ECCO aims to ACCELERATE the growth of local ECCOs, both in EFFECTIVENESS and in NUMBERS! To create a sustainable, long term organizational framework for these ECCO activities, we will establish a transnationally connected Accelerator Network that functions as an ecosystem for ECCOs: A rich environment designed to inspire and share knowledge, and dedicated to promote and support the start-up and development of ECCOs.
The ECCO-wheel shows you the dynamics of that Accelerator network. It shows possible interactions within the Accelerator Network that can lead to a new ECCO.
1. We start bottom-up with the combined experience and best practices of 9 already existing ECCOs spread around Northwest-Europe. They function as ‘beacons’ to inspire policymakers and prospective ECCOs. Individually they experienced how difficult it is to access knowledge and grow beyond their initial level. The project partners and the 9 pilots are at the core of this expanding ACCELERATOR NETWORK. Together they combine their experiences and expertise to search for tools and methodologies to overcome the barriers that ECCOs are facing:
- dealing with the legal framework
- attracting sufficient investments
- establishing an elaborate community involvement
- keeping up with technical and organizational demands.
2. Secondly, partners will reach out to policymakers and community groups. Together we will organize training facilities for them, while our 9 beacons will be committed as sites for demonstration and inspiration.
The project will offer valuable ‘hand-on’ support for initiating and developing more and more ECCOs. By the end of the project we will have engaged 50 new ECCOs.