Fichtelgebirge-Innovative

• Membership: In principle, all interested natural persons of legal age, legal entities and associations of persons who support the development of the district of Wunsiedel i. Fichtelgebirge in line with the local development strategy can become members. The board decides on the admission of new members. The declaration of membership is informal. Membership is currently free of charge. Active participation is possible with or without membership of the association.
• Working groups: Working groups form the basis for the development and elaboration of project ideas to achieve the development goals. These take place on specific topics relevant to the LAG area or on specific projects and are open to all interested parties.
• Project-accompanying advisory board: The project-accompanying advisory board consists of committed experts who support the working groups, the LAG management and the decision-making body with their know-how. Depending on the issue and topic, different experts are asked for their opinion.
• Initiative Voting Forum: The forum networks the large number of existing initiatives in the region that are active in the field of regional development. This generates synergy effects.

• The association currently has 55 members. The members are regional players from the fields of politics, environmental protection and nature conservation, social affairs, business and the banking sector. All interested citizens can become members of the LAG and support the work of the association through their involvement (e.g. by participating in working groups). In addition, voting rights can be used to directly influence the composition of the board and the decision-making body.

The Board of Fichtelgebirge-Innovativ was elected for three years on 31.01.2023:

• 1st Chairman: Peter Berek, District Administrator of the Wunsiedel i. Fichtelgebirge district
• Deputy Chairwoman: Dr. Laura Krainz-Leupoldt, Partner PEMA Whole Grain Specialties | Heinrich Leupoldt KG
• Deputy Chairman: Nicolas Lahovnik, 1st Mayor of the town of Wunsiedel
• Secretary: Svenja Faßbinder, youth worker, municipal youth work
• Treasurer: Helmut Voit, 1st Mayor of the municipality of Nagel

• The decision-making body assesses the eligibility of projects for funding on behalf of the LAG
• The evaluation is based on the project selection criteria defined in the Local Development Strategy (LES).
• Important multipliers in the region are involved in the decision-making body. There must be an appropriate participation of women. A young person (under 40 years of age) must also be represented on the decision-making body. The composition ensures that no interest group controls the decisions and selection decisions (max. 49% of voting rights per interest group).
• The members of the decision-making body are elected by the general meeting.

The decision-making body of Fichtelgebirge-Innovativ was elected for three years on 31.01.2023:

• Frank Bauer, Chairman of the Förderverein Fichtelgebirge
• Peter Bauer, Dean of the Wunsiedel Deanery
• Peter Berek, District Administrator of the Wunsiedel i. Fichtelgebirge district
• Frank Dreyer, 1st Mayor of the town of Weißenstadt
• Sabine Ehm, Regional Manager Bridge Alliance Bavaria-Bohemia
• Svenja Faßbinder, youth welfare officer for local youth work
• Harald Fischer, District Chairman of the Bavarian Farmers’ Association
• Torsten Gebhardt, 1st Mayor of the municipality of Röslau
• Astrid Köppel, entrepreneur resonanzOrganizations
• Dr. Laura Krainz-Leupoldt, Partner PEMA Whole Grain Specialties | Heinrich Leupoldt KG
• Nicolas Lahovnik, 1st Mayor of the town of Wunsied
• Dr. Michaela Marth-Busch, Managing Director of the Fichtelgebirge Nature Park
• Ferdinand Reb, Managing Director of the Fichtelgebirge Tourist Office
• Konrad Scharnagl, District Chairman of VdK
• Martina von Waldenfels, Chairwoman of the Steinwald-Fichtelgebirge Academy
• Helmut Voit, 1st Mayor of the municipality of Nagel
• Dr. Sabine Zehentmeier-Lang, Director of the Fichtelgebirge Museums

The LAG management advises on all questions relating to LEADER, helps with project development and applications and arranges further contacts.

The tasks of the LAG management are:

• Management of the LAG
• Controlling and monitoring the implementation of the LES (monitoring, action plan, etc.)
• Supporting project sponsors in project development and implementation
• Providing impetus for projects to implement the LES
• Preparation of the LAG’s project selection process
• Support for working and project groups
• Evaluation activities
• Public relations work (incl. website) for LEADER in the LAG area and for the LAG’s external presentation
• Cooperation with relevant stakeholders in line with the development strategy
• Cooperation and exchange of experience with other LEADER regions
• Collaboration in LEADER networks
• Bookkeeping and cash management of the association

• With a regional development concept (REK), the LAG Sechsämterland-Innovativ successfully applied to participate in the European Leader+ funding program. By 2007, 21 projects with a total volume of over 3 million euros had been implemented with the help of LEADER funding.
• In the subsequent Leader in EAFRD funding period, the LAG also successfully applied to participate in LEADER again. In total, almost 1.7 million euros of LEADER funds were committed to projects in the region during the 2007 to 2013 funding period. In addition, funds from foundations and state agencies were generated for the projects carried out. Together with the project sponsors’ own contributions, this results in an investment sum of over 3.7 million euros.
• The association was renamed Fichtelgebirge-Innovativ e. V. in 2014.