Rural Development

- NEW Development of an INTERREG IVB (NW Europe) project on sustainable rural development, "EnergEthic Communities", for the Flemish Land Agency VLM (lead partner, Belgium) and the Municipality of Hardenberg (the Netherlands), 2009-2010.

- NEW Supporting the Dutch Foundation "de Proeftuinen" in submitting the application and (future) projectmanagement for an INTERREG IVB NW Europe project on preventing and reducing spillage and waste in the foodchain, GreenCook, conditionally approved in December 2009. Project start after finalising application scheduled for Spring 2010.

- Development of several project ideas for EU-cooperation projects in Northern Netherlands, especially the "Veenkoloniën" region, including a MATRA application for cooperation with the Kaliningrad oblast (RU) and a LEADER application on behalf of the Polish Vojvod of Lublin (2008-2010).

- Regional Innovation Agenda. Development of a project proposal INTERREG IVB for the municipality of Borne as lead partner, in cooperation with Europa Werkstatt (autumn 2007).

- Advisor to the RIGO Innovation programme for ''Green Secondary Education (knowledge) network'' in the Netherlands, focusing on regional transition. In cooperation with Europa Werkstatt, Ministery of Agriculture, GKC (Green knowledge Centre)/RIGO. Main themes covered: regional transition, rural innovation and international cooperation (2007-2008).

- Assistance and advice of Europa Werkstatt, the Dutch Keuning Instituut and the Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, on rural development programmes and European funding opportunities for several Dutch municipalities and related organisations. These projects include the implementation of a new concept called the "workspace" (workplace, workshop), where local stakeholders together with students and scholars are invited to participate in local or regional development programmes and projects.

- Advice on and search for funding opportunities for the “Riverstone”-project – development of the location of a former brick factory for future activities (nature, water, housing, tourism; 2006-2010)

- Assistance of a project on farmers who abandon their farming activities in exchange for new housing and other activities, for example tourism related, on their premises (2004-2008, Province of Gelderland)

- Setting up nature walks, organising funding and developing new projects for the Rhederoord Estate near Arnhem, the Netherlands (2004-2010, Rhederoord)

- Cooperation on rural development projects with Agrosubsidies, a partner consultancy specialised in project funding for small rural enterprises, as of November 2004

- Advising member of the agricultural project-group within the cooperation programme between the districts of Grafschaft Bentheim/Germany) and Slawsk (Kaliningradskaya Oblast)/Russian Federation, which includes the generating of ideas on follow-up projects (ongoing, from 2003, Landkreis Grafschaft Bentheim). Field visits to Kaliningrad in October 2003, August 2004 and December 2008 - development of follow-up projects ongoing

- Strengthening capacity for agri-environmental programming and implementation in Lithuania: a draft proposal for a training and exchange programme was drafted, and successfully submitted for funding within the Dutch pre-accession programme (2002, carried out 2003/2004 by Avalon/DLV and others)

- Restructuring and rural development plan for region “Achterhoek”, the Netherlands: coordination of regional working groups and participating in the communication of the draft plan to municipalities and other regional organisations, and incorporating their feedback in the follow-up version (2002-2003, Province of Gelderland/Regio Achterhoek and others)

- Development of project-ideas, including successful applications, for example, a water-management and development project in the Abava Valley in Latvia, and preliminary proposals for cross-border agri-environment projects in the Baltic and the Balkans (2001-2002, Avalon)

- Successful application of the “Agri-environmental programme for Croatia”, funded within the Dutch PIN-MATRA programme (2001, Avalon)