City of Dordrecht: “Smart Grant Management: How Dordrecht Found Efficiency in Digitalization”

An example of an organization where many processes, projects, and grant flows occur is a local government. From incoming grants to their distribution. Keeping track of administration and the overall planning of numerous projects and grant processes can be a very time-consuming task without digitalization. This was also noted by Ronald Bosua, Senior Advisor for Incoming Grants at the City of Dordrecht. Around 2019, his role gradually shifted internally from project controller to grant coordinator.

From Project Controller to Grant Coordinator
“They asked me at the city what needed to be done to take better advantage of grant opportunities, because we were missing out on too many. I suggested that we should appoint a specialist, and I expressed my interest in taking on that role myself,” says Ronald. “It is great to be able to apply, but the real work starts when you receive an approval. Ultimately, you need to execute your project and ensure that you manage accountability properly. That is why I wanted to play a central role in this,” he continues.

From Excel to SVS-IN
To become more proficient in the world of grants, Ronald attended several training sessions. Including a training on “Grant Coordination” at Ignite Group. Other candidates from various local governments were also present, and through them, Ronald heard that some were using SVS-IN, the web-based grant management portal from Ignite Group. With this digital tool, you gain control over the entire process of incoming grants. “At first, my plan was to track all grant flows in Excel, but I realized that something more robust was needed. I was looking for a solution that could not only generate reports, but also support project managers. When I heard about a digital package that could manage incoming grants during the training, I was immediately enthusiastic.”

From vision to enthusiasm
When asked why he was immediately so enthusiastic, Ronald begins his positive speech: “The biggest advantage is that the SVS-IN package is now a proven and fully crystallized digital service for many local governments. For this reason, it was possible to implement the SVS-IN package within a month, yes, it really happened quickly. I also looked at other similar products beforehand, but they didn’t come close in terms of capabilities to this tool. It’s truly a specialized grant management tool that works intuitively and user-friendly for all our colleagues. It provides excellent reporting, alerts when action is needed, and adding files or documents works perfectly,” Ronald concludes.

From 25 to 179 ongoing projects.
A combination of implementing SVS-IN and the enthusiastic, motivated attitude of Ronald and his colleagues has led the local government to handle a significantly higher number of projects. Where in 2019 there were about twenty-five projects, currently there are as many as one hundred and seventy-nine being tracked and managed with SVS-IN. “With these numbers, it’s actually become a no-brainer to centrally coordinate and register grant processes,” says Ronald. “It’s necessary too, because for local governments, it’s increasingly about grants rather than structural funds,” Ronald explains.

From the present to the future
Asked about their collaboration with Ignite Group, Ronald expresses his anticipation for the upcoming knowledge day. “After last year’s knowledge day, we said to each other, ‘We definitely need to do this again.’ It’s great to bring together colleagues from across the country to discuss various opportunities. Thanks to Ignite Group, it was a wonderful and inspiring day. We look forward to the next one, to take the next steps together,” concludes Ronald.