Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PREMIERE (Preparing multi-actor projects in a co-creative way)
Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30
All across Europe, the agricultural, forestry and all associated rural sectors are facing major social, economic and environmental concerns and challenges … as well as many exciting opportunities. Practical and effective new ideas are needed to help farmers, foresters and rural areas continue meeting the expectations of wider society, whilst at the same time running their successful businesses and working in harmony with the essential natural resources, on which we all depend. Innovation is therefore one of the hottest topics of discussion from farmhouse kitchen tables to meeting rooms in Brussels. EU funding for so-called ’Multi-Actor‘ research and innovation projects is a tool for speeding up the development, local adjustment, dissemination and use of innovations in food, farming, the bioeconomy, natural resources and the environment. Over 40 % of all topics of Cluster 6 of the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme require the application of the Multi-Actor Approach. PREMIERE started on 01 January 2023 and will run until 31 December 2027. The working group ‘Politics and Markets in the Agri-Food Industry’ of HNEE is coordinating PREMIERE with its 14 diverse partner organisations from 12 EU countries. The total budget is around five million euros.
During the first 18 months of the project, PREMIERE mobilised an extensive and diverse network of relevant AKIS actors and stakeholders to participate in the project. A stakeholder engagement plan was developed including the systematic mapping of relevant stakeholders on regional, national and EU levels. Four ‘Multi-Actor Macro-Regional Advisory Panels’ covering all 27 EU MS were established to ensure consultation and exchange with the relevant stakeholders. The PREMIERE LinkedIn 100+ Club was established to enhance networking. Currently, the Club has 141 members (July 2024). Moreover, the first (pilot) marketplace and brokerage event was held as a pilot and substantial input was provided to the brokerage event held by the NCP4Mission project.
In the first 18 months, project partners worked closely with the Policy Officers from DG-AGRI to provide relevant input to support effective programming related to the Multi-Actor Approach. A policy consultation process to develop recommendations for more effective programming and implementation of the multi-actor approach was facilitated by the project and hosted by the European Commission during May and June 2024. More than 50 participants including EC policy and project officers, NCP staff, external experts, project coordinators and other persons with Multi-Actor expertise participated in this successful consultation process.
Part of the project work in the first phase focussed on effective and efficient ways to improve the preparation of Multi-Actor projects. An inventory of good practices for developing Multi-Actor projects was made and 48 potentially relevant databases of tools and 44 individual tools to support the development of Multi-Actor projects were identified. A Multi-Actor Simulation Play (MAMY), which provides participants with a real-life learning experience highlighting good practices for those preparing and participating in Multi-Actor projects, was developed. This play was offered five times at events hosted by diverse innovation support services. Furthermore, the work on the PREMIERE Serious Game has started. Different target groups articulated the demand for such a dynamic online learning tool for newcomers in the Multi-Actor context. The ‘infrastructure’ for the PREMIERE online Multi-Actor Academy was also developed. This online academy is a free online learning space, which provides easy access to all project’s training and learning materials including the online e-learning course, the Serious Game, and other practice-oriented outputs.
PREMIERE is a Multi-Actor project itself whilst its content work focuses on improving the Multi-Actor Approach in new projects with multi-actor requirements. The PREMIERE consortium is also ensuring the incorporation of this approach in its day-to-day work, and applies various participatory methods to ensure co-creation for innovation, and by doing so, tests the tools, tips and tricks recommended to others. Regular self-assessment ensures critical reflection and the ongoing improvement of the co-design work of the consortium.
In the first 18 months, project partners worked closely with the Policy Officers from DG-AGRI to provide relevant input to support effective programming related to the Multi-Actor Approach. A policy consultation process to develop recommendations for more effective programming and implementation of the multi-actor approach was facilitated by the project and hosted by the European Commission during May and June 2024. More than 50 participants including EC policy and project officers, NCP staff, external experts, project coordinators and other persons with Multi-Actor expertise participated in this successful consultation process.
Part of the project work in the first phase focussed on effective and efficient ways to improve the preparation of Multi-Actor projects. An inventory of good practices for developing Multi-Actor projects was made and 48 potentially relevant databases of tools and 44 individual tools to support the development of Multi-Actor projects were identified. A Multi-Actor Simulation Play (MAMY), which provides participants with a real-life learning experience highlighting good practices for those preparing and participating in Multi-Actor projects, was developed. This play was offered five times at events hosted by diverse innovation support services. Furthermore, the work on the PREMIERE Serious Game has started. Different target groups articulated the demand for such a dynamic online learning tool for newcomers in the Multi-Actor context. The ‘infrastructure’ for the PREMIERE online Multi-Actor Academy was also developed. This online academy is a free online learning space, which provides easy access to all project’s training and learning materials including the online e-learning course, the Serious Game, and other practice-oriented outputs.
PREMIERE is a Multi-Actor project itself whilst its content work focuses on improving the Multi-Actor Approach in new projects with multi-actor requirements. The PREMIERE consortium is also ensuring the incorporation of this approach in its day-to-day work, and applies various participatory methods to ensure co-creation for innovation, and by doing so, tests the tools, tips and tricks recommended to others. Regular self-assessment ensures critical reflection and the ongoing improvement of the co-design work of the consortium.
PREMIERE builds on and further exploits the results, including practice-oriented recommendations, from the precedent LIAISON project (www.liaison.eu). Hence, the consortium was able to deliver results right from the beginning of the project.
For the first reporting period, results beyond the state of the art include:
• The systematic stakeholder mapping on regional, national and EU levels and related stakeholder engagement strategy, which was published available through Open Research Europe;
• The mobilisation of and engagement with a diverse network of relevant AKIS actors and stakeholders. In the first 18 months, consortium partners participated in over 60 online or offline bi- or multi-lateral meetings, conferences, fairs and other networking events, and seminars and any kind of training events. Thus PREMIERE contributed to the building of a common understanding of the need to improve the preparation of multi-actor projects;
• The inventory of good practices and mapping of tools, tips and tricks as well as the development of new tools such as the MAMY simulation workshop to support prospective consortium partners to build effective Multi-Actor partnerships and write successful Multi-Actor project proposals;
• The recommendations co-developed for more effective programming and implementation of the Multi-Actor Approach and other materials to provide ongoing and needs-based support to Policy Officers from DG-AGRI.
To implement effectively the Multi-Actor Approach in research and innovation projects, the enabling environment must be ‘fit for purpose’. Applying consortia require appropriate governance to ensure the application of the interactive innovation approach in their Multi-Actor proposals. Although the project is still at a relatively early stage, initial evidence is visible that the project will have a strong policy influence towards contributing to an improved enabling environment for Multi-Actor projects.
For the first reporting period, results beyond the state of the art include:
• The systematic stakeholder mapping on regional, national and EU levels and related stakeholder engagement strategy, which was published available through Open Research Europe;
• The mobilisation of and engagement with a diverse network of relevant AKIS actors and stakeholders. In the first 18 months, consortium partners participated in over 60 online or offline bi- or multi-lateral meetings, conferences, fairs and other networking events, and seminars and any kind of training events. Thus PREMIERE contributed to the building of a common understanding of the need to improve the preparation of multi-actor projects;
• The inventory of good practices and mapping of tools, tips and tricks as well as the development of new tools such as the MAMY simulation workshop to support prospective consortium partners to build effective Multi-Actor partnerships and write successful Multi-Actor project proposals;
• The recommendations co-developed for more effective programming and implementation of the Multi-Actor Approach and other materials to provide ongoing and needs-based support to Policy Officers from DG-AGRI.
To implement effectively the Multi-Actor Approach in research and innovation projects, the enabling environment must be ‘fit for purpose’. Applying consortia require appropriate governance to ensure the application of the interactive innovation approach in their Multi-Actor proposals. Although the project is still at a relatively early stage, initial evidence is visible that the project will have a strong policy influence towards contributing to an improved enabling environment for Multi-Actor projects.