Over the last ten years, the bicycle logistics sector has grown rapidly and very organically, making its growth unstructured, heterogeneous and sometimes improvised. Moreover, it has not yet reached its full potential.

Involving 5 European partners, the CICLE project addresses two development challenges :

•  There is no national or European apprenticeship scheme for bike couriers, so the development of the sector is disorganized and heterogeneous. This contributes to the lack of recognition of the status of bike courier as a profession in its own right in the urban logistics sector, and, in some cases, to a high degree of precariousness among workers.
•  There is a lack of diversity and representation in the sector. These barriers to employment in the sector can hinder the potential growth of the cycle logistics sector, and certainly hinder the professionalization of the sector and the democratization of the profession (i.e. access to a more diverse public, opportunities for socio-professional inclusion).

What for?

One of the first objectives is to analyze existing training programs and identify gaps and best practices. The aim of the analysis is to determine the current state of training in the sector, and to involve European players in bicycle logistics in the construction of the training program.

A second objective is to develop an inclusive and adapted skills repository for bike courier trainers. This repository will be the subject of 3 test and feedback sessions with trainers from different operators (in the partnership).

Finally, the project aims to build inclusive promotional tools to remedy the lack of diversity within bike messenger teams, by offering a better image and representation of the profession. To this end, various resources will be produced to ensure their wide dissemination in Europe: creative promotional tools and a white paper.

By whom?

This transnational project involves 5 organizations from 3 member states :

•  urbike SC (Belgium), a Brussels-based bicycle logistics cooperative that positions itself as a gas pedal of change in urban logistics by stimulating the use of bicycles instead of vans and light trucks.
•  L'École des métiers du vélo (France) : This unique structure brings together a number of complementary training organizations to train Parisians, particularly those with a long way to go before finding a job, in cyclo-logistics professions.
•  Bike Logic (Spain) : Bikelogic is a bicycle logistics cooperative based in Sant Cugat del Vallès (Spain). Founded in March 2022, it offers 3 complementary services to enhance the development of sustainable last-mile logistics.
•  Les Boîtes à Vélo (France) : French trade association for bicycle businesses that was founded in 2019 to act as an umbrella for all local Boîtes à Vélo associations (11 in total today).
•  Pour La Solidarité (Belgium) : Independent European think & do tank committed to a Europe of solidarity and sustainability, working to defend and consolidate the European social model, a subtle balance between economic development and social justice.

  This project is co-financed by the European Erasmus+ program.