EU and city promote vibrant neighborhoods and innovative companies

With its "Groundfloor" funding program, the city of Offenbach supports innovative and creative companies in setting up a business, relocating or with upcoming investments for the further sustainable development of the company. Two other newly founded companies and a studio that is relocating from Frankfurt to Offenbach are now benefiting from the funding. All three projects are located in Nordend and Senefelder Quartier - and thus in the area covered by the "Social Cohesion" (formerly "Socially Integrative City / Hegiss) urban development program. The city has acquired funding from the European Regional Development Fund for these areas in order to strengthen the local commercial structure. Around 300,000 euros are available, with which investments of around 600,000 euros can be initiated.

The internationally renowned artist Jochen Hendricks from Frankfurt is moving his studio to Goetheplatz in Nordend, where he is setting up his own studio space as well as work and retail space for other creative people in the former Schlecker supermarket. Britta Zubrod-Nikisch launches an unpackaged store in the Senefelder quarter. She is thus strengthening the trend away from environmentally harmful packaging and towards new, sustainable retail concepts. Berns GbR, a collective of four Offenbach designers, will set up a "workspace" for themselves and other design-oriented small businesses in Nordend. These three companies are among 13 others from the fields of product design, crafts, photography, retail, events, co-working and gastronomy that had previously been selected for funding through the "Groundfloor" program.

The selection was made by a funding committee consisting of experts from the city administration, the Offenbach Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the skilled trades, neighborhood management and the real estate industry. "This kind of expert-based cooperation is not only important to me in the master plan or at the master craftsmen's conference, but also in our concrete day-to-day activities," explains Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke, who is also Head of Economic Development. "In terms of funding, we are focusing on the development of commercial space on the first floor, which has a particular impact on the quality of the public space," Schwenke continues.

Applicants will be advised in advance by the Offenbach agency Urban Media Project headed by Loimi Brautmann and Oliver Kremershof. The agency is also responsible for marketing the "Groundfloor" funding program. Project manager Dr. Matthias Schulze-Böing: "The basic aim of the program, which runs until 2022, is to support companies in finding new ways to use and develop commercial space, especially in vacant stores."

The program is aimed at businesses in almost all sectors, particularly trade, services and crafts. Grants are available for investments, but also for advice and expertise that companies need to implement their projects. The programme places particular emphasis on revitalizing retail spaces. The city is not only targeting retail in the traditional sense, but also smart new concepts that combine retail with production, services, design and communication. "The aim is to keep the districts and public spaces lively by securing added value and jobs there through interesting usage concepts," says Mayor Schwenke.

In addition to financial support for their investments, companies that receive funding also gain access to other creative tradespeople in the districts. As part of the networking process, they meet other supported and interested parties. Due to the pandemic, the last digital conference was held in November 2021, but real meetings also take place in the premises of a funded start-up on Ludwigstrasse. "This shows time and again that the EU funds create real added value and that the locations in the funded districts have great potential from the companies' point of view," comments consultant Oliver Kremershof from the Urban Media Project.

Mayor Schwenke is pleased that the program funds raised have now been almost fully committed: "Small-scale but innovative concepts can provide important impetus to maintain a vital economic structure as well as liveable and diverse districts. The example of the unpackaged store in particular shows that we are able to bring together the abstract goals of neighborhood revitalization, ecology and economic development in concrete projects. We will continue to work intensively on this with our business development department in the future." Most recently, the city also acquired an unpackaged stall for the weekly market.