How to Analyze Circular Economy Opportunities?

Context & Need

The Open Society Foundations, a philanthropic organization committed to promoting democratic, inclusive civil societies, wanted to identify the opportunities offered by the circular economy for vulnerable communities in Europe. The goal was to assess how existing funding mechanisms, regulations, and strategies could support their inclusion and strengthen their resilience.

Project Process

The study and research project unfolded as follows:

• Needs scoping – Defining the challenges and lines of analysis with the client.
• In-depth research – Collecting primary and secondary data on regulatory frameworks, European funding, and national circular economy strategies across the EU's 26 countries.
• Report production – Analysis of findings and formulation of strategic recommendations.
• Report delivery – Delivering the conclusions and courses of action.
• Presentation of recommendations – In-person conference to share key findings and engage with stakeholders.

Results

A report was delivered to the client, providing a comprehensive analysis of regulations, European funding mechanisms, and circular economy roadmaps across the EU's 26 countries.

The report gave the client recommendations for action across 3 areas:

• Including vulnerable communities in circular economy activities
• Funding circular economy activities through microfinance vehicles and social venture capital funds
• A strategy for the organization to influence European standards and regulations related to the circular economy within the European Union