A new CEN Workshop is being established to develop a CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) entitled 'Feasibility to Finance Guidelines for Industrial-Urban Symbiosis within Hubs for Circularity: the UNITED CIRCLES Approach'. The Workshop stems from work being done in UNITED CIRCLES Horizon project aiming to provide practical guidance for advancing Industrial-Urban Symbiosis (IUS) from feasibility assessment to investment readiness.
Industrial-Urban Symbiosis is increasingly recognized as a key enabler of the circular economy, supporting the recovery and valorisation of materials, energy, water and other resources through collaboration between industries, cities and local stakeholders. However, many projects face challenges in securing financing and scaling up from demonstration activities to implementation. The proposed CEN Workshop will address this gap by delivering a structured framework to help project developers, Hubs for Circularity (H4Cs), investors, public authorities and other stakeholders assess project maturity, identify risks and opportunities, and prepare projects for financing.
The CEN Workshop will build upon the Feasibility to Finance (F2F) framework developed within the UNITED CIRCLES Horizon project (Grant Agreement No. 101178798). It will provide guidance on a three-phase approach comprising Exploration, Assessment and Funding, supported by an eight-step investment-readiness pathway. The document will include practical tools, templates, indicators, assessment criteria and recommendations to support decision-making and facilitate dialogue between project promoters, financial institutions and public funding bodies.
It is intended that this Workshop will form an important and complementary addition to the work of the Technical Committee CEN/TC 465 'Sustainable cities and communities'
The kick-off meeting for the Workshop is planned to take place remotely on 9 November 2026 from 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm (CEST) (details in agenda document below).
All interested parties are invited to submit comments on the draft Project Plan using the commenting form below, to the Workshop secretary Andrea Mora (UNI) (andrea.mora@uni.com) by November 4th, 2026.
Download the documents:
- Workshop description and draft Project Plan
- Agenda of the kick-off meeting
- Registration form to the kick-off meeting
- Commenting form
