Innovative Strategies for Public Catering: Sustainability Toolkit across Baltic Sea Region
StratKIT
 
PROGRAMME 2014-2020
priority
1 Innovation
objective
1.3 Non-technological innovation

StratKIT

The StratKIT project built a path for more sustainable public catering services by addressing relevant procurement strategies in the Baltic Sea region.
Project summary

Public authorities have a large purchasing power and have the ability to give clear signals to the market towards green growth and circular economy. However, public procurement is a complex task and good practices in the Baltic Sea region are mostly isolated. The public catering sector looks for increasing its capacity to act as innovation driver and boost local and regional economy through the collaboration with SMEs.

 

StratKIT presented concrete tools

StratKIT brought together public authorities, catering service providers and researchers to jointly address this challenge. The project used the so-called tree framework model offering a modifiable visualisation of the national situations. It was constructed in close cooperation with relevant stakeholders in six countries to display how the catering service is embedded in the regulations, business administration, and actual operations. With the help of this method and within the strong network of different stakeholders from different regions, the project managed to develop a needs-based practical toolkit and an online open knowledge platform for sustainable public catering.

Budgets

StratKIT
in numbers
  • 2.05
    Million
    Total
  • 1.44
    Million
    Erdf
  • 0.18
    Million
    Eni + Russia
  • 0.00
    Million
    Norway

Achievements

Outstanding network of cooperation

Hundreds of public meal stakeholders (administrators, procurers and caterers) from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Poland and Russia were cooperating within the StratKIT project. The project started with mapping the state-of-the-art of sustainability in catering services in the project countries and beyond. It analysed the local conditions and specific factors enabling or limiting the progress towards increasingly sustainable procurement and catering services. Within a joint learning, experience exchange, and innovation process, the partners of the project gradually developed important expertise to support the service providers and adjust the procurement process for more sustainable public meals.

External recognition

The StratKIT project caught the attention of a wide range of stakeholders outside the consortium. The success of the project can be measured in the fact that the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has asked permission to share the Online Toolkit on their pages (spring 2022). In addition, the initiators of quite a large Best-Re-Map Joint EU Action have been highly interested in the outcomes. The Joint BSR Report for sustainable public procurement and catering services, published within the project, received its recognition by being cited in a scientific paper.

 

 

Institutionalised knowledge

The expertise of various institutions dealing with public meals has been significantly enhanced over the three years. Many of the published tools directly advise how to improve the governance structures and organisational set-up in order to support sustainable public meals. For example, the getaway "Strategies for Change" includes tools specifically designed for decision-makers, customers, and suppliers who intend to make changes in the process of choosing and providing public meals.

The transnational cooperation within and outside the project partnership has inspired not only the involved partner municipalities, but also their neighbours.

Outputs

Sustainability Toolkit

The Public Meal Toolkit provides targeted and experience-based advice, and there is an interactive online version available. The toolkit is very diverse, inspirational, and practical and will help overcome barriers with good examples. It presents more than 50 tools for public procurers, caterers, and policy-makers to start the change in their municipality, their canteen, and their organisation. All tools include a step-by-step description for easy implementation. The approaches range from strategy development, training for kitchen professionals, and checklists for procurers to map organic farmers. The topics covered by the Toolkit are: Strategies, Public procurement, Communication and capacity building, Organic food, Food waste, Healthy and plant-based food, Resource efficiency, and Working with farmers. All tools are provided in seven languages to increase accessibility (English, Danish, German, Estonian, Finnish, Polish and Russian).

Project Stories

Partners

University of Helsinki

  • Town
    Seinäjoki
  • Region
    Etelä-Pohjanmaa
  • Country
    Finland
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
419,796.00
62.795410422.8442015

Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre

  • Town
    Tallinn
  • Region
    Põhja-Eesti
  • Country
    Estonia
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
256,648.41
59.437215524.7453688

agrathaer

  • Town
    Müncheberg
  • Region
    Märkisch-Oderland
  • Country
    Germany
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
264,930.00
52.503748414.1404688

IFAU Institute for Food Studies and Agroindustrial Development

  • Town
    Hoersholm
  • Region
    Nordsjælland
  • Country
    Denmark
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
192,300.00
58.845906211.01450313616371

Municipality of Aarhus

  • Town
    Aarhus
  • Region
    Østjylland
  • Country
    Denmark
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
160,383.00
56.149627810.2134046

Municipality of Rybnik

  • Town
    Rybnik
  • Region
    Rybnicki
  • Country
    Poland
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
120,080.41
50.095579318.5419933

Tallinn City Government

  • Town
    Tallinn
  • Region
    Põhja-Eesti
  • Country
    Estonia
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
60,055.00
59.437215524.7453688

Finnish Professional Catering Association

  • Town
    Kirkkonummi
  • Region
    Helsinki-Uusimaa
  • Country
    Finland
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
100,000.00
60.122785724.4406694

Baltic restaurants Estonia

  • Town
    Tallinn
  • Region
    Põhja-Eesti
  • Country
    Estonia
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
51,010.00
59.437215524.7453688

Central Denmark EU-Office

  • Town
    Brussels
  • Region
    Østjylland
  • Country
    Denmark
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
127,634.25
50.84655734.351697

WITHDRAWAL (01/01/2020) Estonian Regional and Local Development Agency

  • Town
    Tallinn
  • Region
    Põhja-Eesti
  • Country
    Estonia
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
5,831.59
59.437215524.7453688

The Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia

  • Town
    St. Petersburg
  • Region
    City of St. Petersburg
  • Country
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
130,050.00
59.91785735000000630.380619357025516

Council of municipalities of Sankt Petersburg

  • Town
    St. Petersburg
  • Region
    City of St. Petersburg
  • Country
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
78,700.00
59.91785735000000630.380619357025516

Warsaw University of Life Sciences

  • Town
    Warsaw
  • Region
    Miasto Warszawa
  • Country
    Poland
Approximate total partner budget in EUR
79,169.59
52.231958121.0067249