LIFE GREEN PITCHES: Scale Up Future proof artificial grass pitches
- WHO: Municipality of Amsterdam (coordinator), Municipality of Haarlem (beneficiary), SRO (affiliated entity), Pianoo (associated partner)
- WHERE: Metropolitan region of Amsterdam, Municipality of Amsterdam, Municipality of Haarlem
- DURATION: 5 years, starting date: September 2022
- ROLE AMSTERDAM: Amsterdam is the initiator of the LIFE- project.
- SUBSIDIE FOR AMSTERDAM: max. €648.355,80
The LIFE GREEN PITCHES project aims at stimulating circular, biobased, non-polluting, climate proof and energy positive innovations, using the innovative, durable ‘Scale Up’ tendering method. LIFE GREEN PITCHES will implement the Scale Up method in order to stimulate cooperation in the market for artificial grass pitches, and to facilitate consortiums to design and apply their innovative, sustainable solutions in three prototypes and three pilot locations. This will be combined with an integral monitoring method and an evaluation of the applied innovations. The application of innovations in the project will lead to, among other things, a 13,070 tonne reduction of non-circular building materials, a reduction of 11,592 kilograms of microplastics being released in the environment, 24,000 square meters being less vulnerable to climate effects, an annual 5,040,000 kWh heightened capacity for renewable energy production and 1,349 tonnes of CO2 reduction by using less new building materials.
The LIFE GREEN PITCHES project puts a strong emphasis on replication of common tendering specifications, monitoring tools and tendering documents for artificial grass pitches in the entire EU, aiming for at least 25 replication locations within 5 years, giving a significant increase of positive environmental effects. As well as this, it will transfer the Scale Up method to other sectors where government purchasing parties can stimulate durable innovation, such as the built-up environment, mobility and infrastructure sectors. Project partners Amsterdam, Haarlem, NV SRO en PIANOo can offer the expertise as well as the networks (among which the EU Urban Agenda on Public Procurement) to spread, exploit and replicate the results of the project.
Final products and results
During the project, 3 durable prototype sport pitches and 3 pilot durable pilot artificial grass fields will be built. Eventually, an ongoing framework agreement (ca. 10 years) will be made for the realization of future proof artificial grass sport pitches. The deliverables in the project will be:
- Project management guide,
- KPI tool
- Communication and distribution plan
- Project pages on the websites of all project partners
- The tendering file with the selection and award criteria
- A chart analysis of the environmental issues concerning artificial grass pitches
- A SWOT analysis of the innovative solutions for the prototype and pilot pitches
- A monitoring report of the measuring results of the durable solutions on artificial grass pitches
- A directive for the use of the Scale Up method
- A final conference
- An After-LIFE replication plan
- A list with the front runners for replication
Next to the abovementioned deliverables, a learning path will be set out around innovative tendering, and a cooperation for joint purchasing will be established between the municipalities of Amsterdam and Haarlem.
