Development of food industry SME competitiveness for better potentials in growth

Programme 2014 - 2020 Interreg Europe

Date of latest update: 2025-08-16

Description

Description (EN):

Project FRiDGE (Development of food industry SME competitiveness for better potentials in growth) deals with one of the most important aspects of European food and drink industries: SME competitiveness. The food and drink sector is the biggest employer in the EU and the largest sector in manufacturing while 99% (285,000 businesses) of the companies are SMEs accounting for 62,8% of the total employment in the sector but only 48,1% of the value added and 49,4% of the total turnover (based on FoodDrinkEurope data). Increasing input costs diminish turnover which results in the sector losing its competitive edge in terms of profitability. In order to support the food and drink sector to be able to keep its position in the world market the partnership seeks to contribute with interregional policy learning, promotion of good practices and leveraging interregional experience exchange by improving relevant operational programmes and regional policies. Market reach both inside and outside of the EU, productivity issues in terms of process management and capacity enhancement with regards to machinery and equipment are the focal points of this interregional cooperation with special attention given to EU2020 goals regarding sustainability and social inclusion as underlying secondary goals. The partnership consist of six organizations across from the quadruple helix (government and academia), and food and drink industry is the main beneficiary of the project, and also the general public will indirectly benefit from this cooperation in terms of the better performance of the sector in the partnering regions and in the EU. The working method will be unique in terms of each partner focuses on two of three topics in detail while also contributing to achieving the overall results of the project. The project approach is in line with the result accountability principle regarding the work plan which was designed backwards, deriving every output and activity to reach the results.

Achievements (EN):

In terms of activities, the project has organised a total of 29 policy learning events. It has also identified 20 good practices, produced 6 action plans and led to the increased capacity of 50 people. In terms of results, the project has succeeded in improving 8 regional development policies for a total amount of funds influenced of EUR 613,365. 00.

Website: https://www.interregeurope.eu/interreg-europe-2014-2020

Expected Results (EN):

Programme specific objective of the project: To contribute to policy learning among the relevant policy organisations to improve the performance of regional/national development programmes for the benefit of the competitiveness of food industry SMEs. Overall objective: To support exchange of experience and sharing of practices in the main/leading sub-sectors of European food industry with the aim to integrate the lessons learnt from the cooperation into the guiding policies of regional/national policies through their operational/development programmes for the benefit of food industry SMEs. Sub-objectives: 1.) To enhance the development of food industry SMEs in partner regions by enhancing their market reach of intra-EU and extra-EU markets. 2.) To enhance the growth of food industry SMEs of partner regions in terms of production capacities, new market entries by SME cooperation and productivity issues related to process management. 3.) To support experience exchange between partner regions on food industry SME knowledge and practices, with active involvement of stakeholders. 4.) To create regional action plans for improving the effectiveness of national/regional ERDF programmes in service of food industry SMEs. 5.) To realise policy change inside the targeted food sector relevant ERDF and regional programmes.

Expected Outputs (EN):

The project envisages activities which lead to outputs, which in turn help partners and the direct/indirect beneficiaries to achieve certain results. This approach supports the project to reach a high level of result accountability, i.e. not focusing on individual outputs as tasks to be carried out, but on accomplishing goals which can improve the ability of food industry SMEs to increase their competitiveness. OUTPUTS: MANAGEMENT: Allocation of Responsibilities Agreement to further formalize and determine each partner’s tasks in detail; 7 Steering Group meetings (minutes uploaded) to discuss tasks, further elaborated by frequent Skype-meetings (bimonthly basis; minutes uploaded); 7 progress reports in total. EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCE: Identification of valuable experiences: 18 good practices contained by 1 joint recommendation document (final dissemination document); 1 interregional analysis of situation containing sectoral and territorial needs in the food and drinks sector, common challenges and assessment of the current market situation, productivity and capacity development issues; Interregional learning and study visit documentation (individual and stakeholder level learning): Reports and documentation of the events: 5 policy and good practice learning reports, 7 joint workshop reports; Stakeholder meetings (stakeholder and external level learning): 4 stakeholder meeting reports by partners (24 in total); 6 action plans elaborated during Phase 1 and 6 follow-up reports on the implementation of action plans in Phase 2. COMMUNICATION: Events: 1 kick-off event in Szekszárd, Hungary and 1 final event in Budapest, Hungary (Competitive European Food Sector), 5 Joint Workshop events during Study Visits, 3 Stakeholder Meetings per partner; 1 webpage, 1 Facebook page, 1 LinkedIn profile and 1 Instagram account; 1 poster and 1 bookmark; 1 final dissemination document (Food and Drinks Industry Good Practices and Policy Recommendations Handbook). RESULTS MANAGEMENT: Effective project management and shared responsibilities resulting in increased involvement of the project partners and increased attention and respect given to deadlines and work quality. EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCE: Increased SME competitiveness in the food sector achieved through the following policy improvement in the partner regions: New projects financed; New regional, specific associations formed; Improved governance and implementation of indicators taking into account competitiveness on the global markets; Achievement of these results will be monitored in Phase 2 according to self-performance indicators. COMMUNICATION: Increased awareness of food sector issues and the related solutions, i.e. good practices among decision makers and the actors of the industry; Expected attendance at dissemination events (Stakeholder Meetings, Joint Workshops, Competitive European Food Sector conference): 400; Expected average number of sessions on the project page per month: 85.

Thematic information

Regional planning and development SME and entrepreneurship Agriculture and fisheries and forestry

Specific Objective: Improve the implementation of regional development policies and programmes, in particular programmes for Investment for Growth and Jobs and, where relevant, ETC programmes, supporting SMEs in all stages of their life cycle to develop and achieve growth and engage in innovation

Thematic Objective: (03) enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs by:

Investment Priority: (03d) supporting the capacity of SMEs to grow in regional, national and international markets, and to engage in innovation processes

Partners (6)

Lead Partner: TMFÜ Tolna Megyei Fejlesztési Ügynökség Nonprofit Közhasznú Kft.

Address: Szent István tér 11-13., H-7100 Szekszárd, Hungary

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.tmfu.hu

Total budget: EUR 293 662.00

ERDF budget: EUR 249 612.70

Etelä-Pohjanmaan liitto

Name: Etelä-Pohjanmaan liitto

Address: Kampusranta 9 C, 60101 Seinäjoki, Finland

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.epliitto.fi/

Total budget: EUR 178 500.00

ERDF budget: EUR 151 725.00

Consiliul Judetean Harghita

Name: Consiliul Judetean Harghita

Address: Piata Libertatii No. 5, 530140 Miercurea Ciuc, Romania

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.harghitacounty.ro

Total budget: EUR 125 100.00

ERDF budget: EUR 106 335.00

ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ ΔΥΤΙΚΗΣ ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΑΣ

Name: ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ ΔΥΤΙΚΗΣ ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΙΑΣ

Department: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Address: Agios Dimitrios Park University of Western Macedonia building, Floor No 3. Protocol, 50131 Kozani, Greece

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.teiwm.gr

Total budget: EUR 171 450.00

ERDF budget: EUR 145 732.50

Economische Raad voor Oost-Vlaanderen vzw (Provinciaal Extern Verzelfstandigd Agentschap)

Name: Economische Raad voor Oost-Vlaanderen vzw (Provinciaal Extern Verzelfstandigd Agentschap)

Address: Woodrow Wilsonplein 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.erov.be

Total budget: EUR 198 277.00

ERDF budget: EUR 168 535.45

Kompetenzzentrum für Ernährung – KErn

Name: Kompetenzzentrum für Ernährung – KErn

Address: Hofer Straße 20, D-95326 Kulmbach, Germany

Legal status: public

Website: http://www.kern.bayern.de

Total budget: EUR 213 615.00

ERDF budget: EUR 181 572.75

Partners map

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Development of food industry SME competitiveness for better potentials in growth

Project acronym: FRiDGE

Project start date: 2019-08-01

Project end date: 2023-07-31

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 1 180 604.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 1 003 513.40

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 1 003 513.40.

Documents

Documents on this project are listed below, and organised by category. Please note field "Data source", attached to each document. Keep.eu users are free to use these documents as long as they mention the data source and keep.eu.

Reports

Action plan - KErn, Germany

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2023-07-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Action plan - Economic Council of East Flanders

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2023-07-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Action plan of Hungary

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2022-05-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Action plan of South Ostrobothnia

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2022-05-24

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Action plan to support development of food businesses in Harghita County

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2022-05-25

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Comparative examination on regional policies, territorial needs and actual state of the food industry

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2020-07-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Regional Action Plan of Western Macedonia

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2022-05-25

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Report on self-assessment of the regional policies - Bavaria

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2020-03-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Report on self-assessment of the regional policies - Economic council of East-Flanders

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2020-03-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Report on self-assessment of the regional policies - Harghita County Council

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2020-03-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Report on self-assessment of the regional policies - Region of Western Macedonia

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2020-01-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Report on self-assessment of the regional policies - Regional Council of South Ostrobothnia

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2020-04-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Report on self-assessment of the regional policies - Tolna County Development Agency

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2020-05-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Studies / surveys

Survey - Challenges in the food industry

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Study / survey

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2020-09-30

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Videos / films

BENEDEK - meat processing food SME from Harghita County

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2021-04-28

Languages: ro

CSENGŐ Agricultural Cooperative from Harghita County

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2021-04-28

Languages: ro

FRiDGE project in 55 seconds

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2020-01-13

Languages: en

FRIDGE Study Visit in East-Flanders - Food Pilot

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2020-02-25

Languages: nl

SILVIMEX bakery in Harghita County

Attachment type: link

Type of document: Video / film

Data source: https://projects2014-2020.interregeurope.eu/fridge/

Publication date: 2024-08-09

Document date: 2021-04-28

Languages: ro

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 Interreg Europe

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2023-10-31

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

258 / 258 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

2 084 / 2 085 (99.95%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme.

The financial data featured in keep.eu for this programme, it's projects and its partners is not exact and should be taken as a reference only.

Languages

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Development of food industry SME competitiveness for better potentials in growth

Description

Thematic information

Partners (6)

Partners map

Summary

Documents

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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