PROJECT No. 874389

The Grand Agreement was signed on 16/12/2019 by Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) under the powers delegated by the European Commission and ASSOCIACIO CLUSTER DEL PACKAGING (PACK CLUSTER), and the following other beneficiaries: ASSOCIACIO DEL CLUSTER FOODSERVICEDE CATALUNYA (FOODSERVICE), BUSINESS UPPER AUSTRIA – OO WIRTSCHAFTSAGENTUR GMBH (BIZ-UP/Food), Food Products Quality Cluster represented by Latvian Federation of Food Companies (LFFC/FPQC), SMART food cluster represented by Lithuanian Food exporters association (LITMEA/SFC). The grant is awarded for the action entitled ‘Safe Smart Food’.

The project aims to strengthen the collaboration between clusters and improve their management capacity to create the conditions of a favourable ecosystem in the food and packaging sector to boost innovation, competitiveness and internationalization of SMEs and to offer to the cluster’s SMEs an integrated program of services based on excellence.

The project aims to:

SO1. Improve and strengthen clusters management capacities and skills towards cluster excellence defining an integrated training and learning program facilitating the upgrade of their Cluster Excellence Level.

SO2. Define and implement a program of services based on excellence to the cluster’s members with the aim to improve competitiveness, innovation and internationalization of SMEs, giving answer to the needs of SMEs.

SO3. Develop and implement a comprehensive individually cluster strategy with the aim to work through the excellence, strengthening cluster capacity and supporting the growth and competitiveness of their members

SO4. Develop and implement a common strategy and define a roadmap to facilitate the collaboration of the consortium for a long term. The common strategy will facilitate the collaboration of the consortium to operate together at European level at both commercial and non-commercial level (investment, permanent improvement, best practices, etc.).

SO5. Strengthen networking among the consortium and their members through the organisation and participation in B2B, C2C, and matchmaking and networking events.

SO6. Include a multi-stakeholder’s perspective and multi-sectorial approach to address the main sector’ challenges involving main stakeholders and end-consumers among and beyond the consortium, involving them in the definition of the cluster strategy and collaboration and networking events.

SO7. Contribute to rise-awareness on the clusters activities and COSME Excellence program disseminating the project results and objectives achieved.

SO8. Promote the exchanges of best practices, know-how and lessons learned to replicate and capitalize the project activities.

SO9. Support interregional cooperation among clusters and SMEs based on smart specialisation priorities linked to the food and packaging sector defined by regional and national government to achieve a more competitive and sustainable food system.

Project duration: The duration of the action will be 20 months as of 03/02/2020

The project is funded by the European Union’s COSME Programme.