Local MP Bijderwieden: “The Entrepreneurship Fund must be active from January 1, 2023”

by Peter Dunk
SLIEDRECHT – City Council spoke on Monday evening, 20 June 2022, with host Rob Bastak, General Manager JM de Jong GROEP BV (De Jong Beheer) | De Jong | . Techniques Dae Jong Duki. The Marisstraat 2 coffee machine company celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. The council met in the restaurant during a photo-making meeting about Ondernemersfonds. The entire B&W College was in attendance on Monday evening.

Alderman Roelant Bijderwieden (VVD) has promised from Economics that Ondernemersfonds will be established after the summer of 2022 and that it will become active on January 1, 2023. (Photo by Peter Dunk / Sliedrecht24)

Bastenk spoke about the company that has a branch in Slydercht and Tyler, near Detroit in the United States. The fifth generation is now working in the family business. The company stands for stewardship, reliability, collaboration, and innovation, he said. Bastinck mentioned the 2,268 solar panels on the roof about sustainability. This makes the company largely self-sufficient.

Prepare
Alderman Roelant Bijderwieden (VVD) from Economics gave a brief presentation in the evening, after which he gave the floor to Hilbert de Jong, Economic Policy Adviser. He explained how the tribes of Undernermsfonds arose. This city council adopted this in May 2021. There we sat with the Sliedrechtse Ondernemingen (VSO) to write priorities and plans. We worked together in a steering group on implementation, as it should look. In the meantime, research has been conducted and conversations with the business community have also taken place. Fifty so-called strategic companies were visited, among others.

let’s do together
Sliedrechtse Ondernemingen (VSO) president Adrie Stuij praised the host for its sustainability. I do not understand political discussions. We developed an economical vision in which we made every part as desired. In general, offer space for adjustments. Now to my surprise and disappointment. “No group has asked how to build relationships with the business community,” said Stoig, who asked more questions for council members. It was not intended as criticism, but according to Stoig more about “doing it together”. Stoig believes that many plans can be made and elaborated on the basis of economic vision. According to him, the engine in the business world. For example, he mentions buying things together, like energy. For Stuij, it is clear that Ondernemersfonds is “for and by Sliedrecht”. The fund shall not be affected by the voting rights of the municipality (the council). According to Stoig, there are still many challenges, such as collective security.

Explanation
In 2005 the first fund was started in Leiden. At the beginning of 2023, there will be about fifty entrepreneurship funds in the Netherlands. Strategy development and knowledge transfer Rob Manders from Bureau Blawberg assists municipal officials when it comes to Ondernemersfonds. He gave the Board members a brief overview of why the fund was established, how it works and what are the next steps. Manders spoke about his motivations for joining the Ondernemersfonds. It will be a lot cheaper if you buy something together. He also noted the growing need for cooperation due to a rapidly changing environment, stability in the business climate or penetration of dependency and powerlessness (solving the problems of “free people”). There will also be solidarity (the quest for cohesion).

increase and return
In the Entrepreneur Fund, you follow the ambition of the entrepreneurs. The fund is based on an “honor agreement” between the municipality and the initiators. The fund may be covered by a higher property tax on non-residential real estate. The money goes to the fund and the freedom to spend goes to the entrepreneurs. The distance to the municipality is monitored in non-interference and non-replacement. The advantage to the municipality is not money, but it has a well-organized partner in the development of Sliedrecht. “You see the money that is collected flowing back to the regions,” Manders said. An example of the Entrepreneur Fund taking steps is Hardinksfeld-Giesendam. The ambition at VSO is to support the teamwork and joint work of Slydercht. In Sliedrecht, the use of the fund is based on 75 euros per ton of WOZ value, which, according to calculations, should bring in about 460,000 euros per year. There is now a very broad steering committee and the first version of the report is available. The start is scheduled for January 1, 2023. There should be a Constituent Assembly, and agreements on “governance” should be made and put into a charter. Donors: “Each fund is a pilot and after four years there is an evaluation. It is also about giving confidence in this social initiative and allowing the entrepreneurs to do it.”