How to set up a digital marketplace for biobased side streams 

Market research

Study and analyse the already existing platforms and other tools, their usability and target audiences.

Budgeting

Don’t forget to budget the IT development, graphic design, monthly fees, administration costs, marketing and communications.

Marketing

Awareness raising activities should reach all relevant stakeholders, from governmental and local officials to the direct users of the marketplace. 

We classified the key aspects into the following categories

Background research 

The first step before establishing any digital platform is the analysis of the already existing platforms and the background research on the current practices of utilization of biobased side and waste streams. The existing online tools to sell and buy the streams as well as their usability from the perspective of the target audience should be analysed.  

Organisation

Your team should have a good understanding about the value chains in biobased side and waste streams, about the target audience as well as appropriate communication methods with different stakeholders (farmers, industry, public bodies). The digital marketplace should suit local circumstances and stakeholders’ expectations. 

You can roughly divide the work on developing marketplace into the following stages: 

• Background research (e.g. benchmarking similar platforms in country as well as abroad) 
• Tendering for IT company 
• Building up a digital marketplace (design, development, user tests) 
• Stakeholder engagement  
• Marketing and communications  

Apart from tendering for IT company, all other stages might feed into each other. Time wise you might estimate a minimum of 2 to 6 months for each stage while also keeping in mind that marketing, communications and stakeholder engagement should be performed continuously throughout your project and beyond. 

Governance

Decisions on data openness about biobased side and waste streams from public sources has a major impact on the potential to develop utilization possibilities which indirectly affects the market for biobased side and waste streams, thus the marketplace. Specific information is required about spatial distribution of side streams to plan profitable utilization possibilities.  

Legislature

Understanding of legal aspects regulating the field, both handling and selling side and waste streams, but also regulations about online marketplaces, GDPR aspects, trade etc. is of utmost importance. In general, all legislation affecting fertiliser sales, including regulations on handling and hygiene requirements for manure products (in addition to fertiliser legislation in by-product legislation) should be studied. Care must be taken to ensure that the marketplace does not promote any sanction violations.