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Call key data

Partnerships for circular value chains between mainstream businesses and SMEs in social economy

Funding Program

Single Market Programme

Call number

SMP-COSME-2024-SEE-02

deadlines

Opening
01.10.2024

Deadline
10.12.2024 17:00

Funding rate

90%

Call budget

€ 2,000,000.00

Estimated EU contribution per project

€ 1,000,000.00

Link to the call

ec.europa.eu

Link to the submission

ec.europa.eu

Call content

short description

This topic implements an action mentioned in the ‘European Social Economy Action Plan’ aiming at increasing and reinforcing circularity partnerships amongst SMEs active in the social economy and mainstream (for-profit) businesses. B2B partnerships can be established along a specific value chain, within sectors such as waste stream, and across sectors. These could also involve public-private partnerships with public authorities, research institutes and be, for example, organised as clusters, circular hub or other form of partnerships.

Call objectives

By promoting and supporting such partnerships, this topic intends to strengthen the position of social circular enterprises (SCEs) in circular economy value chains. This can enable innovation for circular products and services in the ‘proximity and social economy’ ecosystem, improve circular processes as well as promote new business and organisational models. This action will contribute to the transition to a decarbonised economy which generates less waste.

Besides direct support to SCEs, this topic also aims to boost the development of transnational partnerships trough knowledge sharing, capacity building and joint actions through transnational collaboration. In particular, this topic will support consortia to jointly research and develop practices with a focus on boosting circular processes, services and products at local and regional level.

This topic allows various thematic focusses and sectors to be covered. In particular, its objectives aim at:

  • conducting market, product and service research and innovation activities to adapt to new market and competitive realities in the field of circular activities;
  • increasing the recognition of inclusive, associative, participatory and cooperative business models in the field of circular activities;
  • finding access to circular value chains at the level of a given territory through partnerships among local business actors and community engagement;
  • boosting consumer demand in terms of circular products and services offered by SCEs;
  • testing new service approaches in the market for SCEs.

Under this topic, applicants are encouraged to focus on one or more specific sector(s) or waste streams (e.g. Waste of Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), textiles, consumer goods, food, construction materials, plastics, bio-based materials etc.) and the choice must be clearly explained in the proposal. Applicants are invited to describe on which aspect(s)/phase(s) of the circular cycle the project will focus on and why.

Priorities envisaged under this topic will focus on:

  • Facilitate access to new markets for SCEs and fostering B2B collaboration on circularity (local, regional national and cross-border);
  • Local sectoral market research helps to identify economic opportunities linked to one or more potential circular streams, value chain opportunities and challenges, competitive advantage and business partnerships in a certain geographic context (local, regional, national or European). Such research also helps to design sectoral strategies for sectoral support organisations or circular clusters hubs and other types of multiple-actor partnerships;
  • SCEs improve their market position and attractiveness for collaboration, e.g. by enhancing their organisational and innovation capacity, by obtaining labels and certifications and identifying relevant standards for future business collaboration;
  • New circular services and products to be tested and scaled by SCEs.

Optionally projects could focus on:

  • support the creation of circularity hubs or clusters to promote and develop long term circular partnerships and a joint circular strategy;
  • support the use of technologies that are adapted, developed, tested and widely used to accelerate circular offer and processes of SCE.

Projects supported will ensure the sharing and replication of good practices in a transnational context, where relevant.

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Expected effects and impacts

For this topic, the impact of the six mandatory activities must be respectively assessed by each proposal against mandatory key performance indicators. For more information, consult pages 17-18 of the call document.

Expected results

The project will include, at least, the following compulsory activities:

  • At the start of the project, a kick off meeting will be held in Brussels with participation of at least one representative of each consortium leader and partners and the European Commission and EISMEA.
  • Research: market research and analysis on the potential of new circular operations, activities, partnerships within a specific value chain, sector or waste stream (e.g. recycling of specific equipment, components, materials). The primary focus should be on the economic aspects (such as feasibility, investment need, infrastructure, cost-model, etc.) for SCEs in the targeted region or country. The research may optionally explore (i) the potential of digital tools to improve circular processes, develop new services or products, and design (digital) business models; (ii) the economic viability of setting up circular partnerships to pool resources. Additional research areas may be included as relevant to the objectives of this topic.
  • A minimum of five workshops per participating country in the consortium. Workshops lasting at least 4 hours each must reach at least 150 unique SMEs per partner country across all workshops. SMEs may come from the social economy ecosystem and the mainstream business community. Workshops must be in-person. They can take place at local / regional or national level (as appropriate for the consortium) and must cover the following components:
    • Market analysis: identification of the market position of SCE, e.g. value chain participation, economic advantage, networks and know-how, diversification and specialisation, potentials in new areas for SCE in a particular locality / region / country. The input gathered during the workshop must feed the market and sectoral research and help identifying the needed training and capacity building. 
    • Capacity building & Training: to help circular social enterprises to improve trade readiness at sector / value chains / waste stream level and deploy new activities (specialise or differentiate products, services or business model).
    • Business matchmaking: bring together mainstream and social circular enterprises to explore potential partnerships, with a priority for trade partnerships.
    • Consortia are free to organise additional online or in person meetings beyond the minimum requirements of this topic.
  • Three transnational in-person workshops, attended by at least 50 different organisations and experts across all workshops, invited by the consortium partners (target between 15-20 travelling participants per country of the partners). A transnational workshop must cover at least 12 hours (minimum 1,5 days). The transnational workshops should be organised to support the national workshops, create a transnational feedback loop and facilitate networking and transnational matchmaking or exchanges. Consortia are free to organise additional online or in person meetings beyond the minimum requirements of this topic. Workshops should strive to engage as much as possible SMEs in the transnational activities in order to facilitate also international exchanges amongst them, and where appropriate B2B matchmaking. Workshops should mainly target SCEs and mainstream for-profit peers in relevant sectors. When suitable, public officials, regional and/or local network or umbrella organisation(s), universities and/or business, research, civil society, and other support organisations can also participate in the transnational workshops. Consortium partners must ensure that the composition of their delegation is balanced and focussed on the chosen key circular areas. The methodology, duration and location of the compulsory workshops must be proposed by the applicants in their proposal, including the strategy to attract participants. It is expected that travel costs for participants in the workshops will be covered by the project budget. Consortia are invited to envisage collaboration in the workshops with other project(s) under this topic for transnational activities.
  • Development of sectoral strategy recommendations: based on this experience from the research and workshop activities, the consortium must formulate a sectoral strategy to improve future B2B collaboration and sectoral partnerships in the chosen circular area and relevant to each of the regions or countries covered in the consortium. The strategy can for example be supported by best practices collected in the project.
  • Communication and awareness raising activities to reach out to potential social economy enterprises and organisations, public entities and policy makers, mainstream SMEs and civil society about the project’s objectives, activities and results. Projects are encouraged to target SMEs that were not supported by previous EU projects.

Please consult page 17 of the call document for further, non-mandatory, activities.

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Eligibility Criteria

Regions / countries for funding

EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT)
Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Georgia (საქართველო), Iceland (Ísland), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Liechtenstein, Montenegro (Црна Гора), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна)

eligible entities

Education and training institution, International organization, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME)

Mandatory partnership

Yes

Project Partnership

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must: 

  • be legal entities (public or private bodies)

  • be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:

    • EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))

    • non-EU countries: listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Single Market Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature (list of participating countries)

Specific cases:

Natural persons are NOT eligible (with the exception of self-employed persons, i.e. sole traders, where the company does not have legal personality separate from that of the natural person).

International organisations are eligible. The rules on eligible countries do not apply to them.

Entities which do not have legal personality under their national law may exceptionally participate, provided that their representatives have the capacity to undertake legal obligations on their behalf, and offer guarantees for the protection of the EU financial interests equivalent to that offered by legal persons. 

EU bodies (with the exception of the European Commission Joint Research Centre) can NOT be part of the consortium. 

Entities composed of members may participate as ‘sole beneficiaries’ or ‘beneficiaries without legal personality’. Please note that if the action will be implemented by the members, they should also participate (either as beneficiaries or as affiliated entities, otherwise their costs will NOT be eligible). 

Beneficiaries from countries with ongoing negotiations (see above) may participate in the call and can sign grants if the negotiations are concluded before grant signature (with retroactive effect, if provided in the agreement).

other eligibility criteria

Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities), which complies with all following conditions. Both criteria, geographic representation and type of entities must be fulfilled in order for the application to be eligible.

  • Geographical representation:
    • at least six independent entities from at least three different eligible countries;
    • from at least three of the following groups of countries (groups are defined to ensure geographical balance and involve countries with different levels of GDP per capita):
      • Group 1: EU countries with GDP per capita above EU27 average: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden.
      • Group 2: Southern EU countries: Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain.
      • Group 3: Central/Eastern/Balkan EU countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia.
      • Group 4: non-EU SMP countries: EEA countries and countries associated to the Single Market Programme (list of participating countries)
  • Type of entities:
    • at least one social economy ‘enabling organisation’ (intermediary) per participating country involved in the consortium; the organisation can be operational at national, regional or local level
    • at least one and maximum two ‘social economy enabling organisations’ active at EU level
    • For the topic 1 (SMP-COSME-2024-SEE-01) the following partner(s) must be added to the consortium:
      • at least one training provider, vocational education and training (VET), business school or business support organisation with experience in capacity building, training, coaching and advisory of businesses and management in the social economy.
    • For the topic 2 (SMP-COSME-2024-SEE-02) the following partners must be added to the consortium:
      • For every participating country in the consortium, one ‘mainstream sectoral federation or business support organisation’ with experience in the circular economy, (intermediary), being operational at national, regional or local level
      • one ‘mainstream sectoral federation or business support organisation’ representing or supporting businesses and with experience in the circular economy (such as sectorial member federations and associations or networks) at EU level.

Financial support to third parties is not allowed.

Additional information

Topics

Circular Economy, Natural Resources, 
Competitiveness of Enterprises, Employment/Labour Market, SME & entrepreneurship, 
Digitalisation, Digital Society, ICT

Relevance for EU Macro-Region

EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region

UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs)

project duration

36 months

Additional Information

Proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System (accessible via the Topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible.

Proposals (including annexes and supporting documents) must be submitted using the forms provided inside the Submission System ( NOT the documents available on the Topic page — they are only for information).

Proposals must be complete and contain all the requested information and all required annexes and supporting documents:

  • Application Form Part A — contains administrative information about the participants (future coordinator, beneficiaries and affiliated entities) and the summarised budget for the project (to be filled in directly online)

  • Application Form Part B — contains the technical description of the project (to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed and then assembled and re-uploaded)

  • mandatory annexes and supporting documents (templates available to be downloaded from the Portal Submission System, completed, assembled and re-uploaded):

    • detailed budget table/calculator

    • list of previous projects (key projects for the last 4 years) (template available in Part B)

    • Annex 5 to Part B - Eligibility checklist (that can be downloaded from EISMEA’s call page and will need to be uploaded dully filled and signed together (as a single document) with the technical annex of the proposal entitled ‘Application Form Part B’ (SMP COSME) document. Please check carefully also Section 6 ‘Eligibility’ of this call for proposals).

Your application must be readable, accessible and printable. Proposals are limited to maximum 50 pages (Part B). Evaluators will not consider any additional pages.

Call documents

SMP-COSME-2024-SEESMP-COSME-2024-SEE(591kB)

Contact

SMP-COSME
EISMEA-SMP-COSME-ENQUIRIES@ec.europa.eu
Website

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