Tips for use

The Quickscan CBM is available as an interactive application in Excel (click Download tool). Optionally, a PDF version of the quick scan can be downloaded and used offline.

• In phase 1 of the Quickscan you fill in the questionnaire to determine where you currently stand with your company and where you want to go when it comes to sustainable and circular entrepreneurship. You can do this by yourself, but it is more interesting to have this completed by several colleagues and to discuss it together.
• In phase 2 of this Quickscan the goal is to explore possible features of a new or modified circular business model. It is not about arriving at unambiguous choices for a business model as quickly as possible. Rather, this tool aims to inspire by showing that there are many options to choose from (more than you thought!), and by showing concrete examples of circular companies. Use this to learn about circular business models!
• For the further elaboration of your circular business model, we recommend that you apply the tools Business Model Template and the Circular Organization tool, both available on this platform.

How to use

Phase 1: Determining your position

In phase 1, you will complete the questionnaire to analyze where you stand as a company when it comes to sustainable and circular business. The questionnaire focuses on the following four components:

• Priority: What is the priority to look at sustainable and circular business?
• Experience: Where do we currently stand when it comes to sustainable and circular business?
• Ambition: Where do we want to go as a company when it comes to sustainable and circular business?
• Current Business Model: To what extent is sustainable and circular business already included in our current business model?

The result is a spider plot that shows where you stand as a company with sustainable and circular business.

Phase 2: Develop or modify business model

You can use the result of phase1 in phase 2 to explore the characteristics of a new or adjusted circular business model for your company. For the characteristics listed below you will make choices by selecting from the available options for each characteristic:

• Which basic type of circular business model (or combination) best matches the outcome of phase 1, in particular your experience and ambition?
• What R-strategies fit the basic type and best align with the outcome of phase 1, specifically your ambition?
• Which organizational form fits best to realize that ambition?
• Which supporting processes are crucial for the realization of this business model?
• Which revenue models fit best with this business model?

The result is a list of characteristics for your new or adjusted business model. In addition, through the process of exploring the options, you have gained inspiration for sustainable and circular entrepreneurship for your company.

Background

The interactive application Quickscan Circular Business Models is based on the white paper: Jonker, J., Faber, N. and Haaker, T. (2022). Quickscan Circular Business models. Inspiration for organising value retention in loops. The Hague: Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (the Netherlands), which can be found via https://circulairemaakindustrie.nl/app/uploads/2021/12/QuickScan-Circulaire-Businessmodellen-V5-ebook-29.11.21.pdf.

The white paper consists of three parts: (1) an introduction explaining background and central concepts of circular business models, (2) knowledge cards of seven basic types of circular business models that together form a classification, and (3) the actual Quick Scan.