After processing the results from the first Pioneer Night, which took place in February, those responsible around City Manager Christine Neu agree that they will not remain without consequences. Manuel Kienzler, representing the city’s economic development department, got right to the point with a smile: “The pop-up funding and TikTok are coming to Donaueschingen.”
Mentors from the trade association and city management met again with founders and people with a pioneering spirit to develop some ideas in the Donaueschinger Vanilli’s. And the owner of this daytime café, Vanessa Lehmann, is one of the new founders. In February of this year, the medical technician presented her dream of owning her own café at the first Pioneer Night in the Eventkeller. And the opening took place in mid-July. “I get up in the morning and look forward to the day,” is her conclusion.
The city center of Donaueschingen is attractive, and it should remain that way in the future. Everyone wants to make sure of that. But nobody likes to walk past empty properties. But the start-up scene is small in the south, and the city manager knows that this has gotten worse since Corona.
Maximilian Koch and his girlfriend Ramona Müller were also there that evening as a potential founder. He is looking for suitable premises for brewing mead and also for selling honey wine. Possibly in conjunction with a small event venue, Koch continues to ponder. The Neudinger native now brews part-time. The Maximus-Mead is currently sold online and in the “Zum wilden Michel” inn in Linach, where it is also produced in the kitchen.
The interest in locating a store in the city center fits with the city manager’s intentions. At the suggestion of Christine Neu, the Donaueschingen Economic Development Agency will now apply for the state ministry’s extended pop-up funding to revitalize empty shops in the city center. This is scheduled to start in January 2024.
Experts must evaluate the grant
All cities and municipalities in Baden-Württemberg, regardless of their population, as well as municipal economic development companies are eligible to apply. Among other things, part of the funding states that partial financing will also be granted in the form of a non-repayable grant, it is said. However, only those applications whose funding is supported by experts will be funded.
This is also in the spirit of gallery owner Friedrich Hucke, who was there as a mentor. “You should give everyone who wants to start a business a chance, but you should take a closer look at the applications,” he says.
Furthermore, the city management would like to network with the “Bock auf Machen” network, as well as check TikTok and BeReal and of course continue the mentoring program.
Pooling competencies
The city manager sees herself as an interface between the city, citizens and retailers. It encourages new ways of thinking and doing things and bundles the competencies of retailers. Her mission is to bring all actors together and to develop Donaueschingen into a liveable and lovable city, says Christine Neu, who has been working in Donaueschingen since 2020. What the “Pop-Up Stores and Malls” funding line includes in detail can be found on the website wm.baden-wuertemberg.de under the menu items Service, Funding Programs and Immediate Retail Program.
2023-10-13 01:12:55
#Donaueschingen #companies #good #chance
