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• Borderstep further develops the EdiCitNet Marketplace

The EdiCitNet project is entering its next phase: The Edible Cities Network (EdiCitNet) aims to make cities around the world more livable for all by implementing Edible City Solutions (ECS) measures. Since September 2018, the project, which is funded by the European Commission, has been building a global network of cities.

Goal: Establish viable, sustainable business models

Within the network, Borderstep accompanied initiatives, start-ups and people interested in founding companies in the development of viable, sustainable business models. How can knowledge gaps be closed in the effective implementation of Edible City Solutions? What creative revenue models exist? What innovations can be developed along the urban agriculture value chain?

In this context, the Marketplace was launched with the support of Borderstep. The EdiCitNet Marketplace is a digital, collaborative platform for founders and initiatives creating solutions for urban food systems around the world. The goal is to connect Edible City Solutions (ECS), entrepreneurs, institutions, NGOs, and other third parties at local, regional, and global levels to enable global knowledge sharing, scalability, and replicability, and to create complementary collaborations with other companies worldwide.

EdiCitNet marketplace becomes platform for urban food revolution

In the meantime, 50 actors are already represented on the platform. These include pioneers of the Edible City as well as actors who are committed to the urban food revolution at the political and civil society level. The EdiCitNet includes Slow Food Deutschland, Prinzessinnengärten Berlin, degewo, Bundesverband Gebäudegrün, Restlos Glücklich Berlin, Netzwerk Urbane Gärten Berlin, Mundraub, Marktschwärmer, Grüne Liga Berlin and Ernährungsrat Berlin.

What does the Marketplace offer?

•     Collaborative networking: round tables, working groups and workshops
•     Expertise: support from experts to further develop ECS products/services
•     Promotion: a global platform to highlight ECS services and products and find customers and partners
•     Free hybrid consulting: a tailored professional consulting service. This is based on the maturity level, position in the value chain, needs, scalability and replicability of the respective company.

Borderstep is part of the EdiCitNet Consulting Team

For the next project phase, the Marketplace will be further developed and integrated into the new “Joint Platform”. The next step will be to further optimize the platform and improve its offerings and functions.

Borderstep will also continue its consulting activities. These include workshops for ECS initiatives as well as one-to-one consulting. As part of the EdiCitNet Consulting Team, the institute successfully participated in a series of events and workshops to advise and support edible city initiatives. Topics were for example sustainable development models or marketing strategies.