Coca-Cola for region

Project summary

The way in which Coca-Cola HBC CZ & SK terminated its operations at the production plant in Lúka at the end of 2015 is exceptional. Even after the closure of the plant, it decided to continue to take care of the region’s development thanks to the Coca-Cola grant programme for the region, which supports the activities of non-profits, municipalities and individuals in tourism development, sports, culture and art or public benefit projects. Award-worthy is the fact that the Agency and the Client came up with a project that very effectively and transparently fulfills the intention to stay in the hearts of people in the region where the manufacturer previously operated.

Goal

The Client turned to our Agency in 2016 with a task to design a programme to support public beneficial activities even after the end of production in this location and remain as a good partner of the community in its perception. The Agency found a local professional guarantor – the Trenčín Foundation. In order to make the project as transparent as possible, the foundation covers the process of selection and implementation of supported projects, as well as activates applicants for grant support. The goal was to redistribute approx. € 30,000, which the client set aside for the first two years of the project, as openly and as effectively as possible.

Strategy&plan

The Agency approached the Trenčín Foundation as a professional guarantor of the project and in cooperation with it a Coca-Cola grant programme was created for the region. Its aim is to support public beneficial activities in the region delimited by the area of ​​8 municipalities in the vicinity of the former plant in Lúka. The aim of the projects is to improve the quality of life of the region’s inhabitants. Supported projects had to meet strict criteria, such as benefits for the local community, degree of volunteer involvement, visibility of the region, sustainability and effectiveness of the project. The allocation of funds is decided by an independent commission.

Realization

1st round of the Grant, 2016

• Local insight survey and stakeholder meeting
• Declaration of the 1st round of grant and commission meeting (selection of projects)

15 projects applied for the 1st round (2016), of which an independent commission selected 5 with a grant support of almost € 14,000.

• Implementation of projects of the 1st round of GV

We supported archaeological work at Tematín Castle, the Ethnological Museum in Lúka, new cycling routes under Tematín, project Decency at the stadium and FitPark Modrová.
2nd round of the Grant, 2017

• Announcement of the 2nd round of grants, seminar for applicants and meeting of the commission (selection of projects)

Shortly after the announcement of the 2nd round of grants (2017), we invited applicants to a seminar on how to develop a quality application. 14 projects applied, of which we supported 7 with the amount of more than € 16,000.

• Implementation of projects of the 2nd round of grant

The grant was used to make traditional folk costumes for FS Modrovanky-Krojovanky, a photographic chronicle of Modrová, an educational trail to Tematín, the construction of information boards at the Kostolec-Ducové archeological site, a certified playground in Stará Lehota and public greenery in Hrádek and the modernization of the football field in Hôrka nad

Results

In the period 2016/2017, we supported 12 projects in the Coca-Cola project for the region in the amount of € 30,000. Almost 250 volunteers took part in the implementation of the projects and the projects will directly affect more than 57,000 people a year, secondarily another tens of thousands. The project also had a broad media response. We secured 74 outputs in regional and national media. Information was also massively published through social networks, especially through the granters themselves. From these facts, it is clear that this is an exceptional project of Coca-Cola HBC and its support for a region in which it no longer operates.