Deputy Mayor of Opoczno Tomasz Łuczkowski opened the event and welcomed conference guests, among them advisors to Opoczno from the Association of Polish Cities, and representatives of Opoczno’s business and associations community.

Mayor of Opoczno Dariusz Kosno offered heartfelt thanks to all individuals who had contributed to the drafting of the project “Opoczno 2.0 – a New Opening. Opoczno – an Ecologically Safe Regional Entrepreneurship Centre with an Identifiable Brand and Solid Sense of Local Identity”. He emphasised that the concept of the project would not have seen daylight without colossal assistance provided by the Association of Polish Cities, Łódź House of Business (Łódzki Dom Biznesu) and OLP Pheno Horizon companies, and – first and foremost – the forceful engagement of municipal residents who chose to actively attend the consultation process.

Deputy Mayor Tomasz Łuczkowski and Director of the European Funds Department Sylwia Olędzka presented project assumptions and key delivery conditions.

The project “Opoczno 2.0 – a New Opening. Opoczno – an Ecologically Safe Regional Entrepreneurship Centre with an Identifiable Brand and Solid Sense of Local Identity”, its overall value totalling PLN 15,326,354.27, is funded by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014-2021. Its objectives include stimulating Opoczno’s development in three fundamental areas – economic, environmental and social – while boosting municipal institutional resources.

The project schedule includes, but is not limited to workshops; mentoring and start-up programmes to foster entrepreneurship in the young Opoczno community; a programme of collaborating with Opoczno business people; efforts to restrict vehicular traffic in Opoczno and improve ecological public transport; efforts to develop ecological construction; cultural projects, including organisation of an International Folk Festival and hip-hop festival; and revamping a marketplace site on the River Drzewiczka to develop a user-friendly, multifunctional public space accommodating Thursday bazaars (as it used to) as well as nature education, rest and recreation, cultural organisations and sports events.

After the presentation, local government representatives thanked local residents who had been most active in contributing to the “Opoczno 2.0 – A New Opening” project drafting process by attending multiple consultations and submitting project task suggestions.