minutes. With access to funding, professional reports were necessary. In this process the rooted common guest-focus was priceless.
3 The process of re-investing income from managing public nature site: funds are reused to finance network activities and develop services which will contribute to better future competitiveness of local SME's.
2 The process of moving from informal to formal cooperation:
With increasing no. of Pins-members, they needed to formalize rules on confidentiality, make formal agendas and to introduce minutes. With access to funding, professional reports were necessary. In this process the rooted common guest-focus was priceless.
3 The process of re-investing income from managing public nature site: funds are reused to finance network activities and develop services which will contribute to better future competitiveness of local SME's.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Local development agency PINS
Croatia
Jadranska Hrvatska
Contact
CEO