With 96 applications received, the first Call for Expression of Interest in the Occitanie Circular Economy (AMI EC’O) was a huge success.
Launched in June, as an initiative of the Alter’Incub Occitanie Méditerranée startup incubator, the Call for Expression of Interest in the Occitanie Circular Economy (AMI EC’O) was backed by a group of 25 organizations*, including public stakeholders (regional authorities, cities, universities, public housing bodies, etc.) and private stakeholders (Regional Chamber of the Social and Solidarity Economy, incubators, associations, etc.) who decided to join forces and work together to encourage circular economy development.
The goal was to identify, advise, and guide people with circular economy initiatives either still in the project stage or already implemented by companies. Candidates had the opportunity to respond to the Call for Expression of Interest between June 29 and September 31, and to describe their needs in terms of support, funding, communication, promotion, networking, and real estate.
Two successive waves resulted in 96 applications being submitted on the Cycl-op.org platform. While the vast majority of the applications originate from the departments with the region’s two major metropolitan areas (46 from Hérault and 24 from Haute-Garonne), the Occitanie region is almost entirely represented (6 from Ariège, 4 from Gers, 3 from Aude and Tarn-et-Garonne, 2 from Aveyron, Gard and Pyrénées-Orientales, 1 from Tarn and Lozère, and 1 from outside the region).
The applications were highly diverse and concerned in particular resource and recycling centers (batteries, ...), food waste and unsold goods, reuse (furniture, construction materials, ... ), bio-waste management, eco-design, eco-construction and eco-manufacturing, “zero waste” bulk distribution, repair, composting, dry toilets, raw material recovery, eco-neighborhoods, glass consignment, reconditioning, fighting against planned obsolescence, and more. The diversity of the proposed projects matches the numerous challenges involved in making the Occitanie region a pioneer in terms of eco-responsibility.
The partnership committee met in September and October to study all the initiatives and assign a reference expert to each project leader, responsible for providing advice, establishing contact with collectively identified resources, or guiding the project leader to the most appropriate regional program. Initial feedback has been positive, both from the project leaders who appreciate how much time they saved in the process, and from the experts who are pleased to participate in an original collective process within the region. A meeting will be held by the end of the year to review the results of this call and to consider whether it should be renewed in 2023.
*Ad’Occ, Alter’Incub Méditerranée, Alter’Incub Pyrénées, Anact, Circulab, CRESS Occitanie, Envirobat Occitanie, Fédération des entreprises d’insertion, France Active Airdie, France Active MPA, Iès, Montpellier Management, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, Observatoire Régional des Déchets et de l’Economie Circulaire en Occitanie, Parcours Adress, PETR des portes du pays de Gascogne, Pôle Eco conception, La Région Occitanie Pyrénées Méditerranée, Réalis cité de l’ESS, Réseau Compost Citoyen Occitanie, Réseau Régional des Ressourceries d’Occitanie, Suez Terres d’EFC Occitanie, Toulouse Métropole, Université de Montpellier
