Upper Austria's villages bloom: the Upper Austria. Local Prize 2025 calls!

Upper Austria's villages bloom: the Upper Austria. Local Prize 2025 calls!

Frankenburg, Österreich - In Upper Austria, the voluntary commitment of the citizens is highly valued. Since 1986, the village and urban development program has been pursuing the goal of making our homeland more life and lovable. The program emphasizes the importance of social interaction and the preservation of the town center, a concern that is particularly important for cohesion in the communities. This reports Land-oberoesterreich.gv.at .

volunteer projects in focus

the Upper Austria. Local Prize award is characterized by innovative projects in the categories "livable" and "lovable". Projects that are submitted in these categories must take into account topics such as jobs, infrastructure and living space, as well as the design of the habitat for the citizens. It is particularly important that people feel comfortable in their places, which is promoted by an active commitment of the village communities.

Overall, the state of Upper Austria awards prize money of 13,000 euros. The fourth winners can look forward to 2,000 euros each, while the state winner looks at an amount of 5,000 euros. All applications must be submitted by June 30, 2025- and this goes to the office for village and urban development.

strong together-Doste clubs as pioneer

Currently over 234 Doste clubs are active in 285 municipalities that act as engines of citizen participation and develop creative approaches to local politics. These clubs form the basis for the success of the projects that are realized as part of the Doste program. "Formation of a village & urban development association since 2005 has been a prerequisite for the Doste program," explains Mein district.

The assessment of submitted projects is based on several criteria: originality, identity, integration of citizens in the process and sustainability are of central importance. A great focus is also on the importance of volunteering in order to be able to promote it.

rural regions offer a high quality of life and are not only living, but also work and cultural areas. The commitment of the village communities is crucial for the development of our villages to promote. Therefore, it is more important than ever to find creative solutions for the challenges that often occur in rural areas, such as long distances for everyday performance or ensuring local supply, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture also underlines. You can learn more about this at bmel.de .

with the Upper Austria. The local prize is made another sign that the participation and cohesion in our communities offer great development opportunities. Interested citizens are invited to submit their projects and ideas by the end of June 2025 and thus actively contribute to improving their habitat.