Practical Guidance for Sustainable Strategies

The PREPSOIL Business Model Canvas (BMC) for Soil Living Labs (LLs) and Lighthouses (LHs) is a tailor-made tool created to support these initiatives in designing strategies for long-term stability. Built with the specific needs of Soil LLs and LHs in mind, the canvas offers a structured yet flexible framework to guide decision-making and communicate value to stakeholders.   []

Real-World Insights, Rooted in Practice

As part of the PREPSOIL process, practical insights were gathered across a range of activities supporting LL and LH business model development. These examples reflect the lived experience of LLs and have been mapped to the various elements of the BMC.

To help users navigate this knowledge, the insights have been classified based on their relevance:

  • Common to all LLs – insights that apply regardless of the LL’s theme or land use context
  • Common to Soil LLs – applicable to any LL focused on soil-related challenges
  • Land use-specific – tailored for LLs working in agriculture, forestry, (post-)industrial, or (peri-)urban settings

Explore the Filterable Catalogue

In this page, you'll find a filterable catalogue of insights linked to specific BMC elements and spheres of intervention. You can browse by:

  • Land Use Focus – agriculture, forestry, (post-)industrial, or (peri-)urban
  • Element – e.g., Key Stakeholders, Value Proposition, Revenue Streams
  • Sphere of Intervention – thematic focus within each element

For example, an agricultural LL looking for real-world insights of private sector engagement can select “Agriculture” under the Focus filter, and “Private Sector” under the 4. Key Stakeholders element.

These insights are intended to guide and inspire LLs and LHs as they build their own business models—recognizing that each lab’s ambition, capacity, and local context is unique.

Projects funded under the EU Mission Soil initiative should also ensure that their business models reflect the objectives outlined in the Mission Soil Implementation Plan, as well as the land use type they aim to address. This focus is essential for shaping effective and sustainable strategies.

Additional Resources

PREPSOIL Report on LL/LH Business Model Plans (D4.2)

A deeper dive into the methodology and development process behind the BMC.

Business Model Canvas for Soil Living Labs and Lighthouses: A Guide for Users

Detailed instructions and guiding questions for completing each section of the canvas.

 

Workshops at local and regional levels

Collaborations & Partnerships
Common to all LLs

Dissemination and upscaling of successful solutions

Collaborations & Partnerships
Common to all LLs

Other types of participatory activities

Collaborations & Partnerships
Common to all LLs

Living Labs provide access to cutting-edge technology and offer free testing environments, empowering innovation and accelerating the development of new solutions. They serve as experimentation, innovation, and demonstration spaces, bridging the gap between research communities and productive, social environments. By offering both physical and digital spaces, Living Labs foster social cohesion and support corporate social responsibility project-based activities, enabling diverse stakeholders to collaborate and drive impactful technological advancements. This holistic approach not only accelerates technological progress but also enhances community engagement and societal benefits

Common to all LLs
Public Value

The Living Lab methodology brings economic and financial advantages for businesses and organizations, as by operating through real-world testing and direct user involvement, it achieves significant cost reductions and maximize return on investment with faster market adoption and enhanced product and/or service quality. Delivering user-centric solutions drive sustainable growth and market leadership. Also, LLs develop innovative, low-cost solutions via collaborative co-creation, boosting operational efficiency and accelerating time-to-market.

Common to all LLs
Business Value

Know how of EU funds

Common to all LLs
Funding & Financial Support

In-kind contributions from universities and local administrations (e.g. staff, premises)

Common to all LLs
Infrastructure & Equipment

Availability of testing and experimentation spaces

Common to all LLs
Infrastructure & Equipment

Equipment

Common to all LLs
Infrastructure & Equipment

Digital platforms

Common to all LLs
Infrastructure & Equipment

FabLab equipment and support

Common to all LLs
Infrastructure & Equipment

Comms channels

Common to all LLs
Infrastructure & Equipment