The Virtual Academy provides resources related to the implementation of Urban Circular Bioeconomy solutions.
This includes handbooks, manuals, factsheets and videos on technologies and financial engineering for circular bio-economy projects.

The EIB Circular Economy Guide

The guide presents how the EIB supports the circular economy through financing, advisory and awareness raising.

Financing, Incentives, Investment

Improving access to finance for circular economy projects

To improve the conditions for financing circular economy projects, the European Commission Expert Group on Circular Economy Financing analysed barriers and identified the main areas where incentives need to be provided.

Financing, Investment

Understanding Open Market Consultation

Open Market Consultation is an important step in the procurement of innovation. This online webinar is tailored specifically for public procurers interested in gaining a comprehensive understanding of what an Open Market Consultation entails.

Financing, Innovation procurement, Investment

Project Development Assistance Webinar | HOOP

In this webinar, HOOP partners share their methodologies, experiences, encountered barriers and learnings on the Project Development Assistance (PDA) for building the technical, economic and legal expertise needed for project development and the launch of concrete investments.

Financing, Valorisation technologies

Engaging stakeholders for the urban bioeconomy: Tools and resources for cities and regions

This first Virtual Academy handbook provides an introduction to the topic of Stakeholder Engagement and presents the tools and resources available to cities and regions on the topic

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Citizen science, Households, Stakeholder engagement

Outcome reports of the codesigned Citizen Science Interventions

A Citizen Science program utilizing the gamified App HOOP Trainers was achieved to collaboratively identify and advance more efficient sorting, collection, and recycling systems, with a particular emphasis on the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW).

Citizen science

Report on the education and awareness raising & acceptance activities

The deliverable reports on pilot actions carried out to optimize separate waste collection, foster behavior change, and cultivate acceptance of biowaste derived products. A selection of pilot actions were designed to bridge the gap between current practices and best methodologies.

Citizen science, Stakeholder engagement

Engagement activities implemented through the Biowaste Clubs in the Lighthouse Cities and Regions

Throughout the first three years of the HOOP project, BCMs were attended by 790 stakeholders across all eight LHs. One trend that emerges when looking at the engagement activities in the eight Lighthouses together is the focus on citizens as a key target group for stakeholder engagement.

Stakeholder engagement

Circular Evaluation Framework Guidance Report

The document describes a standardized assessment, questionnaire, and ranking of six levels tool designed to gauge the maturity level of projects based on several criteria. The goal is to enhance their maturity and attractiveness for securing green financing and funding for implementation.

Circular business models, Financing

Advancing the circular bioeconomy in the Region of Lazio through co-creation

Results of two co-creation Biowaste Club Meetings in Lazio to co-produce improvement proposals through the analysis of the HOOP Trainers’ challenges.

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Citizen science, Stakeholder engagement

Advancing the circular bioeconomy in Murcia through co-creation

Results of two co-creation Biowaste Club Meetings in Murcia to co-produce improvement proposals through the analysis of the HOOP Trainers’ challenges.

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Citizen science, Stakeholder engagement

Advancing the circular bioeconomy in Western Macedonia

Results of two co-creation Biowaste Club Meetings in Western Macedonia to co-produce improvement proposals through the analysis of the HOOP Trainers’ challenges.

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Citizen science, Stakeholder engagement

HOOP financial tools to provide technical assistance for urban circular bioeconomy projects

This paper presents the HOOP financial tools that have been developed to support cities and regions to develop urban bioeconomy projects

Circular business models, Financing, Innovation procurement, Investment

Circular Business Models - Existing and emerging forms of value retention and creation

This Whitepaper presents a series of existing and emerging circular business models (CBMs), divided into three groups that together form a classification. Better design and organisation of a CBM contributes to the transformation and transition towards a sustainable and circular economy.

Circular business models, Circular strategies

Incentives to boost the Circular Economy - A guide for public authorities

This guidance document commissioned by DG RTD aims at supporting public authorities in identifying the most suited incentive or combination of incentives to speed up the transition towards a circular economy at EU, National, Regional or Local level.

Circular business models, Circular strategies, Consumer acceptance, Financing, Incentives, Innovation procurement, Investment

Circular Economy policy innovation and good practice in Member States

The European Commission requested the EEA to produce EU27 country profiles on circular economy policies at a national level and best practices on policy innovation. This report provides an overview of the main findings of the 27 circular economy country profiles.

Circular business models, Circular strategies

Completing the picture - How the circular economy tackles climate change

This is a republication of a paper first published in 2019 with the same name. It is reprinted now to make the case at COP26 that the circular economy is a crucial element of the global response to climate change.

Circular business models, Circular strategies

Circular Indicators for Governments - Accelerating action in the circular economy

PACE is a global community of leaders working together to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. In this paper a series of improvement areas for immediate action on circular economy are presented.

Circular business models, Circular strategies

Circular Cities Declaration Report 2022

The Circular Cities Declaration has been set up to support cities in their transition from a linear to a circular economy. The Report 2022 analyses the first submissions by 40 cities signatories on their circular activities (2021-2022) including key activities, interventions and challenges.

Behaviour change, Circular business models, Circular strategies, Citizen awareness, Citizen science, Consumer acceptance, Stakeholder engagement

Developing Circular Economy Strategies in Europe - Best practices

This working paper developed by The Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions (JASPERS) builds on the 70+ circular economy strategies developed in Europe as of May 2021. The strategies were analysed in terms of inception, development, and implementation and monitoring:

Circular business models, Circular strategies

Food waste and social acceptance of a circular bioeconomy: the role of stakeholders

To be socially accepted widely, circular bioeconomy needs to rely on residual bio-based feedstock and waste. First successful experiences have shown that the involvement of different stakeholders is a key enabler of the process.

Behaviour change, Circular business models, Circular strategies, Citizen awareness, Consumer acceptance, Stakeholder engagement

The Circularity Gap Report 2022

The 2022 edition of the Circularity Gap Report provides high level insights into the globe’s material flows and key levers for transitioning to circularity. It also supports decision-makers with clear metrics, global data and a measurement of the circular economy to guide their action.

Circular business models, Circular strategies

Bacillus thuringiensis Production Through Fermentation Using OFMSW Enzymatic Hydrolysate

This paper aims to explore an alternative pathway to valorize OFMSW. It is based on enzymatic hydrolysis to obtain a sugar-rich fraction with the potential for liquid fermentative processes and a partially hydrolyzed solid that is evaluated as a substrate for solid-state fermentation.

OFMSW, Valorisation technologies

SCALIBUR Project - The Biowaste Hub

The Biowaste Hub – a new social network and professional platform for digitally connecting all the players in the biowaste management value chain, such as: collectors, municipalities, energy providers, sorters, research centres, private companies.

Circular business models, Circular strategies, Stakeholder engagement, Valorisation technologies

Fortifying Social Acceptance for Circular Economy Business Models on Biowaste Products

This study by the WASTEWATER Project, engaging citizens, consumers, producers, and policy makers, provides insights into what is important for the social acceptance of new protein sources for food, feed, and recycled fertilisers from bio-waste in the Murcia and Kalundborg city regions.

Behaviour change, Circular business models, Circular strategies, Citizen awareness, Consumer acceptance, Pilot projects, Valorisation technologies

WaysTUP Report on barriers for urban biowaste valorisation for biobased products

This reports on the technological, the logistical, the regulatory and the cultural barriers related to urban biowaste valorisation for biobased products.

Behaviour change, Circular business models, Circular strategies, Valorisation technologies

VALUEWASTE project’s first insights on new business models in circular economy

This report describes the circular economy Business model creation processes for the three value chains of the VALUEWASTE project.

Behaviour change, Circular business models, Circular strategies, Financing

HOOP Project stakeholder engagement & citizen awareness

This presentation showcases the stakeholder engagement and citizen awareness strategies and actions put in place by the HOOP Project on biowaste value chain.

Citizen awareness, Collection, Consumer acceptance, Sorting, Stakeholder engagement

SCALIBUR Project Biowaste collection strategies

This presentation illustrates the biowaste collection strategies implemented in the SCALIBUR pilot cities Albano Laziale (IT), Lund (SE), Madrid (ES), Kozani (GR) and outlines challenges, solutions, and best practices.

Collection, Pilot projects, Sorting

ULTIMATE Project Playbook on Stakeholder Engagement

This playbook comes provides a citizen participation playbook with instructions, protocols and guidelines for designing and implementing the immersive experience to create economic value and increase sustainability by valorising resources within the water cycle. .

Citizen awareness, Stakeholder engagement, Wastewater

WaysTUP Evaluation methodology for measuring change in the collection of urban biowaste

In this report, the evaluation methodology measuring the change associated with the behaviour change intervention (consisting of the implementation of the toolkit for behaviour change in three pilot cities, Valencia, Athens and Barcelona) is described.

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Consumer acceptance, Pilot projects, Stakeholder engagement

WaysTUP Project Local Engagement Plans for change in the collection of local biowaste

A behavioural change approach for the collection of urban biowaste and usage of biowaste derived products with citizens & communities.

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Consumer acceptance, Stakeholder engagement

WaysTUP! Project Toolkit: intervention for change in the collection of urban biowaste

This report by the WaysTUP project focuses on defining, designing and implementing a behavioural change approach for the collection of urban biowaste and usage of bio-based derived products with citizens and communities.

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Consumer acceptance, Pilot projects, Stakeholder engagement

Policy Briefs to foster water reuse in Europe

This document, produced by the SUWANU project, present four critical domains for a successful implementation of reused water in agriculture: governance, public, financing, risk management. It aims at supporting the adoption of water reuse in an environmentally sustainable farming practice.

Financing, Wastewater

Urban metabolism of HOOP Lighthouses

Urban Metabolism analysis is an analytical instrument to quantify flows of food, water and generated biowaste. In the eight HOOP cities and regions about 60 % of the biowaste is treated by AD and or composting. A high proportion of biowaste still ends up in the mixed municipal waste.

Urban metabolism

HOOP project_Novel Circular Business Models applied in the value chain of bio-waste valorisation

This report focuses on the identification of Circular Business Models for bio-waste valorisation.

Circular business models, Circular strategies

HOOP project_ Investment Package Manual for European Cities and Regions (Volume III)

The Volume III of the Investment Package Manual presents a selection and inventory of funding and financing schemes, programmes, instruments and tools for investment projects on circular bioeconomy and bioenergy at National and Regional levels.

Circular business models, Financing, Investment, OFMSW, Wastewater

HOOP project_Investment Package Manual for European Cities and Regions (Volume II)

The Volume II of the Investment Package Manual guides the reader through the selection and inventory of funding and financing schemes, programmes, instruments and tools for investment projects on circular bioeconomy and bioenergy at European level.

Financing, Incentives, Legislation, Innovation procurement

HOOP project_Investment Package Manual for European Cities and Regions (Volume I)

The Investment Package Manual Volume I presents the description of the EU Taxonomy concepts, methodology, objectives, technical screening criteria and DNSH (“do no significant harm”) applied to economic activities linked to the circular bioeconomy.

Financing, Investment, Legislation

HOOP project_Webinar New business models

Prevailing business models are overwhelmingly linear and do not often consider the benefits of circularity, which can be hard to quantify. This webinar shares existing and successful innovative circular economy business models for urban circular bioeconomy.

Circular business models, Circular strategies, Financing, Investment

HOOP project_Webinar Safety and acceptance of biobased products

Creating new products from (bio)waste naturally raises some questions related to safety. And are consumers ready to embrace products made from waste? These are the topics of this webinar co-organised by the projects WaysTUP!, SCALIBUR, HOOP and ValueWaste.

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Consumer acceptance, Stakeholder engagement

HOOP project_Guidance for the organisation of National Replication Workshops

This report is one of the outputs of the HOOP project and it aims at guiding the Lighthouses cities in the organisation of National Replication Workshops. The guide can be adapted and replicated in every context and sector.

Stakeholder engagement

HOOP project_What is a Biowaste Club?

Biowaste Clubs are dialogue platforms that bring together stakeholders involved in the biowaste valuechain. They exchange and together develop a shared vision for how their city can become more circular.

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Stakeholder engagement

HOOP project_Webinar stakeholder engagement & citizen awareness

Updating an entire (bio)waste value chain requires the buy-in and long-term commitment of all stakeholders involved. This webinar focuses on strategies for engaging these stakeholders, changing mindsets and behaviour, and establishing local leadership.

Behaviour change, Stakeholder engagement

URBIOFIN project_From Urban Waste to Bioproducts

The URBIOFIN project offers a new model for Organic Municipal Solid Waste management, based on the Urban Biorefinery concept. This factsheets briefly outlines and business benefits of such a model.

Circular business models, OFMSW, Valorisation technologies

Zero Waste Europe_Scenario 3: Going beyond just recycling to total tackle waste generation

This publication is part of a series of scenarios written by Zero Waste Europe to give guidance to municipalities willing to adopt a local zero waste strategy. This third and last report focuses on cities with high separate collection rate, between 50% and 70%.

Circular business models, Circular strategies, Collection, Sorting

Zero Waste Europe_Scenario 2: Stepping-up the existing system to go towards zero waste

This publication is part of a series of scenarios written by Zero Waste Europe to give guidance to municipalities willing to adopt a local zero waste strategy. This second report focuses on cities with a separate collection rate between 30% and 50%.

Circular business models, Circular strategies, Collection, Sorting

Zero Waste Europe_Scenario 1: Starting from scratch to quickly improve waste management

This publication is part of a series of scenarios written by Zero Waste Europe to give guidance to municipalities willing to adopt a local zero waste strategy. This first report focuses on cities with a collection of biowaste between 0 and 20%.

Circular business models, Circular strategies, Collection, Sorting

WBCSD_Business guide to circular water management: spotlight on reduce, reuse and recycle

This report aims to help companies in developing strategies to respond to challenges of water availability by implementing circular water management practices.

Circular business models, Circular strategies, Wastewater

WaysTUP! project_Business Models Analysis

This report, published by the WaysTUP! project, gathers and analyses relevant information about circular business models and their importance.

Circular business models

WaysTUP! project_Market Outlook Report

This report is a direct outcome of Task 6.1 Analysis of market outlook. Overall, the scope of the market outlook is focused on the market drivers and barriers to entry for technologies and end-products stemming from the Project’s Pilots.

Circular business models, Circular strategies, Legislation, Pilot projects

ACR+_The governance of circular bioeconomy: Practices and lessons learnt from European regions

In collaboration with the French Pays de la Loire region, ACR+ set up a working group on circular bioeconomy with a particular focus on governance. The objective is to support public authorities in the development of local or regional roadmaps on circular bioeconomy.

Circular strategies, Incentives, Investment, Innovation procurement, Stakeholder engagement

ICLEI_The Power of the Public Plate

This document provides a collection of actionable recommendations for procurers and policy makers towards procuring food with a value chain perspective.

Circular strategies, Innovation procurement

City Loops project_Sector-wide circularity assessment. Biomass sector

This report provides contextual information on the four different CityLoops cities (Apeldoorn, Mikkeli, Porto and Seville) and their biomass sectors.

Urban metabolism

City Loops project_Seville (Spain): Sector-wide circularity assessment for the biomass sector

The City Loops project developed a Sector-Wide Circularity Assessment method to assess the circularity level of biomass in cities. This report presents the results in the city of Seville (Spain).

Urban metabolism

City Loops project_Urban Circularity Assessment

The Urban Circularity Assessment is an urban, economy-wide material flow and stock accounting method, which paired with indicators, will enable the assessment of material circularity of a municipality or city.

Urban metabolism

City Loops_Apeldoorn (The Netherlands): Sector-wide circularity assessment for the biomass sector

The City Loops project developed a Sector-Wide Circularity Assessment method to assess the circularity level of biomass in cities. This report presents the results in the city of Apeldoorn (The Netherlands).

Urban metabolism

City Loops_Porto (Portugal): Sector-wide circularity assessment for the biomass sector

The City Loops project developed a Sector-Wide Circularity Assessment method to assess the circularity level of biomass in cities. This report presents the results in the city of Porto (Portugal).

Urban metabolism

City Loops_Mikkeli (Finland): Sector-wide circularity assessment for the biomass sector

The City Loops project developed a Sector-Wide Circularity Assessment method to assess the circularity level of biomass in cities. This report presents the results in the city of Mikkeli (Finland).

Urban metabolism

Zero Waste Europe_The State of Zero Waste Municipalities Report 2021

This report aims to celebrate the stories of Europe’s Zero Waste Cities; to showcase the leaders behind these successes; and to inspire others to follow down the same path.

Circular business models, Circular strategies

Mission Zero Academy_Zero Waste Certified City

Led by the Mission Zero Academy, the Zero Waste Cities Certification is a tool to accelerate and certify your city’s circular economy and zero waste transition.

Circular business models, Citizen awareness

URBACT_Performance in policy-making

Readers will be guided through the process of policy making cycle by addressing evidence-based objectives, choosing the measurement criteria (indicators) and way to apply them to monitor, evaluate and improve sustainable urban development policies.

URBACT_Capacity-Building Framework

The overarching objective of the URBACT Programme is for urban practitioners to increase their knowledge and capacities in relation to integrated approaches to sustainable urban development.

European Commission_Monitoring framework for the circular economy

In 2018, the European Commission published a communication on a monitoring framework for the circular economy. This framework is made of ten indicators grouped into four aspects: (1) production and consumption, (2) waste management, (3) secondary raw materials and (4) competitiveness and innovation.

Legislation

VALUEWASTE project_Report on the preparation of Educational Campaign in Murcia (Spain)

This report details the content of the communication campaign and the activities carried out in the city of Murcia by the Valuewaste project. The focused on citizens, restaurants and food markets to make sure that they perform a proper separation of biowaste.

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Households, Sorting, Stakeholder engagement

SCALIBUR project_Stakeholder engagement plan per pilot municipality

The Horizon 2020 SCALIBUR project aims to develop new circular economy approaches to recycle urban biowaste. This report illustrates SCALIBUR’s understanding of and approach to stakeholder engagement.

Behaviour change, Stakeholder engagement

SCALIBUR_National Action Manual for local uptake (Spain)

The purpose of this manual is to guide the user through the process of engaging stakeholders in their cities’ biowaste value chain. It is based on the experience gained by CSCP in Madrid (Spain) in the framework of the SCALIBUR project.

Behaviour change, Stakeholder engagement

SCALIBUR_National Action Manual for local uptake (Italy)

The purpose of this manual is to guide the user through the process of engaging stakeholders in their cities’ biowaste value chain. It is based on the experience gained by CSCP in Albano Laziale (Italy) in the framework of the SCALIBUR project .

Behaviour change, Stakeholder engagement

SCALIBUR_National Action Manual for local uptake (Greece)

The purpose of this manual is to guide the user through the process of engaging stakeholders in their cities’ biowaste value chain. It is based on the experience gained by CSCP in Kozani (Greece) in the framework of the SCALIBUR project.

Behaviour change, Stakeholder engagement

VALUEWASTE project_First insights on social acceptance

The VALUEWASTE project proposes an integrated approach in urban biowaste upcycling for the production of high-value bio-based products. A way objective of VALUEWASTE is to improve the perception of citizens on urban biowaste as a local source of valuable materials.

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Consumer acceptance, Stakeholder engagement

WaysTUP project_Setting the scope of the behavioural change campaign

This report provides a behavioural change approach for the collection of urban biowaste and acceptance of biowaste derived products with citizens and communities.

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Consumer acceptance, Stakeholder engagement

VALUEWASTE project_Evaluation of the citizen awareness campaign

The VALUEWASTE project proposes an integrated approach in urban biowaste upcycling to produce high-value bio-based products. This report presents the work done within the task 10.3 Citizens awareness campaign.

Citizen awareness, Stakeholder engagement

UrbanWINS project_A Guide on Urban Metabolism and Participatory Processes

This toolkit provides decision makers with relevant information to improve waste prevention and management policies and programs in their cities, based on research and practical work conducted through the UrbanWINS project.

Stakeholder engagement, Urban metabolism

FORCE project_Handbook for Value Chain Based Partnerships

A practical guide for cities to promote resource efficiency and circular economy policy implementation.

Stakeholder engagement

FORCE project_A Handbook for Citizen Involvement on Circular Economy

The FORCE project aimed to minimise the leakage of materials from the linear economy and work towards a circular economy. This report identifies five criteria for reaching the objectives of citizen involvement: strategic planning; inclusivity; transparency; continuity and resources dedicated.

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Stakeholder engagement

BLOOM project_Outreach & Engagement Guidebook

The BLOOM project aims to raise awareness of bioeconomy innovation among EU citizens. This guidebook gives an overview of the participatory outreach and engagement methodologies that the Bloom bioeconomy hubs followed.

Behaviour change, Citizen awareness, Stakeholder engagement

SCALIBUR project_Multi-level stakeholder engagement analysis, including gender, and impact analysis

This report illustrates the multi-stakeholder engagement approach, process and tools adopted in the framework of the SCALIBUR project.

Behaviour change, Circular strategies, Citizen awareness, Consumer acceptance

Circle Economy_The Role of Municipal Policy in the Circular Economy

This report explores the connection between municipalities pursuing circular economy policy and investments in circular business that create jobs. Municipal circular policies, especially strategy, targets, loans and subsidies, are conducive to generating employment.

Circular business models, Circular strategies, Financing, Incentives, Investment

WBCSD_Circular bioeconomy: The business opportunity contributing to a sustainable world

The shift to a sustainable, low-carbon, circular bioeconomy represents a business opportunity worth USD $7.7 trillion. This report supports companies through case studies and guidance to overcome the sustainability trade-offs associated with circular bioeconomy business models.

Circular business models, Circular strategies, Investment

EIB_Access-to-Finance Conditions for Investments in Bio-Based Industries and the Blue Economy

The study collects information on the investment and access-to-finance conditions for Bio-based Industries and Blue Economy projects and companies in the European Union, and evaluates the need and potential for dedicated public financial instruments as well as for other policy actions.

Financing, Incentives, Investment

Urban Agenda for the EU_Indicators for circular economy transition in cities

This Issues and mapping paper on indicators for circular economy (CE) transition in cities was developed under the framework of the Urban Agenda and the Partnership on Circular Economy.

Circular strategies, Urban metabolism

Ellen MacArthur Foundation_Cities and Circular Economy for Food

This report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation aims to highlight the often underappreciated role urban food actors can play in driving food system transformation, and to spark a global public-private effort to build a circular economy for food.

Circular business models, OFMSW, Sorting, Urban metabolism