SCHOUDER: Social Circular Hub OUDenaarde and Region

Boosting social, local and circular entrepreneurship

The objective of this preliminary phase is to boost social and circular entrepreneurship at a local level. This hub focuses on networks where stakeholders meet and test concrete cooperation.

These collaborations should result in:
- new circular services or assignments for recognized social economy companies or;
- new circular entrepreneurship with social impact.

Social and circular entrepreneurship offers an answer to local needs

The hub looks for economic opportunities or local needs and tests solutions within the network. The new circular services and assignments that result from this contribute to solutions for local/regional problems. The hub pays particular attention to the added value of social economy companies in the circular economy.

Raising awareness of added value and creating jobs

The hub also works on awareness of the added value of social and circular entrepreneurship among citizens and companies. In other words, the hub promotes “circular work(s)” in a certain region.

The long-term objective of this experimental space for social circular entrepreneurship is to create additional jobs.

Research line circular and sustainable economy

This initiative frames within the research line 'circular and sustainable economy' of our Research and Development Center Business & Management.

SME or company in the Flemish Ardennes? Participate as a partner!

We are looking for SMEs in the Flemish Ardennes region for this circular boost.

SHOULDER will become the social circular hub of the Flemish Ardennes. Her mission? Create a platform to stimulate the circular economy. We would very much like to involve our partners in the start-up of this hub and are looking for SMEs in the Flemish Ardennes/South-East Flanders region that meet one of the following conditions:

• The SME has already taken the first steps towards a circular economy.
• The SME is already well into the transition.
• The SME has not yet started within circular economy, but there is interest in a (partial or not) switch.

Subsidy ESF

The ESF & Sustainable Entrepreneurship department and the Social Economy & Workable Work department of the Department of Work & Social Economy will, together with Vlaanderen Circulair www.vlaanderen-circulair.be financially support these local circular hubs for a period of 2 years.

The call proceeds in 2 phases. A maximum of 20 project applicants started in an exploratory first phase with a duration of 4 months. A maximum of 12 partnerships can access the implementation phase (phase 2).

Budget phase 1

For phase 1 (for which we received approval from 31/12/2020 up to and including 30/04/2021), a budget of a maximum of EUR 15,000 per project was provided, with the following distribution:
- Maximum EUR 6,000.00 (40% by the European Social Fund)
- Maximum EUR 6,000.00 (40% financing by Circular Flanders)
- Minimum EUR 3,000.00 (20% other public or private funding)

Budget phase 2

For phase 2 (for which we also received approval from 01/05/2021 to 31/12/2022), a budget of a maximum of EUR 160,000 is provided, with the following distribution:
- Maximum EUR 70,000 (40% financing by the ESF)
- Maximum EUR 70,000 (40% financing by Circular Flanders)
- Minimum EUR 20,000 (20% other public or private funding)

Budget phase 3

For phase 3 (from 01/01/2023 to 31/12/2023 inclusive), a budget of up to EUR 96,000 is provided with the following distribution:
- Maximum EUR 38,400 (40% financing by the WSE dept.)
- Maximum EUR 38,400 (40% financing by Circular Flanders)
- Minimum EUR 19,200 (20% other public or private funding)

Events and networking moments

Kick-off

• SCHOUDER kick-off (23/09/2021): at AAROVA (Oudenaarde) with Chris Van de Voorde (Juunoo), Kristof Hots (Waak), Stefaan Vandist (Switchrs), Thierry Snauwaert and Ben Geuens (AAROVA), alderman Stefaan Vercamer (Town of Oudenaarde) and Leen Lippens (Beli Centro), Vicky Franssen and Britt Buseyne (both Arteveldehogeschool) as speakers, among others

Brainstorming sessions

• Durf te vragen brainstorming session 1 (21/10/2021) at De Dagmoed (Geraardsbergen) with some 20 participants
• Dare to ask brainstorming session 2 (18/11/2021) at AAROVA (Oudenaarde) with some 20 participants
• Durf te vragen brainstorming session 3 (10/02/2022) at Goed Wonen (Zottegem) -> became an online version because of covid with 11 participants
• Durf te vragen workshop (16/06/2022) where 3 East Flanders hubs (De Keet, Schouder, SCHG) presented in an Atelier Circulair, the circular hubs, their operation, the usefulness of CE, roundtable per region/hub with some 20 participants. https://www.voka.be/activiteiten/uitreiking-vcdo.  

Cocreation work table sessions

• Cocreation work table session at Aarova, Oudenaarde: INTERIOR (26/04/2022) 18 participants 
  Cocreation work table session at Aarova, Oudenaarde: FOOD (02/06/2022) 45 participants 
  Cocreation work table session at Climaxi/'t Uilekot, Herzele: FOOD (05/07/2022) 13 participants

Workshops

• Workshops, longer presentations: incubation of pre-starters: students kmo-management Arteveldehogeschool (13/10/2021 2x and 22/02/2022)
  Workshops, longer presentations: incubation of pre-starters: students Syntra West-Vlaanderen (20/12/2021 01, 02, 03/02/2022, 29/04/2022)

Nexus education

• [BAP] Beirnaert, E.; De Deckere, W.; Hillewaert, J.; Jaques, D.; & Maes, E. (2021). Circular economy research: Financial and non-financial impact on circular economy. Ghent: Arteveldehogeschool.
• [BAP] Catala, I.; Christensen, S.; De Hauwere, J.; Mabrouk, H.; & Vermeer, G. (2021). Research on business and revenue models within the circular economy. Ghent: Arteveldehogeschool.
• [BAP] Van Poucke, D. (2021). Research into the perception, resistance and opportunities in circular entrepreneurship or circular activities among grain processing companies in the food industry. Ghent: Arteveldehogeschool.
• [BAP] De Pauw, M.; De Vos, Y.; Matton, S.; Pramenkovic, H.; Singh, P.; & Vanhulle, M. (2022). Based on which existing business and especially revenue models can a hub self-sustain? Ghent: Arteveldehogeschool.
• 93 students 3KMO mgt each conducting 2 exploratory interviews on CE (March-May 2021) ifv the course Bachelor Business Startup 2. 
• +- 27 students 2 Marketing who each conducted an interview and some surveys on CE and hubs (March-May 2022) ifv the course Market Research and Statistics. 
• 2 students 2 Supply Chain Mgt who conducted interviews on CE in the port of Ghent (March-May 2022) ifv the course LABS SCM 
• 4 students 2KMO for the course TMD 'Onderneem met jouw talent' who each conducted two interviews within the Oudenaarde region about CE
• Ondernemersdagen- Innovatiebootcamp Syntra Vlaanderen (1, 2 &3/02/22): Students from all Syntra branches worked for 3 days on a challenge around 'sustainability and circularity'. In Kortrijk, Schouder guided the groups 'Sanitair en CV', 'Goudsmid' and 'Light&Sound' who worked with the challenge 'what if you could only work with waste'.