Ambitions
1. Municipal Currencies
Ambition: Integration of local currencies with municipal and regional authorities to gain legitimacy and increase impact.
Origin
- Public Legitimacy: Currencies need to be recognized and supported by municipalities to move beyond “rogue” initiatives.
- Civil-Municipal Collaboration: Success depends on cooperation between civil society and local governments.
- Brazil as Example: Brazil has shown how municipalities can legitimize and sustain local currencies.
Opportunities
- In Amsterdam, efforts are underway to integrate the Cyclos stack with the municipal environment.
- Connecting business account registration with the civil registry (for KYC compliance).
- Opens the possibility for:
- Paying local taxes in local currency.
- Distributing social benefits in local currency.
- Local procurement using community money.
- Role of the Federation (second ambition): Support municipalities with strategic models, guidance, and shared infrastructure.
- Better steering of local economy
- Less capital outflow of region
- Better use of social security funding
- Reduce administrative costs
- Independence
- Gain legitimacy
- Acquire scale and circulation
- Find a spender (when social security budgets are issued) and an acceptor (when municipal taxes can be given in complementary currency)
Do you have any questions about the ambitions of Local for Local?
2. European Federation of Currencies
Ambition: Create a federation of local currencies at the European level to provide scale, structure, and political voice.
Ambition of the Federation
- Be the articulator and leader of a vision for local and complementary currency development.
- Lobbying for monetary diversification at European institutions.
- Make local currencies visible to European institutions.
- Engage with European agencies (e.g. the Proximity Economy unit of the Commission). Advocate for:
- Supportive regulation.
- Inclusion of local currencies in public procurement.
- EU-level funding calls for research and development in this domain.
- Inter-currency Collaboration: Encourages exchange between otherwise isolated currencies.
- Work for standards in the complementary currency field.
- Provide currencies with funding by cascading European grants (e.g. through projects like LocalforLocal).
- Shared technical services (e.g. open-source infrastructure, Taler implementation).
- Training and education for managing a regional currency.
- Provide legal support on the complex legal environment of complementary currencies.
Federation Principles
Based on the principle of subsidiarity: decisions are made at the lowest level possible. The federation exists to support local currencies, not to control them.
1. Local currencies stay independent
Each local currency remains in control of its own operations, design, and priorities. The federation does not replace or overrule local leadership, but supports it.
2. Membership is voluntary
Currencies join the federation freely and are not obligated to follow a fixed model. Participation is based on shared goals and mutual benefit.
3. Federation offers legal, technical, and educational support
Running a currency involves complex tasks that require specialized knowledge. The federation provides help with legal questions, open-source software, and practical training.
4. Helps currencies work together
The federation builds connections between currencies across Europe. It organizes meetings, shared projects, and exchanges of knowledge and experience.
5. Speaks to the EU on behalf of all members
No single currency can influence European policy alone. The federation represents the field, builds relationships with EU bodies, and works to shape supportive regulation and funding.
Federation Governance
General Assembly
All member currencies send representatives to the General Assembly. This group meets a few times a year to make key decisions and set the overall direction. It ensures that every currency has a voice and that decisions reflect the federation’s shared goals.
Coordination Team
A small, rotating team elected by the General Assembly manages daily operations. They organize meetings, coordinate activities, and follow up on tasks. Their role is to support and enable members, not to control them.
Working Groups
Working groups form around specific topics such as legal issues, technology, or communication. Members join these groups voluntarily, contributing their expertise and interests. These groups allow the federation to respond flexibly to its members’ needs.
Federation Funding
The federation needs stable funding for its operations. This includes organizing meetings, running trainings, developing tools, and supporting members.
Project based
Federation operations can be supported by EU or national grants.
Potential: Member Contributions
A small, flexible contribution from members, scaled to size and capacity.
Potential: External Support
Partnerships with municipalities, philanthropic funds, or research institutions.
Do you have any questions about the ambitions of Local for Local?
Currency Ecosystem and Five Pillars
The Currency Ecosystem is a Europe-wide program under NGI Local for Local, designed to support and connect regional currencies. Its aim is to amplify the economic and social impact of these currencies by enhancing their autonomy while fostering collaboration. The program respects the unique identity of each regional currency and encourages mutual learning through a shared framework. At its heart lies the principle of subsidiarity: local initiative is respected and supported, while collective strength is built through structured cooperation. This initiative is funded by the European Commission under grant agreement No. 101135443. The ecosystem is structured around five core pillars: Funding, Networking, Training, Open-Source Software, and Research. Each pillar serves to reinforce the others, forming an integrated system that enables both local experimentation and shared advancement. Participation in some aspects is open to all regional currencies, while other components—like funding and software piloting—are reserved for selected participants. Together, these pillars form a stable foundation for lasting development in the regional currency landscape.
Funding
Grants up to €60,000 to support regional currency projects.
Networking
Monthly online meetings for sharing challenges and best practices.
Training
Bi-monthly expert workshops on topics like regulation and technology.
Open-Source Software
Free software tools and support for currency operations.
Research Support
Assistance with governance, engagement, and economic analysis, plus mandatory anonymized data sharing for funded projects.
1. Funding Regional Currencies
Regional currencies selected for funding can receive up to €60,000 in support. This funding is intended to strengthen their role in the local economy and increase social cohesion. Each currency is free to allocate the funding according to its own strategic priorities, whether that involves technical improvements, communications campaigns, onboarding of new merchants, or administrative capacity. However, proposals must demonstrate a clear pathway to measurable social or economic impact.
The application process is competitive. Applicants will be assessed based on clarity of purpose, impact potential, and alignment with the goals of the Currency Ecosystem. Detailed instructions for applying are found in Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the full call document. Once selected, funding recipients are expected to take an active role in the ecosystem's collaborative and training activities, contributing to shared development and mutual support.
2. Networking and Updating
Monthly networking meetings are at the core of the ecosystem's collaborative model. These online sessions take place every first Monday afternoon and are open to all participating currencies. They serve as a space for currencies to exchange knowledge, discuss current challenges, and avoid duplicating efforts already made elsewhere. The meetings are structured around practical case studies and real-time problem-solving.
Participation in the networking sessions is mandatory for funded currencies. The sessions are dynamic and responsive, shaped by the interests and needs raised by participants. Over time, this networking infrastructure strengthens the bonds between currencies, fosters collective memory, and helps develop a common language and shared standards. It also provides a low-barrier entry point for new or smaller initiatives interested in the program.
3. Regional Currency Training
The training pillar equips regional currency initiatives with up-to-date knowledge and tools. Every two months, the program hosts sessions on relevant topics such as legal frameworks, digital infrastructure, governance models, and community engagement. Half of the sessions are designed by the consortium, while the other half are curated by the funded participants, ensuring that local needs and practical concerns shape the curriculum.
These sessions are delivered by experts and practitioners, and aim to foster both strategic insight and operational capacity. Attendance is required for all funded participants and encouraged for others. Beyond lectures, the training often includes workshops and interactive components, helping currency teams apply new knowledge directly to their own context. The goal is to cultivate long-term competency across Europe’s regional currency ecosystem.
4. Open-Source Software Stack for Regional Currencies
A complete open-source software suite is provided to support the digital backbone of regional currencies. This includes user-facing applications for currency holders and merchants, management tools for currency administrators, and transaction and banking integration modules. The software is developed to meet the real-world needs of regional currencies and is freely available under an open license.
Participants in the funding program are offered technical assistance in adopting and adapting the software stack. Pilot implementations are supported in the regions of selected currencies, enabling tailored configuration and feedback-driven development. This shared technological base promotes interoperability, reduces overhead costs, and enables long-term resilience by avoiding vendor lock-in.
5. Research Support in Regional Currencies
The Currency Ecosystem integrates academic research into its operational model. Researchers in the consortium offer support in areas such as governance design, community engagement, economic modeling, and data analysis. Their goal is to help currencies become more robust and impactful while generating new knowledge about alternative monetary systems.
Funded currencies are required to share anonymized transaction data with the consortium for research purposes. This data enables systematic study of currency usage and impact, informing both local improvements and broader insights. The collaboration ensures that research serves practice, and that practice contributes to the wider body of knowledge about regional currencies in Europe.