One major goal of REAP-Project is the sustainability of the activities. After the project is complete, same, similar, complementary and/or additional services shall be offered to more companies in the agrifood production & processing field as well as to companies in other industries.
Thus, the development of focal points (‘cells’) for these activities is vital to achieve this goal. Where to start best as with the people who are implementing the project on ground and know the environment well, the Technical Consultants (TCs) of REAP.
Developing a sound Business-Plan is one of the major steps when considering to provide services to companies. Facilitated by Monika Himpelmann and Markus Möller, senior experts from Austria Recycling (AREC), participants could put themselves in the place of business owners. Two workshops have taken place: 2nd February in Uzbekistan and 6th February 2024 in Tajikistan. Key parts of a Business-Plan have been discussed and developed. In any area where there is no real market yet, a balance has to be found: between activities to create a market through funding, developing possible clients, providing low cost services and sustaining financially by selling services at a break-even price to cover the expenses.
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As expected, a good and creative foundation has been created and will be worked on in the coming months. Also, upcoming trends have been discussed that will support sustainable services in the nearer future. With their expertise in consulting and implementing, REAP TCs are a major asset in sustainable development of their respective countries.
And there is room for more levers (cells): Other organizations who want to or are already fostering sustainable development, resource-efficiency, circular economy or the like also make good focal points for carry on sustainability of REAP. Several conversations with a variety of organizations have already taken place. There are many ways such a cell could be set up, like providing
- information
- consulting services
- trainings
- hosting activities
- networking events
and more.
The cells will not start from scratch but be equipped with everything that has been developed in the Project: Several hundred Testimonials, Case studies, best practice examples, proven cost-savings, access to finance products developed by financial institutions and much more.
If your organization has the capacity to support and is interested in learning more, contact Markus Möller (markus@reap-centralasia.org).