Business Plan for an FP7 Project
Client: World Wildlife Fund as lead contractor for OPEN:EU
Assistance in producing a business plan for the OPEN:EU FP7 project, which has developed EUREAPA, a software tool which gives comprehensive data on the footprint family on a national basis and allows scenario modelling to show the impact of varying economic patterns on the footprints of different countries. The tool is open source and a basic version is available free of charge - showing that it is still possible to make a sustainable business model with open source software. Work included advice on structuring licensing and finding the most appropriate licence, analysing the potential market, and making proposals for pricing. This involved a number of conversations with the eight partners who share the ownership of the Intellectual Property.
Designing Private Sector Development
Client: EU Delegation in Lesotho
Design of a programme to stimulate private sector development in Lesotho, in particular through enhancing public-private dialogue and by support to business associations. Lesotho has a poor reputation for doing business, in particular in comparison with South Africa (which surrounds it). It has had some success with foreign direct investment but much of this relates to garment manufacture which is based on current preferential access to the US market - and this has no local value added chain. Identifing bottlenecks and doing something about them requires more concerted effort and a proper process but the business associations are very weak and are not good at preresenting the interests of their members. The EU has allocated €1.2 million of technical assistance for this subject.
Appraisal of Integrated Waste Management Proposals
Client: EU Delegation in Croatia
Appraisal of the financial and economic aspects of two proposals for funding from the EU IPA programme for County-wide integrated waste management system. Detailed analysis of application forms, feasibility studies, and spreadsheet models for the two projects
Feasibility study for a North East England Sustainable Fisheries Community Interest Company
Client: Defra/Marine and Fisheries Agency
Feasibility study for the establishment of a new organisation to assist inshore fishermen. The new organisation was to be self-sustainable based on the establishment of a quota trust but having many other functions. Work included detailed discussions with stakeholders at all levels interviewing everyone from actual fishermen to buyers from national supermarket chains. The conclusion is that this is not a viable proposition in the North east at this moment, but it may be possible to pick up the ideas later as the management regime changes.
Assistance in formulating a cross-border cooperation project
Client: Historical Museum of Silistra, Bulgaria
Formulation of the project into an appropriate scheme and elaboration of this in English, filling in the application forms for the CBC grant scheme. The project itself entailed the renovation and preservation of an early Christian tomb, one of only four in the Balkans. The scheme itself will be a serious tourist attraction, and we hope will encourage better cooperation and understanding with neighbouring Romania.