Policy advice for small and medium-sized enterprises in Overijssel (Untranslated)

Dialogic supported the Province from April to November 2022 in gaining insight into how the Province can contribute to a future-proof, financeable, and supported SME support structure in Overijssel. Both the demand side and the supply side were investigated in various ways, ranging from desk research, interviews, roundtable sessions with entrepreneurs, to a scenario development process including two scenario sessions with stakeholders and a meeting with financiers of middle structure organizations. In addition, the Dialogic project team extensively consulted with an advisory group and involved civil servants. The policy advice (part 1) and the underlying research report (part 2) are now publicly available and can be found here, along with the letter from the Provincial Executive to the Provincial Council of Overijssel. In the policy advice, Dialogic recommended the following:

1. The Province should maintain at least existing structural resources for supporting SME services as part of its task to stimulate the regional economy. Where possible, it should use incidental resources to enable additional programs.
2. The Province should only support (existing) middle structure organizations for offering first and second-line SME services (including for Deventer).
3. The Province should support the regular SME services of middle structure organizations and connect that service provision to transition themes such as sustainability and digitalization.
4. The Province will cease financing SME advisers as well as support for SME services used by companies and institutions outside the provincial borders.
5. Within the narrowly defined task of the Province, it works in a demand-driven manner. The Province engages in a continuous dialogue with partners to ensure that SME services still meet the needs of SMEs and how it can maximally influence third-party SME service provision (RVO, KvK) for the benefit of the Overijssel SMEs (referral, adjustment, raising awareness, lobbying, ...). [For more details, see advice].
6. The Province will reassess subsidy conditions for (existing) middle structure organizations as needed. [For more details, see report].

The letter from the Provincial Executive to the Provincial Council indicates that final decision-making is expected to take place in Q3 of this year (depending on provincial priorities in the economic field) so that the middle structure organizations Novel-T, Kennispoort, and Oost NLcan promptly shape their 2024 annual plans.