Project summary

What is FINCH?

FINCH brings together 7 partners from 6 regions across Europe who share the same commitment to the protection of cultural heritage, based on its potential impact on growth and jobs, which could lead to long-term social and economic benefits. 

Cultural heritage is a common resource and a common good, but also a shared responsibility. EU cohesion policies can be essential in promoting the valorisation of cultural heritage. Therefore, six European regions have decided to join their efforts to cope with the conservation, restoration, exploitation and management of cultural heritage, with the involvement of private actors. Financing the investments in heritage will ensure its preservation in a dynamic and productive perspective, attracting and incubating new activities, revitalizing the existing ones, improving the general welfare of the people and ensuring the sustainability of the environment.

The FINCH project will help partner regions improve their policies in this area. It will support the implementation of light financial instruments for private actors and public-private partnerships and will allow local and regional policies to move towards more sustainable models of capitalization of cultural heritage.

Expected outputs and results :

  • 6 stakeholder groups created in each region
  • 98 people with increased professional capacity due to participation in interregional cooperation activities
  • 12 good practices identified
  • 1 living document on financial instruments and regulatory frameworks for introducing the partnership with the private sector
  • 6 interregional workshops with field visits
  • 6 regional action plans developed;

Estimated impact:

  • 5 policy instruments addressed with structural funds connect measures inspired by the project
  • 1 other policy tools targeted by the project in which measures inspired by the project will be implemented
  • 2.700.000 EUR Structural funds (from Growth & Jobs and / or ETC) influenced by the project
  • 100,000 EUR other funds influenced by the project


 

 

€1,157,746.00

from 1 Jun 2018
to 30 Nov 2022
Topic

Environment and resource efficiency

What will this project change?


What policy instruments does the project address?

Action V.6c.7.1- Interventions for the protection, enhancement and networking of cultural, material and immaterial heritage in areas of strategic importance such as to consolidate and promote development processes.

In order to consolidate and promote development processes that rely on the Regional territorial attractiveness, the ROP intends to activate actions to protect and enhance material and Intangible cultural heritage, as well as interventions for the efficiency of services and their fruition, through the financing of integrated territorial programs. These are "regional driven" projects focused on protection, promotion and valorisation of cultural heritage for purposes of local development, in order to boost the growth of the territory.

The beneficiaries are economic operators who commit themselves to set in the valorised sites and that are able to benefit of localization as well as infrastructures and services incentives.

This policy instrument could be more effective stimulating the participation of private actors by a leverage effect though financial instruments to co-finance their investments.

 

Which partners are working on this?
  • Piemonte Region

The objectives of the funding are:

(A) the preservation and development of the cultural heritage as an essential element of the identity of a city or a region,

(B) increasing the attractiveness of cities and regions for residents and cultural tourists by enhancing cultural heritage and cultural institutions,

(C) positive effects on the local development of the city or region and the increase in the number of visitors to cultural sites

The purpose of the grant is to invest in the rehabilitation and adaptation of cultural institutions and monuments, which serve to improve the presentation and sustainable use of the cultural heritage.Only public infrastructures and public buildings with cultural use, which have a usage concept that takes local characteristics into account, may be promoted. Infrastructures and buildings must be in the hands of public authorities or non-profit organizations pursuing the general public interest.Investment projects address rather small scale infrastructure (up to 5 Mio Euro; for UNESCO World heritage sites up to 10 Mio.) The instrument is purely based on grants. Investment is limited into public infrastructure, public buildings and monuments belonging to public entities or non-profit organizations.The project should help to investigate the chances of funding PPP or non-profit organizations with financial instruments support and how to include more private actors.

Which partners are working on this?
  • Development Bank of Saxony-Anhalt

Regional Operational Programme for Lodzkie Region for the years 2014-2020 responds to key development challenges of the region, while contributing to the objectives of the Partnership Agreement and being involved in the implementation of the objectives of the Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth - EUROPE 2020.

One of twelve Priority Axes (PA), PA VI “Revitalization and endogenous potential of the region” is implemented, among others, under the Thematic Objective 6, Investment Priority 6c “Conserving, protecting, promoting and developing natural and cultural heritage”.

Projects implemented under PA VI will directly contribute to the increase of efficiency in the use of cultural resources, support the development of areas with specific needs, reduce the level of poverty, which affect smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The abovementioned issues are also key points of the Europe 2020 Strategy.

However, there are few opportunities, for the purpose of implementing the IP 6c, to use financial instruments which would ensure stronger impact on ROP objectives and enhance the Growth & Job Programme. The obvious advantages of recycling funds over the long term, including mobilisation of additional public or private co-investments in the field of culture are the main reasons for which this policy instrument should be improved.

 

Which partners are working on this?
  • Lodzkie Region

The Specific Objective is to boost local development by preserving, protecting and capitalizing the cultural heritage and cultural identity; specific activities will be supported in order to achieve investments for the following:

• Restoration, consolidation, protection and preservation of historical monuments;

• Facilities for the exhibition and protection of mobile and immovable cultural heritage.

Many of the traditional policy instruments for delivering support to conservation, protection, promotion and development of cultural heritage through knowledge transfer processes are often time consuming and insufficiently adapted for the purpose, in a rapidly changing status of cultural landscape. The cultural heritage does need a more innovative and operational approach as regards the valorization, exploitation, publicity, promotion, financing and logistics to support the valuable cultural objectives that are included in the public circuit. The management and conservation of cultural heritage requires investment and the funding issue needs to be addressed. The cultural heritage protection, conservation and valorization seems to have been an area that is benefitting utterly insufficiently from various financing programmes or schemes or other financing sources, in general. The cultural heritage management requires a very high level of expertise, dedication and constant funding. Based on the above considerations, the policy instrument should be improved.

 

Which partners are working on this?
  • Regional Development Agency South-West Oltenia

The regional law on cultural, historical and artistic heritage of La Rioja is looking for the protection, preservation, rehabilitation, improvement, development, research, knowledge and promotion of the cultural, historical and artistic heritage in La Rioja.The regional government is setting up actions which enable the enjoyable using by the citizens of the elements that are part of the heritage. In addition, the potentiation of the educative and social functions and the keeping for the future generations are other main goals of it. The law is declaring that the regional government shall boost and support the direct collaboration with the citizens concerning the defense of the regional heritage. Another purpose of the law is the stimulation the local organizations that are involved in the defense of the heritage, improving its competences and even its attributions.Nevertheless there are always potential improvement gaps in order to get a more successful implementation strategy and because of that the participation in the FINCH project is seen as an interesting opportunity for doing it. Concerning the FINCH project is especially important how the collaboration with the private sector is structured. In this sense, the law is letting any person or company to act in relation to the defense of the cultural, historical and artistic heritage in La Rioja. Private sector could promote the starting of a procedure in order to declare any property or element as a heritage.

Which partners are working on this?
  • Government of La Rioja

South Ostrobothnian Cultural Strategy 4.2.3 includes several actions that are connected to the project objectives. The goal stated by the policy instrument is: In the future culture will create welfare for everyone. We promote the accessibility of culture. We take culture to where people are, and we include it more than before in education. We utilise the environment and nature as a source of wellfare. We enable the spread of culture through new digital channels. We believe in customer orientation and we move from demand orientation to supply orientation. We participate in the development of customer services. We act as a motor for the development of new multidisciplinary innovation. We enable the dissemination of culture.

1) We create new culture orientated social affairs and health innovations

2) We take culture to where people are

3) We chart and utilise new possibilities

4) We utilise and cherish the cultural heritage and cultural environment of the region.

By joining this project more practical and strategic approach could be taken. On especially utilizing and cherishing cultural heritage and cultural environment of the region. This action would greatly benefit from transnational co-operation and exchange of good practices.

Which partners are working on this?
  • Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia

Axis 3, Thematic Target 06 Preserving and protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency, Investment Priority 6c Preservation, protection, promotion and development of natural and cultural heritage, Specific Target 3.6.1. Improving the attractiveness of cultural and natural resources of the RegionDescription: It includes interventions for upgrading and restoring natural and cultural heritage sites, enhancing their functionality (Parking areas, creation / extension of visiting areas), cultural / physical inventory sites, networking and activities directed with tourism, resource promotion actions including the exploitation of ICT, actions to promote modern and creative rclture, accessibility of people with disabilities in public cultural sites, observatories, green infrastructure, networking activities for cultural institutions in the framework of a unified display of wealth, tourist visibility, etc.

Which partners are working on this?
  • Region of Thessaly