ASSOCIATION EUROPEENNE POUR L'INNOVATION DANS LE DEVELOPPEMENT LOCAL

Their core work

This Brussels-based European association specializes in participatory governance and citizen engagement methods applied to rural and territorial development policy. They design and facilitate co-creation processes, deliberative forums, and multi-actor platforms that connect citizens, researchers, and policymakers — particularly in rural and mountain regions. Their core contribution is bridging the gap between research outputs and local policy decisions through structured participation frameworks, with growing expertise in digitization impacts on rural communities.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2016-2019) centered on broad social innovation networking and responsible research frameworks — SIC was about building a community of practice, and DESIRA explored digitization impacts through scenario labs and ethical codes. From 2019 onward, their focus sharpened significantly toward territorial and rural policy, with concrete participatory methods (co-design, citizen science, deliberative forums) applied to specific geographic contexts like mountain regions. The shift is from abstract innovation facilitation to hands-on, place-based policy engagement with measurable rural development outcomes.

Moving toward place-based rural development with integrated climate resilience and citizen participation — expect future work at the intersection of green transition and rural governance.

How they like to work

Predominantly a consortium partner (4 of 5 projects) rather than a leader, though they did coordinate SIC, demonstrating they can manage projects when the topic aligns with their core mission. With 82 unique partners across 28 countries, they operate as a well-connected network node rather than a repeat-partner organization — each project brought them into a substantially different consortium. This wide reach makes them valuable for consortium builders who need a partner experienced in multi-country participatory processes.

Extensive European network spanning 82 unique partners across 28 countries — close to full EU coverage. Brussels headquarters positions them as a natural connector between EU-level policy discussions and local/regional implementation across diverse European territories.

What sets them apart

They occupy a rare niche as a pan-European association that combines participatory governance expertise with deep rural and territorial focus — most engagement specialists work in urban contexts. Their progression from social innovation facilitation to concrete rural policy tools means they bring both methodological rigor and practical, territory-specific experience. For any consortium needing structured citizen engagement in rural, mountain, or peripheral regions, they are one of the few organizations with both the methods and the network to deliver across multiple countries simultaneously.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SHERPA
  Largest funding (EUR 508,625) and directly shaped EU rural policy through multi-actor platforms engaging citizens in evidence-based policymaking.
• SIC
  Their only coordinated project — built a European-wide Social Innovation Community, establishing their credentials as a network orchestrator.
• MOVING
  Most recent and thematically distinct project, applying their participatory methods to mountain sustainability and climate resilience across European mountain regions.