FoodCoP: Fueling Startup Villages with<br>Circular Bioeconomy Strategies

A digital hub offering shared resources, tools, and knowledge to empower Startup Villages. It facilitates collaboration, provides access to circular bioeconomy best practices, and connects rural communities across Europe.

FoodCoP will host workshops, hackathons, and co-creation sessions that bring together local stakeholders to design tailored solutions addressing specific challenges. Through training programmes, mentoring, and peer-to-peer learning, rural communities will gain the skills needed to adopt innovative and sustainable solutions.

With the initial participation of 7 Startup Villages— Camara Municipal d0 Fundão (Portugal), RDI Hub, Killorglin (Ireland), PI Kočevje (Slovenia), Meraki People (Greece), Câmara de Lobos (Portugal), Bragança (Portugal), and Penela (Portugal)—the FoodCoP project aims to foster innovation and sustainability in rural food systems across Europe.

By fostering knowledge exchange across regions, FoodCoP builds a strong network of Startup Villages that support each other and share effective solutions to common challenges

FoodCoP promotes sustainable practices that optimise resource use, reduce waste, and lower food-related emissions, driving the transition towards resilient and environmentally friendly rural food systems.

Running for 24 months, from November 2024 to October 2026, the project is led by the Municipality of Fundão (Portugal) and brings together a consortium of 14 partners.