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Centre for Sustainable Agrifood Systems

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STARTProject Development Toolkit

Additional model

Sustainable Business Model Canvas

Use this when a funding body asks you to consider a business case, taking eco-social costs and benefits into account.

Where it’s used:Use at any point in the project development

How to use it

Some funding bodies require you to at least consider a business case for your project. If you lack experience here, we highly recommend reaching out to researchers experienced in new business models. You can also create a preliminary business model yourself with the Sustainable Business Model Canvas.

It differs from the well-known Business Model Canvas by taking eco-social costs and benefits into account. As we push towards a more sustainable food system, it is worth considering how your proposed solution affects the world around us.

Without going into excessive detail, answer the questions in the canvas to the best of your knowledge. It is fine not to have complete answers to all questions, but brainstorm in each section: it will help you come up with a preliminary business model.

If your project has commercial prospects, assess it with the Business Model Readiness Level.

The Sustainable Business Model CanvasA canvas of eleven building blocks, each with guiding questions. Key Partners: Who are our key partners? Who are our key suppliers? Which key resources are we acquiring from partners? Which key activities do partners perform? Key Activities: What key activities do our value propositions require? Our distribution channels? Customer relationships? Revenue streams? Key Resources: What key resources do our value propositions require? Our distribution channels? Customer relationships? Revenue streams? Value Propositions: What value do we deliver to the customer? Which of our customers' problems are we helping to solve? What bundles of products and services are we offering to each customer segment? Which customer needs are we satisfying? Customer Relationships: What type of relationship does each customer segment expect us to establish and maintain? Which have we established? How costly are they? Channels: Through which channels do our customer segments want to be reached? How are we reaching them now? Which work best? Which are most cost-efficient? Customer Segments: For whom are we creating value? Who are our most important customers? Cost Structure: What are the most important costs inherent in our business model? Which key resources and key activities are most expensive? Revenue Streams: For what value are our customers really willing to pay? For what do they currently pay? How would they prefer to pay? How much does each revenue stream contribute to overall revenues? Eco-Social Costs: What ecological or social costs is our business model causing? Which key resources are non-renewable? Which key activities use a lot of resources? Eco-Social Benefits: What ecological or social benefits is our business model generating? Who are the beneficiaries? Are they potential customers? Can we turn the benefits into a value proposition? If yes, for whom? Based on the Business Model Canvas from businessmodelgeneration.com.The Sustainable Business Model CanvasKey PartnersWho are our key partners? Who are our keysuppliers? Which key resources are we acquiringfrom partners? Which key activities do partnersperform?Key ActivitiesWhat key activities do our value propositionsrequire? Our distribution channels? Customerrelationships? Revenue streams?Key ResourcesWhat key resources do our value propositionsrequire? Our distribution channels? Customerrelationships? Revenue streams?Value PropositionsWhat value do we deliver to the customer? Which ofour customers' problems are we helping to solve?What bundles of products and services are weoffering to each customer segment? Which customerneeds are we satisfying?Customer RelationshipsWhat type of relationship does each customersegment expect us to establish and maintain? Whichhave we established? How costly are they?ChannelsThrough which channels do our customer segmentswant to be reached? How are we reaching them now?Which work best? Which are most cost-efficient?Customer SegmentsFor whom are we creating value? Who are our mostimportant customers?Cost StructureWhat are the most important costs inherent in ourbusiness model? Which key resources and keyactivities are most expensive?Revenue StreamsFor what value are our customers really willing topay? For what do they currently pay? How wouldthey prefer to pay? How much does each revenuestream contribute to overall revenues?Eco-Social CostsWhat ecological or social costs is our businessmodel causing? Which key resources arenon-renewable? Which key activities use a lot ofresources?Eco-Social BenefitsWhat ecological or social benefits is our businessmodel generating? Who are the beneficiaries? Arethey potential customers? Can we turn the benefitsinto a value proposition? If yes, for whom?Based on: www.businessmodelgeneration.com (CC BY-SA)
The nine building blocks plus eco-social costs and benefits. Based on businessmodelgeneration.com (CC BY-SA).

Source: START Triple-I project development tool kit, pp. 25–26.