LOCALCIR is a cross-border project for the promotion of entrepreneurship and business innovation in Circular Economy in the EUROACE region (Extremadura, Alentejo and Centro Region of Portugal). This project arises from the need to change the current economic model of extract, produce, consume and dispose for a circular economy model in which the value of products, materials and resources are kept in the economy for as long as possible and the generation of waste is reduced to a minimum, trying to ensure that by-products can be resources for new products production. In this way, by promoting new products and processes based on local sustainability, LOCALCIR will improve the competitiveness of rural businesses.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The general objective of LOCALCIR is to promote initiatives and actions aimed at the development of a sustainable economic sector using local resources and creating products with high added value.
To this end, this project pursues:
❖ Provide territories with a GREEN ITINERARIES Methodology for the development of the green and circular economy in the rural local area.
❖ Ensure a permanent support service for the design of Green Business Itineraries.
❖ Promote the circular model within 225 companies through the design of green itineraries as the roadmap for the implementation of the circular economy.
GREEN AND CIRCULAR ITINERARIES
After compiling a catalogue of more than 150 circular economy good practices in companies from different sectors and areas, LOCALCIR has created a circular economy observatory with the study of more than 1,000 companies of the Euroace business network with the capacity to implement these good practices and the identification of 1,300 potential companies demanding circular products.
As a result of these actions, a innovative methodology for the integration of green business pathways has been created and will be applied to a total of 225 companies in the Euroace region.
In this context, the support programme offered to the companies will be developed in two phases: one of green pathway design and the other one related to business mentoring (a tailor-made process for companies and entrepreneurs). The first phase will be divided into four steps: the selection and contact, the circularity analysis of the company in order to identify the opportunities to improve its competitiveness in this area and finally the identification of investment needs to implement these opportunities will be identified.
In the second phase related to mentoring, companies will be supported to carry out their own action plan and evaluation of results, together with specific training in circular economy.
In addition, companies will be offered support to identify possible synergies with other companies, promoting the creation of closed circuits based on industrial symbiosis relationships in which by-products from one company can be used as resources for the productive process of another.
Finally, the companies that complete the itinerary will be offered an advisory service for access to the national and international market, helping them to identify marketing channels and potential customers, as well as access to green finance and existing international tenders.
The project is led by the General Secretariat of Population and Rural Development belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Population and Territory of the Regional Government of Extremadura, as the main beneficiary, with the participation of the consortium formed by 16 partners, 12 Extremadura and 4 Portuguese from the regions of Alentejo and Centro.
This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the INTERREG V A Spain Portugal Programme (POCTEP) 2014-2020, which is part of the priority axis of inclusive growth through cross-border cooperation in favour of business competitiveness.
For more information, visit the official website of the project: https://localcir.eu/ and subscribe to the newsletter to find out about their progress.
