GARAPEN, Asociación Vasca de Agencias de Desarrollo

The mission of Development Agencies is to promote the socio-economic development of the districts/municipalities/counties. The spheres of action of the agencies are the following: Improving employability of people, encouraging the creation of businesses, improving competitiveness, as well as the promotion of strategic projects for the local area. All in collaboration with the rest of public and private agents working in these areas.
The principal services GARAPEN offers to agencies are:
- Information and advice: reports, bulletins, telephone attention, intranet.
- Capacity building: Training required by management and technical personnel in the agencies, to improve the services they offer.
- Forums for thought: Forums that enable joint reflection on challenges, trends and actions of strategic interest.
- Knowledge management: Management and coordination of exchange of experience and methodologies between the agencies by means of work groups.
- Project management: joint presentation of projects of common interest.
- Promotion and dissemination of the work of the agencies: Actions to promote and disseminate the work carried out by the agencies by means of congresses, publications, tenders, press conferences, etc.
- Institutional relations: Representation of the agencies before third parties by means of collaboration agreements.