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The Single Market Programme (SMP) covers the single market, competitiveness of enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, the area of plants, animals, food and feed, and European statistics.
This call aims to support advanced B2B partnerships in the circular economy and facilitate new market access for social circular enterprises.
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.
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.
The project will include, at least, the following compulsory activities:
(1) 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.
(2) 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.
(3) 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.
(4) 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).
See full list of funded activities in call document.
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) or non-EU countries: listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Single Market Programme (list of participating countries)
Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities), which complies with all following conditions:
(a) 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):
o Group 1: EU countries with GDP per capita above EU27 average: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden.
o Group 2: Southern EU countries: Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain.
o Group 3: Central/Eastern/Balkan EU countries :Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia.
o Group 4: non-EU SMP countries: EEA countries and countries associated to the Single Market Programme
(b) 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
− the following partner(s) must be added to the consortium:
o 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
o 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.
Projects should normally last for 36 months.
Project budgets (maximum grant amount) are expected to be around EUR 1 000 000 per project.
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