MatchMed

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  Innovation
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  Entrepreneurship
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  Cooperation

The total volume of the crowdfunding market in Europe has significantly grown in recent years, showing the increased awareness, relevance and use of this digital tool as an alternative source of finance. In the Mediterranean context, given the difficulties of accessing financing for SMEs and small organizations, crowdfunding is emerging as the ideal alternative for seeking to develop initiatives within many sectors, in particular the blue economy. The interest of public institutions and authorities in acting as multipliers and co-investors of crowdfunding initiatives has also increased significantly in the last three years, as the recent “New Report Guides Public Authorities On Implementing Match-funding with Crowdfunding” by Eurocrowd highlights. The findings showcase the rising interest of match-funding practices in Europe and prove that public authorities can generate measurable impact when co-investing public resources alongside citizens.

In line with these data, Fundación Goteo, in collaboration with Regione Marche and all the partners of the Blue Crowdfunding project, is organizing a one day event at the premises of the Canodrom - Democratic Innovation Center in Barcelona: MatchMed - Multiplying the impact of public-private funds through alternative finance in the Mediterranean. The objective of this seminar is to bring together public and private actors from all over the Mediterranean with crowdfunding platform representatives and past and present campaigns promoters to discuss the challenges and opportunities of matchfunding as a tool to finance sustainable development in the Mediterranean region.

We will have, among others, past beneficiaries of Goteo’s matchfunding programmes and relevant national international organizations active in Mediterranean cooperation based in Barcelona. Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy an exchanging and learning experiences programme in the morning and a collaborative participatory workshop in the afternoon, where new possibilities of matching funds and public-private financial opportunities will be explored. New tourism models, marine renewable energies, sustainable aquaculture, green maritime transport and reduced marine litter are some of the main challenges for the Blue Economy in the region and some of the subjects we will discuss.

The event will be followed, the day after, on June 15th, by the final conference of the Blue Crowdfunding project, coming to an end after 3 intensive years of joint work. All its partners, together with international experts and participants from the European Commission, will present the results of this wonderful initiative, aimed at triggering change from using public funds for innovation to use crowdfunding and crowdsourcing to fund, test and validate innovative blue economy products and services.

Free admittance, limited seats, speeches in English.
Join us in Barcelona!