The aim of this study is to point out the opportunities to improve the competitiveness of rural areas using new tools of governance. For this purpose we firstly identify the specific rules adopted in Italy in favour of a specific tool – the district – in order to analyse its guidelines to support rural sustainable development governance. We then describe the implementation of integrated programming approaches, referring data to the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region. The results give us the opportunity to identify a number of projects that were developed among several stakeholders to potentially create and promote a local district.