Excellence Hub Work Package Structure

Project title (working): BALANCE — Baltic Alliance for Local Circular Economy Innovation

Duration: 48 months (the call allows up to 5 years; 4 years keeps the structure tight and the budget coherent)

Coordinator: ETKK (Estonia — Widening country)

Ecosystems:

• Ecosystem 1 (Estonia): EMÜ, TalTech, Get Help Network OÜ, Prolog, Association of Estonian Cities and Municipalities, Estonian Farmers' Central Union, Estonian Private Forest Union

• Ecosystem 2 (Latvia): A Latvian university (to be confirmed), FAKTU LOGS, Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments, Latvian Farmers' Parliament

• Optional third ecosystem (Lithuania): UAB Rinkos tyrimų centras plus a Lithuanian university and municipal association

WP1 — Project Coordination and Management

Lead: ETKK
Duration: M1–M48
Effort: Moderate (approximately 10% of total)

Purpose: Day-to-day management, financial administration, reporting, risk management, and coordination between the two (or three) ecosystems.

Tasks:

• 1.1 Administrative and financial management

• 1.2 Consortium coordination and governance

• 1.3 Risk management and quality assurance

• 1.4 Reporting to the Commission

• 1.5 Ethics, data protection, and gender equality compliance

Deliverables:

• D1.1 Project Management Handbook (M3)

• D1.2 Annual Progress Reports (M12, M24, M36)

• D1.3 Final Report (M48)

WP2 — Joint R&I Strategy Development

Lead: EMÜ (Estonia) with the Latvian university partner
Duration: M1–M24
Effort: Substantial (approximately 20% of total)

Purpose: Design and adopt a cross-border joint R&I strategy aligned with regional smart specialisation strategies (RIS3) and European priorities. This is the foundation the rest of the project builds on.

Tasks:

• 2.1 Mapping of existing regional R&I capabilities, actors, and gaps across both ecosystems

• 2.2 Alignment with national and regional smart specialisation strategies (Estonian and Latvian RIS3)

• 2.3 Stakeholder consultation across the quadruple helix

• 2.4 Drafting and adoption of the joint R&I strategy

• 2.5 Definition of measurable indicators for economic and societal impact

Deliverables:

• D2.1 Regional Capability and Gap Analysis (M9)

• D2.2 Joint Cross-Border R&I Strategy (M18)

• D2.3 Impact Indicator Framework (M24)

Note: This WP delivers the strategic foundation. The R&I strategy is what makes the hub a permanent asset rather than a project.

WP3 — Joint R&I Collaboration

Lead: EMÜ and TalTech (with Latvian university partner)
Duration: M12–M42
Effort: Moderate (approximately 25% of total — deliberately not the dominant part)

Purpose: The distinct research work package required by the call. It closes knowledge gaps and advances science and technology with market potential — but stays in balance with the other activities.

Research domain: AI-powered local resource mapping for circular economy resilience — directly built on your NOBABIO work.

Tasks:

• 3.1 State-of-the-art review and identification of the specific research gap

• 3.2 Development of novel methods for AI-driven synthesis of fragmented local resource data

• 3.3 Joint research projects between Estonian and Latvian researchers

• 3.4 Validation of research outputs against real regional data

• 3.5 Publication and open science dissemination

Deliverables:

• D3.1 Research Gap Analysis and State of the Art (M15)

• D3.2 Novel Methodology for AI-Driven Local Resource Mapping (M30)

• D3.3 Peer-Reviewed Publications (M42)

• D3.4 Open Data and Methodological Toolkit (M42)

Note: The call explicitly states the R&I component "should be in balance with the other proposed activities and not constitute the dominant part". At roughly a quarter of the effort, this WP is substantial but not dominant — which is what the evaluators want.

WP4 — Investment Plan and Business Models

Lead: Prolog (Estonia) with FAKTU LOGS (Latvia)
Duration: M12–M36
Effort: Substantial (approximately 15% of total)

Purpose: Develop investment plans to implement the strategy, including business models for commercially sustainable products and services. Leverage private investment alongside national, regional, and European funds.

Tasks:

• 4.1 Business model design for circular economy services in both regions

• 4.2 Financial modelling and sustainability assessment

• 4.3 Identification of funding sources — private capital, national/regional funds, EU instruments

• 4.4 Development of a common investment plan for the hub

• 4.5 Engagement with investors and financial institutions

Deliverables:

• D4.1 Business Model Catalogue (M18)

• D4.2 Common Investment Plan (M30)

• D4.3 Investor Engagement Report (M36)

Note: This WP is what makes the hub self-sustaining after the grant ends. It also connects directly to gethelp.network's commercial model — the platform's advertising and AI packages are part of the business model being developed.

WP5 — Pilot and Demonstrator Pre-Planning

Lead: Get Help Network OÜ with municipal partners
Duration: M18–M42
Effort: Moderate (approximately 10% of total)

Purpose: Conceptual design and pre-planning for pilots and demonstrators, in line with the strategy. Critically — these must be financed by sources other than the Excellence Hub grant. This WP designs and prepares; it does not fund the pilots themselves.

Tasks:

• 5.1 Selection of pilot municipalities (at least two per ecosystem)

• 5.2 Conceptual design of circular economy pilots (local resource mapping, repair/reuse networks, bio-waste valorisation)

• 5.3 Technical specification and pre-feasibility assessment

• 5.4 Identification of follow-on funding sources for pilot implementation

• 5.5 Preparation of pilot funding applications

Deliverables:

• D5.1 Pilot Municipality Selection and Agreement (M24)

• D5.2 Pilot Conceptual Designs (M36)

• D5.3 Follow-On Funding Roadmap (M42)

Note: The call says proposals should "outline how other financial resources will be accessed at a later stage". This WP produces that outline. It also pre-positions you for a follow-on Horizon or Interreg application.

WP6 — Knowledge Transfer, Skills, and Engagement

Lead: ETKK with all ecosystem partners
Duration: M1–M48
Effort: Substantial (approximately 15% of total)

Purpose: Complementary activities to promote knowledge transfer, visibility, mutual learning, skills development, and engagement with local governments and citizens. Secondments and staff exchanges foster long-term collaboration.

Tasks:

• 6.1 Secondments and staff exchanges between Estonian and Latvian partners

• 6.2 Skills development programmes for researchers, entrepreneurs, and public officials

• 6.3 Citizen engagement and public awareness activities

• 6.4 Annual cross-border Innovation Forum

• 6.5 Communication and dissemination (including audiovisual and creative outputs)

• 6.6 Policy engagement with regional and national authorities

Deliverables:

• D6.1 Secondment Programme and Reports (ongoing, M6–M48)

• D6.2 Skills Development Curriculum (M18)

• D6.3 Annual Innovation Forum (M12, M24, M36, M48)

• D6.4 Dissemination and Communication Plan and Materials (M6, updated annually)

Note: This WP is where the hub becomes visible — both to its own stakeholders and to the outside world. It's also where the "permanent asset" claim is built: secondments and forums create relationships that outlast the grant.

WP7 — Ethics, Gender Equality, and Impact Assessment

Lead: TalTech with the Latvian university partner
Duration: M1–M48
Effort: Light (approximately 5% of total)

Purpose: Ensure compliance with Horizon cross-cutting requirements and assess the hub's impact throughout the project.

Tasks:

• 7.1 Ethics and data protection oversight

• 7.2 Gender equality plan and monitoring

• 7.3 Impact assessment framework and continuous evaluation

• 7.4 Sustainability assessment of hub activities

Deliverables:

• D7.1 Gender Equality Plan (M6)

• D7.2 Ethics and Data Management Plan (M6)

• D7.3 Impact Assessment Report (M24)

• D7.4 Final Impact and Sustainability Report (M48)

Effort Distribution — Summary

The design principle: No single work package dominates. The R&I component (WP3) is the largest single WP at 25%, but it is explicitly balanced against strategy (WP2), investment (WP4), pilot pre-planning (WP5), and knowledge transfer (WP6). This directly addresses the call's requirement that the R&I component "should be in balance with the other proposed activities and not constitute the dominant part of the project".

Budget Allocation — Indicative

With a project budget in the €1.5M–€4.5M range, and a 70% funding rate, the indicative split would be:

FSTP allocation: Up to €60,000 per third party, limited to SMEs and start-ups. Budget perhaps €300,000–€500,000 total for FSTP across the project, funding small innovators testing circular economy solutions in the hub.

What This Structure Achieves

For the evaluator:

• All required activities are present: joint strategy, R&I component, investment plan, pilot pre-planning, knowledge transfer

• The R&I component is distinct and in balance — not dominant

• The quadruple helix is visible across the WPs

• The 5-year vision is built into the structure

For the consortium:

• ETKK coordinates — the natural role

• Universities lead strategy and R&I — the natural role

• Business partners lead investment and pilot pre-planning — the natural role

• Municipal and societal actors are embedded across WPs — not decoration

For gethelp.network:

• WP5 (pilot pre-planning) is led by you — the platform is central to the pilot design

• WP3 (R&I) uses your platform as the data layer for the research

• The platform is infrastructure across the hub, not a work package in itself

Concept Note / Abstract

BALANCE — Baltic Alliance for Local Circular Economy Innovation
HORIZON-WIDERA-2027-04-WIDENING-01 — Excellence Hubs

The challenge.

The Baltic region has abundant local resources — agricultural residues, forestry by-products, repair and reuse skills, community food networks, and small-scale producers — but they remain invisible to the people and institutions that could use them. Biomass is left to rot while processors import feedstock. Repair skills exist while broken goods are discarded. Local food producers operate while communities buy imported alternatives. The information that would connect supply and demand is fragmented across incompatible national systems, uncollected entirely, or simply not searchable. This is not a resource problem — it is a data and coordination problem.

The opportunity.

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are Widening countries with strong but fragmented R&I ecosystems. Each has universities, businesses, public authorities, and civil society actors working on circular economy challenges — but they work in isolation. There is no shared strategy, no shared investment plan, and no shared infrastructure to turn local circular economy potential into economic and societal value.

The proposal.

BALANCE creates a cross-border Excellence Hub linking two Widening-country R&I ecosystems — Estonia and Latvia — around a shared domain: AI-powered local resource mapping for circular economy resilience.

The hub is built on the quadruple helix principle. Each national ecosystem comprises:

• Academic institutions — EMÜ (agriculture, forestry, rural development) and TalTech (technology, AI, data science) for Estonia; a Latvian university partner for Latvia

• Business entities — Get Help Network OÜ (the geolocated data platform) and Prolog (supply chain coordination) for Estonia; FAKTU LOGS for Latvia

• Public authorities — the Association of Estonian Cities and Municipalities; the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments

• Societal actors — Estonian Farmers' Central Union, Estonian Private Forest Union; Latvian Farmers' Parliament

ETKK (Eesti Teabe- ja Kompetentsikeskus) coordinates the hub. ETKK is a non-profit, Widening-country entity with proven experience convening multi-actor research consortia — including the recently submitted NOBABIO Horizon Europe proposal.

The work.

The hub delivers five interlocking results over four years:

1. A joint cross-border R&I strategy aligned with Estonian and Latvian smart specialisation strategies and European priorities.

2. A joint research programme — distinct, substantial, but deliberately not dominant — developing novel AI methods for synthesising fragmented local resource data into decision-ready intelligence for regions and municipalities.

3. A common investment plan with business models for commercially sustainable circular economy services, leveraging private capital alongside regional and European funds.

4. Conceptual designs for circular economy pilots in municipalities across both countries — including local resource mapping, repair and reuse networks, and bio-waste valorisation — to be financed from follow-on sources, not from this grant.

5. A permanent ecosystem — secondments, skills programmes, annual cross-border forums, and citizen engagement — that persists beyond the funding period.

The infrastructure.

Get Help Network OÜ's platform is the digital connective tissue of the hub. It makes local resources — products, services, requests, and events — visible and searchable by location, category, or route. Its API layer allows municipalities and regional authorities to integrate local resource data into their own planning and resilience systems. The platform is not the deliverable; it is the instrument through which the hub's strategy, research, investment, and pilots become operational.

The impact.

By the end of the project, BALANCE will have:

• A functioning cross-border innovation ecosystem that continues without EU funding

• A joint R&I strategy with a concrete action plan and investment pathway

• New business opportunities for SMEs and start-ups in the circular economy

• Strengthened linkages between academia, business, government, and society in two Widening countries

• A replicable model for other Widening regions in the Baltic and beyond

The alignment.

BALANCE directly supports the EU Green Deal, the Circular Economy Act, the Clean Industrial Deal, and the EU's long-term vision for rural areas. It advances the Widening programme's objective of building R&I capacity and participation in less-developed innovation regions. And it demonstrates, in practice, that place-based innovation ecosystems can turn local resources into European value.