Over the past 10 years, Stimuflori has helped make over €24 million in promotion and innovation projects in the floriculture sector possible. At this milestone, board members Wim Kea, Cor Vonk Noordegraaf, and Piet Wapperom are stepping down from the Stichting Fonds Internationale Bloemenvaktentoonstelling, which supports floriculture-related initiatives through Stimuflori. Mariëlle Ammerlaan, Fons Overwater and Winfried Versluis continue as board members.
The still complete board of Stimuflori: Marielle Ammerlaan, Fons Overwater, Cor Vonk Noordegraaf, Wim Kea, Winfried Versluis, and Piet Wapperom.
Submitting an application to the foundation through the website is easy, as practice has shown. In addition to the usual details, questions include what results have been achieved at the end of the project in question and how these will be made available to the floriculture sector. Stimuflori does not support applications from individual companies. There must always be cooperation and co-financing with other parties.
Recent results
A recently completed project is the innovative intermediate step towards a handy sensor that can quickly detect disease-causing viruses in water systems at growers' and trading companies. This specifically looked at the cucumber fur virus and PlamV (link).
An example in the field of communication/promotion is Stimuflori's long-standing support for the Tuinbouwbattles. Pupils from primary schools in groups 7 and 8 (ages 10-12) grow their own tulips or bring plants into bloom and are allowed to spend the revenues from the sales themselves. After the start of this in Greenport Noord-Holland Noord in 2016, the concept was adopted by the Greenports Aalsmeer, Boskoop, and Duin & Bollenstreek. In North Holland North, it has now been further developed into a complete learning line for all groups in primary education under the name Bollenbozen.
From 2018 to 2022, Stimuflori supported special professor Richard Immink on the 'Physiology of Flower Bulbs' at WUR. The results will be presented at a symposium on 9 October in Lisse, register via this link.
Applications still possible
Since the start in 2014, 180 applications have been submitted. Of these, 73 have been partly or fully granted. The accumulated budgets of these amount to €24.4 million. Through Stimuflori, €2.8 million has been granted and spent up to and including next year. The (weighted) average amount granted is 12% of the submitted budget. The ratio of promotion to innovation is about 50%.
Strengthening the sector by supporting innovation ín and promotion before floriculture is the Fund Foundation's objective, with money earned at the time from the Internationale Bloemenvaktentoonstelling. It was first held in 1962, continued as part of the Horti Fair in 2003, and stopped in 2012 (https://www.stimuflori.nl/presentatie-film-bloemenvaktentoonstelling-door-de-jaren-heen/).
The focus then shifted from investing in the annual exhibition to innovation and promotion. Under the motto: 'it was earned by the sector, so it should also go back to the sector.' "That also means that the end of the fund is in sight, although applications can still be submitted," said Stimuflori project manager Hermen de Graaf.
Source: Stimuflori