City of Oosterhout: “Comprehensive Service Package”

Grant database

A few years ago, it was determined within the City of Oosterhout that there was significant room for improvement in the area of grants. From the council, there was a desire to assess the financial possibilities to enhance the prospects of desired projects succeeding in the future. “Up until that time, there had been insufficient focus on exploring grant opportunities,” explains Edwin Branderhorst, concern controller at the City of Oosterhout. “As a medium-sized community, it is simply very difficult to stay sufficiently informed about all grant opportunities, with all the updates and changes at the provincial, national, and European levels.”

External grant advice

The City of Oosterhout could already make use of Ignite Group’s grant database internally, but the focus on this was moderate. Due to the direction from the council to do more with grants, which also resulted in more personnel resources, this tool was gradually used more intensively. This was partly the basis for the further collaboration between the City of Oosterhout and Ignite Group. “After a baseline measurement, we turned to Ignite Group for our grant support,” says Edwin. “The fact that there were already previous contacts certainly helped, but overall, the complete package just fit perfectly,” Edwin explained.

Profitable collaboration

Increasingly, more projects are now receiving financial support. For example, a significant national grant was secured to establish a public transport hub within the local government. Also, in collaboration with a housing corporation and Ignite Group, a substantial Start Construction Incentive was granted for a construction project, for which ongoing support is provided in addressing the state aid question and accountability. Aside from the business successes, Edwin is especially impressed with the collaborative approach and the quick decision-making. “A few informative discussions quickly turned into eight structural hours per week dedicated to grant coordination. It is great to see how proactive you are in informing project leaders about grant opportunities that align with their projects. The speed at which you switch between various options, such as national grants to European grants, is impressive. What also stands out is that your colleague truly feels like part of my team. It feels like she is advocating for the City of Oosterhout, and that’s a very comforting feeling,” he continues.

One thing leads to another

Especially due to the pleasant collaboration and trust, the partnership became increasingly intense. The service package was further expanded with the Grant Tracking System (SVS-IN) for the internal management of incoming grants. “We were already in the process of implementing the Grant Tracking System for outgoing grants (SVS-UIT), although I wasn’t personally involved,” Edwin explained. “With the implementation of both systems, the entire grant process has become much more efficient and transparent. The fact that you now also provide excellent support through periodic meetings, project screenings, and training courses means that we currently benefit from a comprehensive service package,” Edwin noted.