Why the Stadteland Development Fund Geldrop-Mierlo?
Geldrop-Mierlo has many good ideas for making the village more attractive in various areas. However, plans sometimes fall by the wayside due to a lack of long-term funding. A Development Fund brings together (agricultural) entrepreneurs, sports and cultural organizations, and healthcare institutions to invest in initiatives that serve the collective interest.
What makes the Stadteland Development Fund Geldrop-Mierlo valuable to a municipality?
The Stadteland Development Fund Geldrop-Mierlo is much more than just a fund for entrepreneurs. Experiences across the country show that such funds are successful because they facilitate collaboration between entrepreneurs, educational institutions, sports organizations, cultural organizations, Health, community organizations, and neighborhood initiatives. Joint investment gives rise to projects that individual organizations often cannot carry out on their own.
The fund is financed through an increase in the property tax on non-residential properties. This ensures that everyone benefits, rather than just a small group paying.
Investing Together in a Strong Municipality
In other municipalities with a similar fund, resources are allocated to projects that contribute to an attractive business climate, a vibrant downtown, and a pleasant living environment. Examples include festive and decorative lighting in shopping districts, professional park management in business parks, video surveillance, sustainability projects, greening of public spaces, joint promotion of shopping districts, and events that attract visitors. These projects are often immediately visible to residents, visitors, and business owners.
Also for education, sports, culture, and Health
The Stadteland Development Fund Geldrop-Mierlo would not only offer opportunities for businesses. Schools, sports clubs, cultural institutions, healthcare organizations, and community initiatives can also participate in projects within their area. This fosters new partnerships that contribute to both economic and social goals.
Examples include technology days, company visits, and internship projects for students; cultural festivals, art tours, and open-air concerts; sports days, fitness trails, and wellness projects. In addition, various municipalities support initiatives that promote health and social connection, such as social activities to combat loneliness, support for volunteer and informal care networks, dementia-friendly shopping districts, and neighborhood activities that bring residents together.
It is precisely these projects that demonstrate that the Development Fund not only invests in economic development, but also contributes to health, talent development, social cohesion, and a strong community.
More Than Just Financing
Evaluations of other similar funds (often referred to as “entrepreneurial funds”) in the Netherlands show that the most significant outcome is often not a single specific project, but the establishment of lasting partnerships. Organizations get to know each other better, work together, and develop plans that would not get off the ground without a joint fund.
This leads to greater collaboration between different sectors, long-term funding for local initiatives, less reliance on one-time grants, and a stronger collective voice in dealings with the municipality and other partners. Furthermore, a fund helps ensure that everyone participates and contributes, allowing joint investments to be organized more fairly and effectively.
Three Types of Impact
The returns on such funds are typically evident in three areas:
- Economic Impact
Attractive shopping districts, thriving business parks, labor market initiatives, sustainability efforts, and promotion of the local economy. - Social Impact
: Collaboration between education, sports, culture, Health community organizations, with a focus on talent development, health, volunteer work, and social connection. - Impact on Quality of Life
Safer, greener, and more attractive neighborhoods, city centers, and business parks, supported by events, community gatherings, and shared amenities.
An investment in the future
Experiences across the country show that similar funds not only make projects possible, but above all foster greater connection, ownership, and collaboration within a municipality. This creates a structural tool that enables entrepreneurs, civic organizations, and institutions to invest jointly in an economically strong, socially cohesive, and livable municipality. This makes the Stadteland Development Fund Geldrop-Mierlo not only an investment in entrepreneurs, but in society as a whole.