What is REM?
REM – Reshaping European Rural and Remote Municipalities leveraging on crowdfunding skills and competences for local administrators is a project funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ Programme under the KA210-VET action – Small-scale Partnerships in Vocational Education and Training.
Launched in 2024, the project is coordinated by ANCI Abruzzo in cooperation with Eurocrowd – European Crowdfunding Network (Belgium) and Social Innovation Cluster Castilla-La Mancha – SIC CLM (Spain).
REM was conceived to strengthen the skills and competences of local administrators, public officials and technical staff working in small and medium-sized municipalities in the use of crowdfunding as a tool for territorial development, social innovation and civic participation.
The initiative specifically targets rural, remote and peripheral territories, which increasingly face challenges related to depopulation, the reduction of essential services and difficulties in securing resources to implement projects of public interest.
Through REM, crowdfunding is promoted as a complementary instrument to traditional funding sources, capable of activating communities, enhancing local resources and supporting initiatives with a high social and territorial impact.
Project Objectives
REM aims to:
- strengthen local administrators’ skills and competences in crowdfunding and participatory finance;
- promote new funding opportunities for territorial development projects;
- encourage the active involvement of citizens in decision-making and project development processes;
- support sustainable financial planning within local authorities;
- foster social innovation and collaboration among public administrations, citizens, businesses and third-sector organisations;
- contribute to the resilience and attractiveness of rural and peripheral territories.
The project is aligned with European policies for rural development and contributes to the objectives of the Long-Term Vision for EU Rural Areas.
Activities Implemented
- Online Training
The project partners developed and delivered the training course “Crowdfunding for Local Development in Small and Medium-Sized Municipalities” for Italian and Spanish local administrators and social innovators.
The programme explored methodologies, tools and practical examples for designing and managing crowdfunding campaigns aimed at supporting local development.
- International Learning Mobility
A delegation of selected participants from Spain and Italy took part in an international learning mobility in Albacete (Spain) from 5 to 7 May 2026, during which they explored concrete crowdfunding experiences and visited regional and local social innovation clusters.
Workshops, study visits and exchanges with international experts enabled participants to acquire skills and competences that can be transferred to their respective territorial contexts.
- International Final Event
The project concludes with a two-day international event, held from 24 to 25 June 2026 and organised by ANCI Abruzzo, dedicated to presenting the project’s achievements and fostering dialogue among local administrators, European crowdfunding experts and territorial stakeholders on the role of crowdfunding in local community development.
Open Educational Resources (OERs)
REM Multilingual Training Pathway via Prezi
As part of the REM project, a multilingual training pathway dedicated to crowdfunding for local development in small and medium-sized municipalities has been developed.
The materials, available through Prezi, can be accessed free of charge in three languages (Italian, English and Spanish) and include:
- a complete self-learning course;
- support materials for trainers and training providers;
- a collection of national and European case studies related to the use of crowdfunding for territorial development.
The resources are available through the following language versions.
Italian
Self-learning course:
https://prezi.com/view/yIejsWP1M50foTXuyinm/?referral_token=9jtQR-lnB3FN
Trainer materials:
https://prezi.com/view/14ecn9BFX8f0ZrUBNcCJ/?referral_token=9jtQR-lnB3FN
Case studies:
https://prezi.com/view/yIejsWP1M50foTXuyinm/?referral_token=9jtQR-lnB3FN
English
Self-learning course:
https://prezi.com/view/ohE6YEW95KWfu1GT6ncy/?referral_token=9jtQR-lnB3FN
Trainers’ toolkit:
https://prezi.com/view/b2fusBbE6BPqR3yDvoHe/?referral_token=9jtQR-lnB3FN
Case studies:
https://prezi.com/view/Uy1TvJMRpU8rXiSUkkcp/?referral_token=9jtQR-lnB3FN
Español
Curso de autoaprendizaje:
https://prezi.com/view/2FaQ6jHqSdnf23KQN8lf/?referral_token=9jtQR-lnB3FN
Materiales para formadores:
https://prezi.com/view/eeAnPQaWKiwn7aVnhF0u/?referral_token=9jtQR-lnB3FN
Casos de estudio:
https://prezi.com/view/aqkQUnfBbsTKSoJXS7bU/?referral_token=9jtQR-lnB3FN
Online Course: “Crowdfunding for Local Development in Small and Medium-Sized Municipalities”
The video lessons produced within the REM project are available free of charge on the ANCI Abruzzo YouTube channel and include (in Italian):
- Video Lesson 1 – Introduction to Crowdfunding
- Video Lesson 2 – Benefits and Challenges of Crowdfunding
- Video Lesson 3 – Crowdfunding Platforms
- Video Lesson 4 – Tools Supporting a Crowdfunding Campaign
- Video Lesson 5 – Match Funding: The Interaction Between Public Resources and Crowdfunding
- Video Lesson 6 – Methods and Timing for Combining Funding Sources
- Video Lesson 7 – Planning a Crowdfunding Campaign
- Video Lesson 8 – Communicating a Crowdfunding Campaign
International Final Event
Crowdfunding for the Future of Small and Medium-Sized Municipalities. European Perspectives, Local Experiences, Opportunities and Alliances
24–25 June 2026
A travelling final event across Scurcola Marsicana, L’Aquila and Pescara
The REM project’s final event represents the concluding opportunity to share and discuss the results achieved throughout the project’s lifecycle.
The initiative aims to bring together local administrators, institutional representatives, European crowdfunding experts and territorial development stakeholders to discuss opportunities, challenges and future perspectives for participatory finance applied to rural and peripheral territories.
Among the guests will be representatives of ANCI Abruzzo, ANCI Abruzzo Giovani, Eurocrowd, Social Innovation Cluster Castilla-La Mancha and Produzioni dal Basso.
The programme also includes a study visit with representatives of L’Aquila Calcio, identified during the project’s research phase as a significant example of community engagement and territorial enhancement.
Partnership
ANCI Abruzzo (Italy)
Project coordinator and organisation responsible for implementing activities in Italy. Based in L’Aquila.
Eurocrowd – European Crowdfunding Network (Belgium)
Europe’s leading organisation dedicated to crowdfunding and participatory finance. Based in Brussels.
Social Innovation Cluster Castilla-La Mancha – SIC CLM (Spain)
A cluster specialised in social innovation, territorial development, entrepreneurship and the transfer of innovative competences. Based in Albacete.
Funding Information
Programme: Erasmus+ KA210-VET – Small-scale Partnerships in Vocational Education and Training
Project Code: 2024-1-IT01-KA210-VET-000253558
Erasmus+ National Agency: INAPP
Funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Erasmus+ INAPP National Agency. Neither the European Union nor Erasmus+ INAPP can be held responsible for them.