Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DECISO (DEVELOPERS OF CIRCULAR SOLUTIONS)
Reporting period: 2022-11-01 to 2024-04-30
The DECISO project leverages the role of financing and investment to foster local Circular Economy initiatives in four European territories. These four pilots cover different sectors such as waste, water, energy and agri-food in Northwest Germany (DE), Hamburg (DE), West Macedonia (EL), and Alentejo (PT), respectively.
DECISO supports the territorial actions for assisting circular economy promoters with small local financial frameworks, the Project Development Assistance (PDA), targeting two main goals: the first is mobilising relevant stakeholders and citizens to promote systemic solutions, and the second is fostering the interest of potential investors and create a favourable climate for the development of new and further circular economy projects. This is a growing pressing requirement by local policymakers because, notwithstanding circular economy technologies and business models being validated, they hardly reach the level of market penetration necessary to have an impact on value chains.
These last considerations align DECISO with implementing the European Green Deal and the EU circular economy action plan; three operational objectives can be summarised as follows:
1) Create multi-actor synergetic communities in four territories to develop a shared understanding of issues and objectives, co-create a commonly agreed upon and shared vision and action plan, and connect/exchange the pilot experience with European CE projects, communities, and CCRI.
2) Assist promoters in developing and launching circular economy projects and innovative financing schemes in terms of good practices' scouting, financing schemes' analysis, economic and legal expertise, and sustainability validation.
3) Validate scalability plans to ensure the replicability of the circular economy initiatives and ensure that guidelines, open data, open science policies, and communication campaigns will reach all the potentially interested European parties.
Overall, DECISO is expected to impact the circular economy on the societal (socio-political, market and community acceptance), economic (shorten operation planning time, costs and maintenance, with optimising the resource distribution), environmental (capture GHG emissions and accelerate behavioural changes), and ethical (increase the level of social responsibility of the public and private actors) levels.
DECISO is also building a consistent stakeholders' community where members can follow the progress of the project, share their experiences, and become involved in local piloting actions. https://www.decisoproject.eu/register(opens in new window)
DECISO supports the territorial actions for assisting circular economy promoters with small local financial frameworks, the Project Development Assistance (PDA), targeting two main goals: the first is mobilising relevant stakeholders and citizens to promote systemic solutions, and the second is fostering the interest of potential investors and create a favourable climate for the development of new and further circular economy projects. This is a growing pressing requirement by local policymakers because, notwithstanding circular economy technologies and business models being validated, they hardly reach the level of market penetration necessary to have an impact on value chains.
These last considerations align DECISO with implementing the European Green Deal and the EU circular economy action plan; three operational objectives can be summarised as follows:
1) Create multi-actor synergetic communities in four territories to develop a shared understanding of issues and objectives, co-create a commonly agreed upon and shared vision and action plan, and connect/exchange the pilot experience with European CE projects, communities, and CCRI.
2) Assist promoters in developing and launching circular economy projects and innovative financing schemes in terms of good practices' scouting, financing schemes' analysis, economic and legal expertise, and sustainability validation.
3) Validate scalability plans to ensure the replicability of the circular economy initiatives and ensure that guidelines, open data, open science policies, and communication campaigns will reach all the potentially interested European parties.
Overall, DECISO is expected to impact the circular economy on the societal (socio-political, market and community acceptance), economic (shorten operation planning time, costs and maintenance, with optimising the resource distribution), environmental (capture GHG emissions and accelerate behavioural changes), and ethical (increase the level of social responsibility of the public and private actors) levels.
DECISO is also building a consistent stakeholders' community where members can follow the progress of the project, share their experiences, and become involved in local piloting actions. https://www.decisoproject.eu/register(opens in new window)
DECISO carried out the activities to assess the state of circular economy awareness in the four pilot regions (Hamburg, Alentejo, Northwestern Germany, Western Macedonia) of the project, to identify needs and barriers, to contextualize the findings within national and European contexts and promote mutual learning from best practices.
The Comprehensive Analysis of the state of the market for circular economy was completed.
The local Stakeholder Engagement has been Successfully implemented through interviews, focus groups, and workshops, and Stakeholders’ working groups have been established involving stakeholders in the four pilot areas.
Good practices at different scales were identified and documented, providing a foundation for the development of circular economy programs in pilot areas.
Policy and Financial Insights: The need for innovative financing models, clear metrics for circular performance, capacity building, technical assistance, and government incentives to support circular economy projects were all highlighted.
Involving the working groups involving stakeholder each pilot carried out a SWOT analysis related to its region, considering financial, demographic, technical, and social factors. The SWOT analysis outcomes were validated through review workshops, and contributed to co-define in each pilot the ambitions of the programme, and roles and functions of the actors at local level.
The activities for developing PDA models based on collaborative input from all partners and the definition of standardized templates to guide the development of local PDAs started.
Managing teams for making operative the PDA according to the operational services identified in the four pilot areas have been established. Each team includes experts with administrative issues, financial aspects, legal issues, risk mitigation, validation, evaluation, and monitoring; other specific expertise is included according to the needs of each pilot.
The Comprehensive Analysis of the state of the market for circular economy was completed.
The local Stakeholder Engagement has been Successfully implemented through interviews, focus groups, and workshops, and Stakeholders’ working groups have been established involving stakeholders in the four pilot areas.
Good practices at different scales were identified and documented, providing a foundation for the development of circular economy programs in pilot areas.
Policy and Financial Insights: The need for innovative financing models, clear metrics for circular performance, capacity building, technical assistance, and government incentives to support circular economy projects were all highlighted.
Involving the working groups involving stakeholder each pilot carried out a SWOT analysis related to its region, considering financial, demographic, technical, and social factors. The SWOT analysis outcomes were validated through review workshops, and contributed to co-define in each pilot the ambitions of the programme, and roles and functions of the actors at local level.
The activities for developing PDA models based on collaborative input from all partners and the definition of standardized templates to guide the development of local PDAs started.
Managing teams for making operative the PDA according to the operational services identified in the four pilot areas have been established. Each team includes experts with administrative issues, financial aspects, legal issues, risk mitigation, validation, evaluation, and monitoring; other specific expertise is included according to the needs of each pilot.
Scientific: DECISO innovative financing schemes produces new knowledge and data that can be published.
Scientific: DECISO innovative financing solutions produces new knowledge and data from the feedback/uptake by potential replicators.
Economic: Creating opportunities for new employment and for stimulating entrepreneurship for CE services
Economic: improving quality of services to finance circular economy investments
Economic: New business models and benefits for consumers.
Societal: Wide mobilisation and stakeholders' engagement increases knowledge and awareness and then trust in CE.
Societal: reduce waste and pollution with benefits in terms of sustainability making many products / services available at a lower cost, and for the health of citizens.
Scientific: DECISO innovative financing solutions produces new knowledge and data from the feedback/uptake by potential replicators.
Economic: Creating opportunities for new employment and for stimulating entrepreneurship for CE services
Economic: improving quality of services to finance circular economy investments
Economic: New business models and benefits for consumers.
Societal: Wide mobilisation and stakeholders' engagement increases knowledge and awareness and then trust in CE.
Societal: reduce waste and pollution with benefits in terms of sustainability making many products / services available at a lower cost, and for the health of citizens.