ALCOTRA INNOVATION PROJECT
Feasibility Plan Template
Jens Schumacher & Francesco Molinari
This document should be used by the participants in the Thematic Working Groups of the project, for the
purpose of drafting ideas of cross-border Living Lab trials to be submitted for evaluation to the 5 Regions
involved. The CANVAS Business Model (by Alexander Osterwalder, 2004-2010) is adopted as a template.
Feasibility Plan Template
References
 Those quoted in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Model_Canvas
Structure of the Feasibility Plan
 9 Blocks of the CANVAS Business Model that need to be worked out:
 5 specific aspects for evaluating the bidding “consortium”:
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Feasibility Plan Template
 Project specific aspects for evaluating the proposed trial:
Living Lab Approach
Cross Regionality
How it is designed and implemented
Where does it make a difference on:
- cross-border cooperation?
- technological/sectorial innovation?
- marketability of product/service?
Motivation and characteristics
Where does it make a difference in:
- implementing the Living Lab approach
- advancing the state of the art
- making the trial more successful and
impacting?
Advance over state of the art
Sustainability and Impact
Describe the elements of originality in
relation to the:
- nature of the sectorial innovation
implied by the trial
- characteristics of the thematic domain
selected
- nature of the technologies specifically
proposed for implementation
Where is impact situated? E.g. at societal
/ business / policy level …
Explain how you intend to:
- make the trial successful in terms of
post-project implications
- evolve from the individual trial to a
permanent Living Lab
- preserve the cross-border aspect of
your proposed approach in the future
 Hint: to prepare a 1-page summary of your project idea, please proceed in
the following order:
o Advance over state of the art
o Living Lab Approach
o Cross Regionality
o Sustainability and Impact
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Feasibility Plan Template
Table of Contents of the generic Feasibility Plan
Administrative Information ......................................................................................................................................... 4
1-page summary ............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Description of the bidding consortium ..................................................................................................................... 6
1.
Strategy ............................................................................................................................................................... 0
2.
Structure ............................................................................................................................................................. 6
3.
Processes ............................................................................................................................................................ 6
4.
Rewards .............................................................................................................................................................. 6
5.
People ................................................................................................................................................................. 6
Description of the Cross-Border Living Lab trial .................................................................................................... 7
1.
End User Segments .......................................................................................................................................... 0
2.
Value Proposition ............................................................................................................................................. 8
3.
Channels............................................................................................................................................................. 9
4.
End User Relationships ................................................................................................................................... 0
5.
Revenue Streams .............................................................................................................................................. 0
6.
Key Resources.................................................................................................................................................12
7.
Key Activities ..................................................................................................................................................13
8.
Key Partners ...................................................................................................................................................... 0
9.
Cost Structure ................................................................................................................................................... 0
10.
Living Lab Approach ..................................................................................................................................16
11.
Cross Regionality .........................................................................................................................................17
12.
Advance over state of the art .....................................................................................................................18
13.
Sustainability and Impact ............................................................................................................................19
14.
Feasibility Assessment.................................................................................................................................20
15.
Other ................................................................................................................................................................ 0
ANNEX: Visual summary ........................................................................................................................................... 0
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Feasibility Plan Template
Administrative Information
Please fill in the following table:
Contact person for this template
Project summary (max 2000 characters)
Project duration
Name, Surname, Organisation of affiliation
E-mail, mobile phone, land line, fax No, Skype Id
Organisation names, addresses
Contact persons names, surnames, E-mail, mobile phone,
land line, fax No, Skype Id
Acronym
Title
Main aims, key activities, trial location(s), expected results
# Months from kick-off to conclusion
Indicative budget (broken down per partner)
Euros (estimated costs)
List of partners in the consortium (starting from
the coordinator)
Project acronym and title
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Feasibility Plan Template
1-page summary
Please fill in the following table:
Advance over state of the art
Max 1000 characters
Living Lab Approach
Max 1000 characters
Cross-Regionality
Max 1000 characters
Sustainability and Impact
Max 1000 characters
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Feasibility Plan Template
Description of the bidding consortium
Max 2 pages
a. Strategy
[Text]
Questions to answer:
b. Structure
[Text]
c. Processes


What are our strategic goals?
How do they drive our consortium?

What type of organizational structure does
our consortium require?

What information flows, processes, and
workflows does our consortium require?

What reward system does our consortium
require?


How can we motivate our people?
What kinds of people with what skills does
out consortium require?
What type of mindset is needed?
[Text]
d. Rewards
[Text]
e. People
[Text]

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Feasibility Plan Template
Description of the Cross-Border Living Lab trial
Max 15 pages – one per paragraph
1. End User Segments
[Text]
Questions to answer:


For whom are we creating value?
Who are our most important End Users?
Elaborate:




Common needs of End User
Common behaviors
Other attributes
Reasons why this segment is chosen
Define type of End User segment:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Mass market
Niche market
Segmented
Diversified
Multi-sided platforms (or multi-sided
markets)
Feasibility Plan Template
2. Value Proposition
[Text]
Questions to answer:


What value do we deliver to the End User?
Which one of our End User’s problems are we
helping to solve?
What bundles of products and services are we
offering to each End User Segment?

Define how value creation takes place (characteristics)
– for instance:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
Newness
Performance
Customization
“Getting the job done”
Design
Brand/status
Price
Cost reduction
Risk reduction
Accessibility
Convenience/usability
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Feasibility Plan Template
3. Channels
[Text]
Questions to answer:

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


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Through which channels do our End User
segments want to be reached?
How are we reaching them now?
How are our channels integrated?
Which one works best?
Which ones are most cost-efficient
How are we integrating them with End User
routines?
Description:


Actual interface with End Users
(communication, distribution, sales channels)
Which functions are carried out in the
channels? (exemplary)
o Raising awareness among End Users
about a company’s products and
services
o Helping End Users evaluate a
company’s Value Proposition
o Allowing End Users to purchase
specific products and services
o Delivering a Value Proposition to
End Users
o Providing post-purchase End User
support
Define actual channel phase:

Page 9
See table below (End User = Customer)
Feasibility Plan Template
4. End User Relationships
[Text]
Questions to answer:




What type of relationship does each of our
End User Segments expect us to establish
and maintain with them?
Which ones have we established?
How are they integrated with the rest of our
business model?
How costly are they?
Elaborate motivation: (exemplary)



End User acquisition
End User retention
Boosting sales (upselling)
Define:

Type of relationship (personal, automated,
etc.)
Categories of relationships:

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

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Personal assistance
Dedicated personal assistance
Self-service
Automated services
Communities
Co-creation
Feasibility Plan Template
5. Revenue Streams
[Text]
Questions to answer:





For what value are our End Users really willing
to pay?
For what do they currently pay?
How are they currently paying?
How would they prefer to pay?
How much does each Revenue Stream
contribute to overall revenues?
Generating value streams per:







Asset sale
Usage fee
Subscription fees
Lending/Renting/Leasing
Licensing
Brokerage fee
Advertising
Type of pricing mechanism defined:


Fixed pricing
o List price
o Product feature depended
o End User segment depended
o Volume depended
Dynamic pricing
o Negotiation
o Yield management
o Real-time-market
o Auctions
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Feasibility Plan Template
6. Key Resources
[Text]
Questions to answer:




What Key Resources does our Value
Proposition require?
Our Distributions Channels?
End User Relationships?
Revenue streams?
Define types of resources:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Physical
Intellectual
Human
Financial
Technological
Are you getting these resources by:




Ownership
Leasing
Acquiring from key partners
Other (please explain)
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Feasibility Plan Template
7. Key Activities
[Text]
Questions to answer:




What Key Activities do our Value
Propositions require?
Our Distribution Channels?
End User Relationships?
Revenue streams?
Categories:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Page 13
Production
Problem Solving
Platform/Networking
Updating Technology
Other
Feasibility Plan Template
8. Key Partners
[Text]
Questions to answer:




What are our Key Partners?
Who are our Key Suppliers?
Which Key Resources are we acquiring from
partners?
Which key Activities do partners perform?
Define type of partnership:
1. Strategic alliance between non-competitors
2. “Coopetition”: strategic partnerships between
competitors
3. Joint ventures to develop new businesses
4. Buyer-supplier relationships to assure reliable
suppliers
Describe motivation for partnership: (exemplary)




Optimization and economy of scale
Reduction of risk and uncertainty
Acquisition of particular resources and
activities
…
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Feasibility Plan Template
9. Cost Structure
[Text]
Questions to answer:



What are the most important costs inherent in
our business model?
Which Key Resources are most expensive?
Which Key Activities are most expensive?
Drivers for business model:
1. Cost driven
o Leanest cost structure
o Low price value proposition
o Maximum automation
o Extensive outsourcing
2. Value driven
o Focused on value creation
o Premium value proposition
Set characteristics:

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

Fixed costs (salaries, rents, utilities)
Variable costs
Economies of scale
Economies of scope
…
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Feasibility Plan Template
10. Living Lab Approach1
[Text]
Questions to answer:



How are the users/citizens involved?
What participative LL Models/Methods will be
used?
How is the LL financed?
Stakeholder Involvement




Are all Stakeholders involved?
Has a participative innovation approach been
chosen?
Are Users/Citizens involved in all phases of
the project?
Are IPR defined?
Living Lab difference:


1
Why is the LL approach suited for this project?
How will the LL approach affect the
product/service outcome?
o Economies of scale
o Economies of scope
o …
You can make reference to documents at http://www.alcotra-innovazione.eu/progetto/attivita3.shtml
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Feasibility Plan Template
11. Cross Regionality
[Text]
Questions to answer:



Are Partners from different Regions involved?
Is there a symmetric distribution of resources?
Is this planned as one cross regional LL or
with two independent regional Living Labs
joined for this specific trial?
Define characteristics of the cross regional partnership:



The other region is used to expand the current
market
Customisation of product/service to regional
specialities
Co-development and deployment of crossregional product/service
Motivation for cross-regional approach:




What is the Value-added for the Partners in the
different regions?
Are the regional contexts addressed?
Is the cross-regional management addressed?
…
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Feasibility Plan Template
12. Advance over state of the art
[Text]
Questions to answer:

In which respect are you improving over the
sectorial state of the art?
o Technology innovation
o Market innovation
o Social innovation
o Institutional innovation
o Other
Describe the characteristics of the thematic domain you
are acting within: (exemplary)



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


Too few innovations are reaching the market
Too few innovations survive after marker
launch
The potential of people’s involvement is largely
ignored or discarded
Market size is too tiny
There are institutional barriers, local markets
Language and cultural issues prevent the
formation of a European single market
…
Technologies proposed for implementation in the trial:
(please list)



Page 18
Mature / already productised or servitised
Immature / yet to become products or services
Other
Feasibility Plan Template
13. Sustainability and Impact
[Text]
Questions to answer:



Will the consortium form a permanent
Living Lab? If so, how shaped?
o As a business/technology service
provider to third parties
o As a high-tech, R&D laboratory
o As a University spin-off
o As a Government initiative
o As a single enterprise
o As a business association
o Other
Will the LL be sustainable after the trial is
finished?
How will the successful trial impact on:
o The economy
o Society
o Public Administration
o The Academic Sector
o Etc.
of the Regions involved?
Page 19
Feasibility Plan Template
14. Feasibility Assessment
[Text]
Questions to answer:





Page 20
How pertinent is the project idea with either of
the thematic domains of Alcotra Innovation,
namely
o Smart Energies
o Intelligent Mobility
o Creative industries
o eHealth?
How coherent is it with the strategic indications
of the Euroregion?
How defined / packaged / promptly available are
the technologies involved in the trial?
How broad is the Living Lab partnership in
terms of
o Territorial coverage
o Stakeholders
o End users?
How much time is required to perform the
various project activities, namely:
o Trial design
o Configuration
o Execution
o Evaluation?
15. Other.
Beware: The information provided in this paragraph will not be taken into consideration for the
evaluation process.
The same, your inputs are much welcome for the sake of the Alcotra Innovation project. Indeed one of
the project deliverable is the so called “Strategic Plan for boosting innovation”, a sort of guidelines for
policy makers. This document should somehow support policy makers in adopting policy measures and
financial instruments that facilitate innovation on a cross border scale that possibly apply the Living Lab
methodology.
Please write down some considerations to policy-makers for future programming/funding schemes:
a. New/promising technological fields which need to be better addressed
b. Ways of financing
c. Any other business
ANNEX: Visual summary
Infrastructure
Key Partners
Key Activities
Offer
Value Proposition
Key Resources
Cost Structure
End User
End User Relationships
Channels
Revenue Streams
Fill in with keywords!
Profit equation
Living Lab Approach
Cross Regionality
Advance over the state of the art
Sustainability and Impact
End User Segments