Grant agreement ID: 820707(opens in new window)Project website
DOI
Project closed
EC signature date11 October 2018
Start date1 November 2018
End date31 March 2021
🎯 Project Context & Objectives
The core challenge CICERONE addressed was the fragmentation of Circular Economy (CE) funding. While 70% of CE R&I is funded at the national level, strategies often lack coordination, leading to overlaps and gaps.
- Primary Goal: Build a platform to harmonize R&I joint programming across national, regional, and local governments.
- Systemic Approach: Moving away from “single-point interventions” toward a cross-sectoral model encompassing education, policy, and community behavior.
- Alignment: Directly supporting the EU Green Deal and the Paris Agreement to reach net-zero emissions.
📈 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) & Results
The project successfully transitioned from benchmarking to the creation of actionable coordination tools.
| KPI Category | Metric / Achievement |
| Stakeholder Reach | 532+ total participants across 3 workshops and a final conference |
| Commitment | 33 Declarations of Intent from program owners to contribute to the platform |
| Strategic Output | 1 Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA) + 1 COVID-19 update |
| Digital Engagement | Active LinkedIn, Twitter, and Website; MOOC developed for capacity building |
| Joint Programming | 4 Pilot Joint Programmes designed within the SRIA |
📦 Main Deliverables
The work performed was categorized into three distinct pillars of action:
1. Assessment & Benchmarking
- Common CE Definition: Established a unified language for European circular economy.
- Performance Methodology: Created criteria to analyze current R&I funding gaps and synergies compared to international standards.
2. The Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA)
- The SRIA Document: A roadmap identifying priority themes and challenge areas for the EU.
- Dynamic Updating: A mechanism to ensure the SRIA stays relevant (already tested via a post-COVID-19 update).
- Impact Assessment: Quantitative ex-ante evaluation of the SRIA’s potential effects.
3. The Joint Programming Platform
- Operational Models: Defined the governance, legal structure, and business model for the platform.
- Capacity Building: Created a Policy Toolkit and a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to train program owners in joint programming.
- Implementation Plan: A roadmap to sustain the platform beyond the project’s funded lifespan.
🌍 Socio-Economic & Societal Impact
CICERONE acts as a “backbone” for systemic transition, with impacts extending beyond just funding:
- Reduced Fragmentation: By aligning priorities, the project ensures more efficient allocation of public funds across borders.
- Economic Resilience: Strengthening the EU economy through innovation-driven job creation in circular sectors.
- Knowledge Orchestration: Creating a permanent network of Program Owners (POs) who share best practices and co-create systemic solutions.
- Environmental Impact: Facilitating the transition to a net-zero carbon economy by ensuring R&I focuses on high-impact levers like behavior change and community activation.
