Ente Regionale per lo Sviluppo Locarnese e Vallemaggia

What Ente Regionale per lo Sviluppo Locarnese e Vallemaggia does

Ente Regionale per lo Sviluppo Locarnese e Vallemaggia (ERS-LVM) is a private-law public association headquartered in Locarno, Switzerland, that serves as the designated regional development entity for 27 municipalities across the Locarnese and Vallemaggia territories in Canton Ticino. Founded in 1975 as Regione Locarnese e Vallemaggia under the federal Mountain Investment Law (LIM) and reorganized in November 2009 under the New Regional Policy, the organization manages the Regional Promotion Fund (Fondo di Promovimento Regionale, FPR), which provides subsidies, loans, and guarantees of up to 50% of investment for projects aligned with regional strategic priorities. In 2024, the FPR allocated CHF 596,425 across 28 projects, generating over CHF 2.8 million in total territorial investments.

ERS-LVM operates a suite of interconnected digital platforms: Progettiamo.ch (a zero-commission crowdfunding platform co-developed with the other three Ticino ERS entities and sponsored by BancaStato), Locarnese.Events (a regional event-aggregation portal launched in 2022), Locarnese.Net (the official portal of the Commissione Intercomunale dei Trasporti, managed jointly with ERS-LVM), Locarnese.Tv (a multimedia archive), and the LocarneseTech association portal (robotics, mechatronics, and Industry 4.0 competence center). It also co-manages the Inter-municipal Transport Commission (CIT) and supports a network of four territorial antennas (Vallemaggia, Verzasca, Centovalli-Onsernone-Pedemonte, Gambarogno) alongside its headquarters.

The business model is non-commercial: ERS-LVM is funded by member municipalities and canton contributions, with no commercial pricing. Revenue mechanics consist of public fund management (FPR disbursement, Cit coordination fees from canton, and member contributions) rather than market sales. Customers are its 27 member municipalities, OTLMV, the canton of Ticino, and private project promoters who access FPR support. The entity operates with a small headcount of approximately 8 employees under President Giacomo Garzoli (since August 2021).

Name

Ente Regionale per lo Sviluppo Locarnese e Vallemaggia

Legal name

Ente Regionale per lo Sviluppo del Locarnese e della Vallemaggia

Website

https://locarnese.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ERS-LVM is a public non-profit association in Locarno, Switzerland, serving as the designated regional development entity for 27 municipalities in Locarnese and Vallemaggia, managing the Regional Promotion Fund and a suite of digital platforms for regional coordination, innovation, and crowdfunding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Development Services

NAICS

Business Support Services (5614)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAEAK

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Development & Technical Assistance

Keywords

• Regional development services
• Economic development funding
• Project financing management
• Territorial planning
• Public-private association

Headquarters

HQ city

Locarno

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Regional Development Fund (Fondo di Promovimento Regionale): The ERS-LVM manages a regional fund to support and finance regional development projects and initiatives. The fund provides subsidies, interest-free or interest-bearing loans, cost coverage, sureties, or other forms of assistance, up to a maximum of 50% of the investment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ERS-LVM is a regional development association that manages the Fondo di Promovimento Regionale (FPR) to provide subsidies, loans, and guarantees (up to 50% of investment) for regional development projects across the 27 municipalities of the Locarnese and Vallemaggia region. It coordinates inter-municipal collaboration, transport planning through the Commissione Intercomunale dei Trasporti (CIT), and operates digital platforms including the Progettiamo.ch crowdfunding platform, the Locarnese.Events event portal, and LocarneseTech for innovation in robotics and Industry 4.0.

Product overview

ERS-LVM operates a suite of interconnected digital platforms and services for regional development. The core offering includes Progettiamo.ch, a joint crowdfunding platform with zero commission, and Locarnese.Events, an event aggregation portal. Supporting platforms include Locarnese.Net (transport planning) and LocarneseTech (innovation/robotics). The organization also manages the Fondo di Promovimento Regionale (FPR) for project financing, distributes audioguides via izi.TRAVEL, and operates the locarnese.ch information portal. These services work together to support regional economic development, tourism promotion, and infrastructure planning across the Locarnese and Vallemaggia territory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Locarnese.Events: Online platform dedicated to the promotion and consultation of events in the Locarnese region, covering cultural, sports, social and institutional initiatives.
• Locarnese.Net
• Locarnese.Tv
• Progettiamo.ch

Products and services

• Progettiamo.ch A regional crowdfunding platform created jointly by all four Enti Regionali per lo Sviluppo (ERS) of Canton Ticino to support local projects through online fundraising. The platform guarantees 100% of collected funds go to projects with no commission charged.
• Locarnese.Events A regional event portal and agenda platform that aggregates cultural, sporting, social, and institutional events across the Locarnese and Vallemaggia region, offering event organizers a tool for promotion and enabling cross-municipal coordination.
• Fondo di Promovimento Regionale (FPR) A regional development fund managed by ERS-LVM that provides financial support (subsidies, loans, guarantees) for regional projects aligned with strategic development priorities, with maximum aid typically not exceeding 50% of investment.
• Locarnese.Net The official web portal of the Commissione Intercomunale dei Trasporti del Locarnese e Vallemaggia (CIT), providing information on public transport planning and mobility services for the regional territory.
• LocarneseTech An association promoting a competence center for robotics, mechatronics, and Industry 4.0 in the Locarnese region, created by the City of Locarno, Municipality of Losone, and ERS-LVM to support existing companies and attract new businesses.
• Audioguida Bacino svizzero del Lago Maggiore A free GPS-based interactive audio guide covering 26 points of interest across the Swiss basin of Lake Maggiore, from Locarno to Brissago, accessible via the izi.TRAVEL mobile app with offline listening capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28 projects supported in 2024 with 596,425 CHF generating over 2.8 million CHF in territorial investments
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of LocarnocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Founding member of LocarneseTech association and key municipal partner for ERS-LVM initiatives in the urban center.
• Municipality of LosonecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Founding member of LocarneseTech association, hosting key industrial zones (Saleggi and Zandone) with world-class mechatronics companies.
• Ufficio per lo sviluppo economico (USE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanton-level economic development office within the Department of Finance and Economy. ERS-LVM collaborates with USE for implementing regional economic policy and supporting projects through cantonal sectoral laws.
• ERS Bellinzonese e VallicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four Regional Development Entities in Ticino. Regular meetings between ERS entities for information exchange and inter-regional collaboration.
• ERS LuganesecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four Regional Development Entities in Ticino. Collaborates on shared initiatives like Progettiamo.ch crowdfunding platform.
• ERS Mendrisiotto e Basso CeresiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four Regional Development Entities in Ticino. Joint development of Progettiamo.ch crowdfunding platform.
• SUPSI (Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera Italiana)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for LocarneseTech association. SUPSI researchers conduct feasibility studies on innovation topics (sustainability, AI, cybersecurity, digital transformation) and organize workshops with local companies.
• AMISI (Associazione Microcredito Svizzera Italiana)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration agreement to support entrepreneurs starting new business activities. ERS-LVM connects potential entrepreneurs with AMISI for microcredit support and business planning assistance.
• Organizzazione Turistica Lago Maggiore e Valli (OTLMV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTourism organization is a member of ERS-LVM governance (represented in Regional Council and Delegates Assembly). Collaborates on tourism development projects and Locarnese.Events platform.
• Commissione Intercomunale dei Trasporti (CIT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIT is co-managed with ERS-LVM, with CIT President sitting on ERS-LVM Regional Council. ERS-LVM management handles CIT secretariat, enabling close coordination on transport planning.
• LocarneseTech AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation founded by City of Locarno, Municipality of Losone, and ERS-LVM to develop a competence center for robotics, mechatronics, and Industry 4.0 in the Locarnese region.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ERS Bellinzonese e Valli: One of the four Regional Development Entities in Canton Ticino, operating under the same New Regional Policy framework as ERS-LVM in a different geographic region. It is a co-developer of the Progettiamo.ch crowdfunding platform and collaborates on inter-regional initiatives.
• ERS Luganese: Another of the four Regional Development Entities in Canton Ticino serving the Lugano region with an identical statutory mandate and operational model. It co-developed Progettiamo.ch and participates in regular inter-regional coordination meetings.
• Regione Sviluppo Lugano: A regional development entity operating in the Lugano area with a similar mandate of coordinating municipal-level economic development, project financing, and regional strategic planning across member municipalities in Canton Ticino.
• ERS Mendrisiotto e Basso Ceresio: The fourth Regional Development Entity in Canton Ticino, covering the Mendrisiotto and Basso Ceresio region with the same statutory framework. It is also a co-developer of Progettiamo.ch, making it a structural peer with shared operational responsibilities.

Others

• SUPSI (Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera Italiana): Strategic partner for LocarneseTech and the broader Locarnese innovation ecosystem. While not a direct competitor, SUPSI's role in delivering feasibility studies and innovation workshops makes it a comparable institutional actor in the region's development landscape.
• BancaStato: The primary sponsor of Progettiamo.ch and a key financial partner for ERS-LVM initiatives. While a bank rather than a development agency, its role in covering platform operating costs and enabling zero-commission crowdfunding makes it functionally comparable in the regional funding ecosystem.

Regional players

• Organizzazione Turistica Lago Maggiore e Valli (OTLMV): The regional tourism organization that is a member of ERS-LVM governance. It operates tourism promotion and coordination in the same geographic area and collaborates with ERS-LVM on tourism development projects and the Locarnese.Events platform.

Broad incumbents

• Ufficio per lo sviluppo economico (USE): The Canton Ticino economic development office within the Department of Finance and Economy. It operates at a broader cantonal level, setting regional economic policy and coordinating with ERS entities including ERS-LVM on implementing sectoral laws and supporting projects.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/erslocarnese
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ente-regionale-per-lo-sviluppo-del-locarnese-e-della-vallemaggia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ente Regionale per lo Sviluppo Locarnese e Vallemaggia