"During the phase 1 La Fraternita’ has performed a feasibility study ranging from the operational aspects of the proposal to the strategic and commercial implications, included a refined business plan and phase 2 project’s cost structure. In particular the activities carried out include risk assessment, market study, user involvement, commercial partner search, feasibility of concept, plant design.
Some hypothesis elaborated at proposal stage have been confirmed, others have been modified with the aim to strengthen and make the business case more reliable.
During this period new aspects have emerged and will become activities to be addressed during the phase 2 of the project (e.g. collaborations with stakeholders involved in the field of used clothing). The main findings of the Feasibility study convinced La Fraternità to apply also for the Phase 2 of the H2020 call titled: ""SMEInst-12-2016-2017: New business models for inclusive, innovative and reflective societies"".
The feasibility study has confirmed a growing market and a potential for growth, therefore an opportunity behind the business idea. During this 6 months period La Fraternita’ has realized the need to collaborate with
organizations more market knowledgeable, thus La Fraternità intensified contacts with reliable commercial market players, signing with them a Letter of Intent.
The final goal is to strengthen the cooperation with important stakeholders at European level, in order to exploit the potential for a market replication. La Fraternita’ has elaborated a business plan where both costs categories and product categories have been fine-tuned from the original phase1 proposal, to better align with the realty and the market requirements.
On an operational standpoint, the conclusions of the feasibility study have partially confirmed the initial assumptions elaborated in the phase 1 proposal. Indeed it has been assessed the viability to implement a plant in Ozzano dell’Emilia (BO), while the feasibility study is showing a sorting line capacity to reach 4.000 worked yearly tons, instead of the original planned 10.000. This new capacity has been reached after a deeper analysis of both the market demand and the territory collection capabilities; the analysis has assessed that 10.000 tons / year would have been too challenging as objective to be reached, while 4.000 tons / year is certainly a feasible goal. This goal will allow La Fraternita’ to double in 5 years the quantity of used clothes actually collected.
The results of the feasibility study have been analyzed by La Fraternità management and they have been disseminated among all the staff representatives potentially involved in the project, in order to collect suggestions for the Phase 2 proposal preparation. In addition, feasibility study results have been discussed during meetings occurred with the main stakeholders (such as CFP, TESS-EEIG, MATREC, Municipality of Ozzano dell'Emilia-BO,WRAP, SIXS, ecc..) which will support the Phase 2 of the project. In addition, La Fraternità has issued a press release last 31st May 2017 concerning Phase 1 of the project and creating a specific section of La Fraternità website. (
http://www.lafraternita.com/2017/06/16/restarter/(si apre in una nuova finestra))
Lastly, La Fraternità management is evaluating the possibility to further disseminate the results of the feasibility study using brand new services recently launched by the EU such as the EU Research and Innovations youtube channel (
http://ec.europa.eu/research/investeuresearch/index.cfm(si apre in una nuova finestra)) and Common Dissemination Booster (CDB -
https://www.trust-itservices.com/common-dissemination-booster(si apre in una nuova finestra)).
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