Our village has a future" competition
Performance specification
The Hessian competition "Our Village has a Future" highlights the commitment of citizens and outstanding ideas and projects for the sustainable development of Hessian villages. The village competition thrives on the joint action of the people in cooperation with the municipality responsible for the overall development. In a joint development process, cooperation in the village can be deepened and new commonalities discovered. Positive examples should inspire imitation and initiate successful sustainable developments.
The aim is to encourage the village community to recognise their opportunities and actively take the future of their village into their own hands. The competition should be an incentive for all participants to improve the quality of life in the village and contribute to a future worth living for the next generation. Working and living are important factors in this. In addition, the village plays an important role in rural areas for recreation and leisure as well as for social and intergenerational responsibility.
The basis for the evaluation of the competition entries is a holistic view of the village as a living space against the background of the respective initial situation. The focus is on the diverse functions, the appearance of the village and the landscape, as well as on the local economic power, the social and cultural integration of the different population groups and the offers and self-help measures.
All villages with a predominantly village character and up to 3,000 inhabitants are eligible to participate. Furthermore, mergers of neighbouring villages that have committed themselves to sustainable development in the sense of the village competition and are rural in structure are eligible to participate.
The closing date for applications for the 38th competition in Hesse is 31 October 2023. The applications for the villages must be submitted by the municipalities to the commissioned district administrations. The village and regional development service will be happy to accept them and advise on the application process.
Support measures
No financial support is provided, but the commitment is rewarded with prize money of up to € 5,000 (regional decision). If desired, the village and regional development department can provide advisory support for the application.
Funding opportunities and conditions
Guideline of the State of Hesse for the Promotion of Village Development and Village Moderation of 14.12.2022