Creating the first Social Responsibility Shopping platform to link small businesses and local non-profits organizations through an innovative business model leveraging on responsible consumption

Project Information

Social Resp Shopping

Grant agreement ID: 683677

DOI

10.3030/683677

Project closed

EC signature date 3 June 2015

Start date 1 July 2015

End date 31 December 2015

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Europe In A Changing World - Inclusive, Innovative And Reflective Societies

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

CITYBILITY SRL
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Social Resp Shopping (Creating the first Social Responsibility Shopping platform to link small businesses and local non-profits organizations through an innovative business model leveraging on responsible consumption)

Reporting period: 2015-07-01 to 2015-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The overall objective of the project was the production of a Feasibility Study for SRS - Social Responsibility Shopping, the innovative business model, conceived by Citybility, that allows on one side small retailers to do Corporate Social Responsibility marketing as if they were big companies, on the other side local charities to do fundraising as if they were more famous charitable organizations. SRS’s novelty consists in a win-win-win solution. Three times “win” because it is based on three players (shopkeepers, charities, consumers) that working together generate a virtuous circle with a win solution for each of them.
In details, the objectives were:
1) to assess the attractiveness of potential international target-markets;
2) to analyse the viability of the business idea in the target-markets;
3) to address the internationalization process of SRS;
4) to produce an expected performance results reporting.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Starting from July 2015, the following activities have been carried.
1) A desk market study. the range of prospective target markets has been enlarged to seven European countries, to detect any possible favourable condition.
2) A field market study. Face-to-face interviews have been done in Monza (Italy) and Rotterdam (Netherlands), to discover stakeholders’ needs, barriers, likes and dislikes affecting SRS business model.
3) A risk assessment analysis. Risk assessment has been performed applying a gradient matrix; accordingly, risk responses have been defined.
4) A strategic partner search. An internalization strategy has been devised and consequently the partner profile in the target markets; a partner search in Europe has been launched through the EEN; a partner search in Rotterdam has been launched too.
5) A coaching activity. Citybility has been supported by the KAM service to define the best possible methodology to carry out the field market study, the risk assessment analysis, the internationalisation strategy, and the strategic partner search.
6) An updated business plan. The above indicated activities provided new information to update the business plan in terms of expected revenues, costs and growth potential, including the definition of the financial need to carry out the prototype testing and market replication in SME Instrument Phase 2.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

As a result of the work undertaken, the business idea is confirmed and the project shall continue. There have been no major changes to the objectives, the concept and approach, and the impact described in the grant agreement, which have all been analysed and defined more in depth. In particular, the service concept and the market proposition have been further developed to push the social role of SRS in the local community, in order to stimulate the “viral” effect to accelerate the SRS App download and the trial of the service by citizens. In addition, the SRS internationalization strategy, aimed at reaching strategic partners, local expertise, access to funding, has been extensively developed; the strategy considers the creation of Citybility subsidiaries – one in each target market – that will partner with local marketing activation agencies.

App Screenshot

Leaflet for Citizens - In English

Leaflet for Shopkeepers - In English

Landing page - In Dutch

Logo of the Company