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Dialogic has supported the Province from April to November 2022 to gain insights into how the Province can contribute to a future-proof, financeable, and supported SME support structure in Overijssel. This involved various methods to analyze both the demand side and the supply side, ranging from desk research, interviews, roundtable sessions with entrepreneurs, as well as a scenario development process including two scenario sessions with stakeholders and a meeting with financiers of mid-structure organizations. The Dialogic project team also extensively collaborated with an advisory group and involved civil servants.
The policy advice (part 1) and the underlying research report (part 2) are now in the public domain and can be found here, along with the letter from the Provincial Executive to the Provincial States of Overijssel.
In the policy advice, Dialogic has recommended, among other things:
- The province should maintain at least the existing structural funds to support SME services as part of its task to stimulate the regional economy. Where possible, it should use additional funds to enable supplementary programs.
- The province should only support (existing) mid-structure organizations to offer first and second-line SME services (including for Deventer).
- The province should support the regular SME services of mid-structure organizations and link these services to transition themes such as sustainability and digitalization.
- The Province should cease funding SME advisors as well as supporting SME services used by businesses and institutions outside the provincial borders.
- Within the narrowly defined task of the Province, it should be demand-driven. The province should engage in a continuous dialogue with partners to ensure that SME services still meet the needs of SMEs and to maximize its influence over third-party SME services (RVO, Chamber of Commerce) in favour of Overijssel SMEs (referring, adjusting, raising awareness, lobbying, etc.) [For more details, see the advice].
- The province should re-evaluate subsidy conditions for (existing) mid-structure organizations where necessary [For more details, see the report].
From the letter from GE to PS, it appears that the final decision-making is expected to take place in Q3 of this year (subject to the provincial economic priorities) so that the mid-structure organizations Novel-T, Kennispoort and Oost NL can timely shape the 2024 annual plans.
Want to know more about this research? Ask Pim den Hertog.