My IVY experience in bringing Sustainable Procurement to life with ProcuraMED
Hey everyone, I’m Athanasios Magalios, and I’m currently volunteering with ProcuraMED as part of the Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) program, in Patras – Greece, a sunny, beautiful city right by the sea! This experience has been a wonderful opportunity to work on a project that promotes eco-friendly and innovative public procurement across the Mediterranean. ProcuraMED’s main mission is to support local governments and public institutions in adopting “green” procurement policies. This means encouraging the selection of products and services that are environmentally sustainable and innovative, helping shift economies towards greener practices. ProcuraMED brings together a diverse partnership across nine regions. These partners include municipalities, energy agencies, and development organizations such as the Municipality of Narni and Terre di Siena Lab (Italy), MedCities (Spain), IrRADIARE (Portugal), the Department for Development and International Projects of Zenica-Doboj Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina), University of Patras (Greece), BSC Poslovno Podporni Center Kranj (Slovenia), STRATAGEM ENERGY LTD (Cyprus), and the Regional Energy Agency North (Croatia). Each one of them brings specialized knowledge to help local authorities incorporate green procurement in fields from civil engineering to regional development. As part of my role, I’m diving into the regulatory landscape of Green Public Procurement (GPP) and Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) in Greece and the rest of the EU countries. I review current legislative frameworks, gather best practices, and help adapt guidelines to fit regional needs. I’m also involved in creating materials for a media campaign and supporting events, like an informative info-day and targeted thematic sessions for public and business stakeholders. These sessions help build a common understanding and provide practical tools for integrating green criteria. By collecting and sharing data from these sessions, insights are provided into local practices and help shape our outreach strategy. With the creation of communication materials, I help spread the word about our project and encourage communities to join the movement. The thing I love the most in ProcuraMED is the collaborative spirit. Witnessing partners from diverse backgrounds work together to support environmental sustainability is incredibly inspiring. Each workshop and training session is a step closer to a greener, more innovative Mediterranean region!
Volunteering for Interreg V-A Romania-Bulgaria Programme
Hi there, my name is Sakina Belahcen, and I have been an IVY volunteer supporting the Managing Authority of the Romania-Bulgaria Interreg Programme for nearly three months. My role involves assisting with communication, event organization, and the Post 2027 citizen consultation. Interreg V-A Romania-Bulgaria Programme The Interreg VI-A Romania-Bulgaria Programme, funded by the European Regional Development Fund, aims to enhance the Romanian-Bulgarian cross-border area from 2021 to 2027. This EU cross-border cooperation programme addresses regional challenges and fosters projects that have a significant cross-border impact, benefiting residents, businesses, and institutions. Building on the successes of previous programmes, it invests in climate change, risk management, environmental protection, resource efficiency, sustainable transport, employment, and workforce mobility. The programme has a total budget of 207,457,162 euros, and its beneficiaries include public administrations, businesses, NGOs, universities, research institutions, civil society, and environmental and business support organizations. The funds are allocated across four priority axes: A well-connected region A green region An educated region An integrated region Eligible areas include seven Romanian counties (Mehedinti, Dolj, Olt, Teleorman, Giurgiu, Calarasi, Constanta) and eight Bulgarian districts (Vidin, Vratsa, Montana, Pleven, Veliko Tarnovo, Ruse, Silistra, Dobrich). The Managing Authority, where my IVY experience is taking place, is responsible for the programme’s overall administration and expenditure certification. Hosted by the Romanian Ministry of Public Works, Development, and Administration, I am working and learning about cohesion policy in the cross-border area along with six Romanian colleagues and one other IVY volunteer. My IVY Experience So Far Welcomed by the city of Bucharest, a vibrant metropolis known for its rich history, diverse architecture, and dynamic cultural scene, I was able to learn a lot about the work of Interreg in the Eastern European region. The Managing Authority is located right next to the Romanian Parliament, in the premises of the Ministry of Public Works, Development, and Administration. I also had the chance to discuss and connect with various professionals working in other Interreg bodies such as the Interreg NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme or the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, learning more about their work and impact in the region. Touching a bit on all the subjects covered by Interreg, I am able to expand my experience by discovering various projects in the field of education, sustainable tourism, connectivity, and more, taking place in the cross-border region. As soon as I arrived in Romania, I was directly involved in the programme activities, having the opportunity to intervene at Craiova Law University to not only present the impact of the programme for the cross-border region Romania-Bulgaria but also discuss the topic of youth involvement in the EU and share potential opportunities that young Europeans can take advantage of in the region, such as the IVY programme. We engaged in an active discussion with young Romanians. So far, my experience has granted me many opportunities to travel and gain knowledge on development in Eastern Europe. I also had the opportunity to participate in the kick-off meeting of the DISMAR project in the Bulgarian city of Ruse, discovering firsthand the achievements of projects under the Interreg programme and discussing with active beneficiaries. More generally, I am also greatly involved in communication campaigns on the programme website and social media channels, creating posts to promote the projects under the programme and encourage potential beneficiaries to apply to the new call for proposals. Last but not least, I am currently planning to organize a Citizen Engagement Activity in the region under the European Commission and the Association of European Border Regions on the theme of sustainable tourism and cohesion policy. So, stay tuned for more info! Overall, I would greatly encourage European youth to apply for an IVY experience. It is the perfect opportunity to develop your early career in European cooperation, discovering many fields of action and being able to discuss with professionals involved in various stages of European development, while experiencing a fulfilling multi-cultural experience. – Sakina, IVY Reporter for the Managing Authority Interreg Romania-Bulgaria Learn more about the Interreg Romania – Bulgaria Programme Click Here
BeyondSnow: a project about climate change that change me
Hi everyone! I’m Irene and I’m at the end of my IVY experience at Metropolitan City of Turin as IVY Project Partner. These months have been so full and important for my personal growth. I’m so grateful to my host organization and to my mentor who support and guide me in volunteering. Thanks to this experience I could know more how EU works with countries, in particular in border region and what kind of funds exist to develop vulnerable areas. Helping my mentor in the project activities’ I could know better the mountain area near Turin and know local people. In fact, we went sometimes to Ala di Stura and Balme, the 2 municipalities involved in the project, to engage stakeholders in spreading summer survey to turists and also to do a walk-through to discover cultural and historical attraction. It was an opportunity to understand how develop tourism not only based on snow but enhancing other attraction of the pilot area. Since the project ends in december 2026, Metropolitan City of Turin as partner of the Interreg project, is working to deploy a pilot action on the 2 municipalities. For that reason my host organization set up some meeting with local authorities and I had the opportunity to take part and participate to discussion about what it’s the better choice for a tourism development of the area. In the last month as IVY volunteer, I helped my mentor in writing a draft of the strategic plan for tourism development in the pilot area and it was really challenging but satysfing because I could understand how this process works. I’m so happy of my experience at Metropolitan City of Turin because it’s a welcoming workplace and I could learn lot of things about project and I had the chance to get involved in every activity! It was an interesting experience that helped me to better understand what I want to do in my future! – Irene Rigoletti, IVY Project Partner for the Interreg Alpine Space project “BeyondSnow” at “Metropolitan City of Turin”.
Helping Shape a Sustainable Future for Aquaculture as an AZA4ICE volunteer
The AZA4ICE project is dedicated to promoting sustainable and circular aquaculture practices that protect ecosystems and preserve aquatic resources, with innovative approaches to identify and manage suitable aquaculture areas in close-to-coast and inland waters, considering conservation, environmental, social, and economic aspects. By fostering multi-stakeholder participatory environments and utilizing aquaculture spatial planning through Allocated Zones for Circular Aquaculture (C-AZA), it aims to enhance sustainable water management and build resilience and competitiveness in the sector. AZA4ICE has its focus split between the AZA4ICE Methodology and the LiRRIEs (Living Responsible Research and Innovation Ecosystems). The Methodology is concerned with the aforementioned C-AZA where weather and climate data of the region is collected, specifically targeting close-to-coast and inland waters, in order to produce results regarding a species analysis, with which it is analyzed which fish species can thrive under the specific conditions of the area, and circular economy practices, where waste product from the farms is reused through the developing IMTA technology. All of this is done in order to create efficient aquaculture farms that do not affect the local population, because they can prosper in areas that do not intervene with tourism and the local economy. On the other hand, LiRRIEs is concerned with engaging stakeholders in the AZA4ICE collaborative process through events and communication in order to get opinions and feedback from them and with that, develop Action Plans that support sustainable aquaculture and foster economic growth in long term preserving environment and improving quality of life. The role Dynamic Vision has in is managing the communications and exposure of the project and as an IVY Volunteer I have worked on the visual identity of the project and the creation of its new website, as well as its social media channels. We have tried to showcase the identity of the project by designing the logo, getting photos that express the core idea of the project and creating brochures. We had to create a new template for the website to make it more usable and easily understandable for everyone. While, also, through the social media channels we have tried to provide updates on the project and the events that members have organized and attended. In short, we have tried to get more attention towards the project and engagement from stakeholders. Aquaculture is characterized by EU Green Deal as a “low-carbon food system”. This project can be beneficial for people living in close-to-coast and inland waters across the Euro-Mediterranean region because through it aquaculture will be further improved, producing less waste and transforming the sector to a clean industry that does not affect the local ecosystems. The project’s Action Plans are designed for adoption by public authorities, which in turn can improve economic development of the area. AZA4ICE’s efforts benefit all the countries in the region but go beyond that to benefit society as a whole as it introduces an innovative way to reinforce aquaculture adopting circular economy practices. Communication between partners is coordinated by Dynamic Vision so we have to communicate and disseminate the project’s achievements to maximize their visibility while also sharing its results. To ensure communication between all partners, in this semester we are currently developing a Communication Plan which means we are defining the role other partners have and the tasks that have to be done in communication, activities objectives, common branding, stakeholders’ mapping method, guidelines for green dissemination products or events, communication channels and providing a time plan. To do this we are using a Communication 3-Level approach which ensures effective results transfer and inclusive communication, considering accessibility and inclusiveness. Level 1 is “Map and Reach” where the objective is to identify and reach relevant stakeholders, Level 2 is “Involve & Engage” where the objective is to actively involve and engage stakeholders in project activities and Level 3 is “Adopt & Commit” where the objective is to maximize project impact and ensure long-term commitment. By following this approach, the project ensures that all voices are heard and informed, enhancing the overall impact and sustainability of AZA4ICE. – Dimitris, IVY Project Partner for Interreg Euro-MED project “AZA4ICE” at the Dynamic Vision P. C. Learn more about the AZA4ICE project Click Here Discover more about the host organisation Click Here
My IVY experience as a volunteer for the Interreg ALCOTRA project “GE.CO”
Hello everyone, I’m Edoardo Bogetto, I’m 23 yo and i’m volunteering for and cooperating with Metropolitan City of Turin on “GE.CO” (Gestione Ecologica dei Conflitti). “GE.CO” is an Interreg ALCOTRA project that is located in Italy/France border,
Volunteering for the programme Interreg Italy – Croatia
Dear all,
Nice to meet you 😊
Today, I would like to share my experience with Interreg.
As an IVY Volunteer (Interreg Volunteer Youth) within the Interreg Italy-Croatia Program based in Venice, I am deeply immersed in the mission to enhance cooperation and cohesion among these two European countries while simultaneously improving various sectors. Interreg Italy Croatia finances cross-border cooperation projects focusing on innovation in the blue economy, capitalises previous cooperation experiences, and creates stronger sinergies with EUSAIR.
