Karelia UAS are leading the first two activities on the analysis of business models work package, with Fermanagh & Omagh District Council developing an Entrepreneur Enabler Scheme.  This WP has two key objectives, as described below:

• To enable better market access and growth of micro-scale enterprises in renewable energy and energy storage. This objective contributes to the project objective no. 5., i.e. addresses specific challenges, and optimises unique opportunities of RE micro-businesses located in remote and sparsely populated areas.
• To develop and offer practical mentoring support to micro-scale enterprises and startups in renewable energy and energy storage (contributing to the project objective no. 4.). Mentoring support, including the ‘entrepreneurial enabler’ scheme, is jointly developed in a transnational GREBE context, piloted in N.Ireland and rolled-out across the NPA regions.

The overall development impact achieved by this work package is the improved business mentoring support which allows better market access and growth of renewable energy and energy storage micro businesses in NPA regions.

Activity 1: Reviewing growth strategies based on new products and innovation. This activity will be transnational in its approach by seeking to review successful business growth strategies for SMEs and micro-scale enterprises in the NPA regions and then analysing how these can be adapted for application to the RE sector. Business growth strategies based on new RE and energy storage technologies will also be identified by a case-based approach. Successful strategies allowing for business growth in current or new domestic or international market areas will be disseminated for replication across the NPA area facilitating economic growth and improved market access of new RE solutions.

Activity 2: Investigating market access paths of RE and energy storage technologies. Market access paths of RE and energy storage technologies will be investigated using a case-study approach. RE market access paths will be considered in detail; including funding mechanisms (working with WP3), technological choices (working with WP5), demonstration/piloting routines, assessment of technical and financial risks, advisories used, and processes of delivery and adaptation in different partner regions.