Hi everyone! My name is Lisa, I’m 23 and I’m an Interreg Project Partner for the cross-border “Strategy HEurOpen 2021-2027” since February 2024.

This strategy has the aim to promote and sustain cross-border collaboration between the Italy-Austria border. It is developed between three partners: GAL Open Leader, GAL Euroleader, based in Italy, and LAG Region Hermagor based in Austria.

The Gal Open Leader is my host organization, is located in Pontebba, a small town in Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is a local action group that works in three main areas: Val Canale, Canal del Ferro and Gemonese, involving 15 municipalities.

HEurOpen is an integrated cross-border strategy under the EU’s CLLD (community led local development) approach for the Interreg VI Italy-Austria Program. It promotes local social, economic, cultural and environmental development, sustainable tourism and safety in non-urban areas. Its main goal is to build dynamic, resource-balanced communities that benefit from cross-border cooperation.

In order to achieve the goal the strategy can fund:

• Small projects: their objectives are to stimulate broad participation, promoting the integration of the three border areas and also to make it easier for the local actors to start taking part in the cross border cooperation. The budget for the whole project is between 3.000 and 50.000 euros( 80% public contribution + 20% partners funds);
• Medium projects with the goal of building cross-border cooperation, promoting local development and cooperation between the three areas in order to address common obstacles. The budget for each project is between 50.001 and 200.000 euros ( 80% public contribution + 20% partners funds).