EdiCitNet online Marketplace (D6.3)

Many of the Edible City Solutions Initiatives (ECSI) supported by EdiCitNet have the potential to develop and provide more competitive products or services as well as socio-economic value. These potential scenarios include the entire ECSI Value Chain of food production, distribution and consumption as well as related services such as environmental education. Bringing ECS to global and local markets is a key element of the project’s up-scaling and knowledge transfer strategy. For this reason, EdiCitNet is developing an online Marketplace for ECSI development as an integral part of the EdiCitNet public website. The goal is to connect ECSI, entrepreneurs and interested parties at the local, regional and global level, enabling global knowledge sharing and ECSI concept replication or benefit from other products and services provided by ECSI in the local and regional context. The Marketplace is built around the opportunities demonstrated in the EdiCitNet Living Labs and beyond. It is designed as an online meeting place to initiate collaborations promoting the replication and marketing of ECS (business) models, products and services. Furthermore, the EdiCitNet Marketplace will compile features and tools that allow the support of a growing buyer/seller community of ECSI, promote a diversity of ECSI products or services, and drive sales.

The main objective is to test the impact and the functionality of an ECSI Marketplace. During the project period, the results and findings of the Blended Consulting Team (BCT) and the work around the valorisation of ECSI in the project will feed the Marketplace and grow it into an independent platform that will serve as the primary trading place for ECSI in their local clusters.

The pilot will be constantly updated and thus naturally lead to a stable and independent Marketplace that will survive after the project lifetime.