This publication is part of the Pop-Machina project, this project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 821479.
Last updated
Introduction
Circular production is an approach to manufacturing and production that emphasises the circularity aspect (i.e., reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling) of materials and resources, rather than relying on new resources. The European Union provides subsidies for circular production projects to promote sustainable economic growth and reduce waste. The programmes discussed in this blog post were designed for various organisations (such as companies, associations, research centres, universities, cities, and maker spaces) and individuals. They all focus on the circular economy. However, individuals who work independently as circular makers or entrepreneurs may face challenges when applying for funding. That is why it is crucial to establish active partnerships between the maker community and the institutions that support them.
This section offers a long list of resources for circular production. The programmes discussed are designed for various organisations like companies, associations, research centres, universities, cities, and maker spaces. They all focus on the circular economy. First, there is an overview of the resources available (e.g., RIS Regional Innovation Strategy, Europe strategy database, SMART specialisation by regions, Circular Cities and Regions Initiative - CCRI). And later the subventions available (e.g., European Innovation Council - EIC, LIFE, Bio Circular Joint Undertaking, Cohesion Fund, The European Social Fund Plus - ESF+, Enterprise Europe Network - EEN).
The European RIS Regional Innovation Strategy is a plan created by the European Union to help regions within Europe become more innovative and competitive. The strategy aims to support local businesses and organisations to develop new ideas, products, and services that can improve their economy and create jobs.
The EU RIS Regional Innovation Strategy encourages collaboration and partnerships between universities, research centres, and local companies. It also focuses on providing support and funding for projects that promote innovation, research, and development in the region.
The EU RIS Regional Innovation Strategy can be valuable for nascent entrepreneurs (i.e., individuals who are in the early stages of starting a business) in several ways:
access to funding: the strategy provides funding for projects that promote innovation and research, which can help nascent entrepreneurs to develop and test their ideas;
collaboration opportunities: the strategy encourages collaboration and partnerships between universities, research centres, and local companies, which can provide nascent entrepreneurs with access to valuable resources and expertise;
support for innovation: the strategy focuses on promoting innovation and new ideas, which can create opportunities for nascent entrepreneurs to develop unique products or services that can meet the needs of their local market;
networking opportunities: the strategy brings together various stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers, which can provide nascent entrepreneurs with networking opportunities that can help them to build relationships and find new customers.
Overall, the EU RIS Regional Innovation Strategy can provide nascent entrepreneurs with access to funding, resources, and support that can help them to develop and grow their businesses. The goal of the EU RIS Regional Innovation Strategy is to strengthen the innovation capacity of regions in Europe and promote sustainable economic growth.
Link to the EIT as reference for finding further resources and details on funding (e.g., Deep Tech Talent) https://eit.europa.eu/our-activities/opportunities.
To gain an overview of EU strategy and policies at a European level, individuals can explore various resources and platforms. Individuals can consider categories of content via EU Official Websites; Policy Areas and Priorities; Publications and Reports; Online Portals and Databases; News and Press Releases; and Consultation and Feedback Mechanisms. In this report, we highlight the possibility of using three main resources and repositories at the confluence of policy, regional innovation strategies and circular economy.:
First, the EU European Council and Council of the European Union Policies website (https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies) offers a comprehensive overview of major policies at a macro level. Users can easily navigate through various topics including Agriculture, Brexit, Budget, Climate Neutrality, Consumer Protection, COVID-19, Culture, Digital Europe, Economy & Finance, and Education & Training. The platform allows for filtering results by specific subjects, providing a user-friendly way to access in-depth information on the Council's ongoing work.
Second, the European Cluster Collaboration Platform’s website (reporting.clustercollaboration.eu/policy) provides a platform for reporting and disseminating information on cluster policies. Users can explore the policies that are applied by various countries and territories and explore detailed reports on each one. It serves as a centralised hub for accessing and sharing insights, initiatives, and updates related to policies impacting cluster development across various sectors and regions. Their mission is to serve as the European online hub for cluster stakeholders, including cluster organizations, policymakers, and other related stakeholders within the cluster ecosystem. Additionally, they aim to become the primary reference one-stop-shop for stakeholders from third countries seeking to establish partnerships with European counterparts.
Third, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)’s Knowledge Centre (https://eit.europa.eu/our-activities/knowledge-centre) is dedicated to fostering innovation and knowledge exchange across various sectors within the European Union. The Knowledge Centre offers a wealth of resources, including reports, case studies, and best practices, to support entrepreneurs, researchers, and policymakers in driving forward innovation and economic growth. Their mission is to facilitate collaboration and knowledge-sharing initiatives, empowering individuals and organizations to develop innovative solutions to societal challenges and contribute to Europe's competitiveness and sustainability.
SMART specialisation by regions is a strategy developed by the European Union to help regions to identify their unique strengths and to specialise in specific areas where they can become more competitive and innovative. This strategy can provide nascent with several benefits:
identifying business opportunities: The SMART specialisation strategy helps regions to identify their strengths and opportunities, which can help nascent entrepreneurs to identify potential business opportunities that complement region’s specialisations;
access to resources: SMART specialisation strategies encourage collaboration between universities, research centres, and local businesses, which can provide nascent entrepreneurs with access to resources and expertise that can help them to develop and grow their businesses;
access to funding: The SMART specialisation strategy can help nascent entrepreneurs to access funding opportunities that are available specifically for projects that align with the region’s specialisations;
support for innovation: The SMART specialisation strategy promotes innovation and new ideas, which can create opportunities for nascent entrepreneurs to develop unique products or services that align with the region’s specialisations.
Largely, the SMART specialisation by region strategy can provide nascent entrepreneurs with access to resources, funding, and support that can help them to develop and grow their businesses in areas where the region has identified strengths and opportunities. Eye@RIS3: Innovation Priorities in Europe map within the Smart Specialisation Platform: https://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/map
The Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) Europe is a collaborative platform and initiative established by the European Commission to promote and support the transition to a circular economy at the local and regional levels. It brings together cities, regions, and other stakeholders - which may include nascent entrepreneurs, to learn from, to share knowledge, exchange best practices, and develop strategies and actions for implementing circular economy principles in urban and regional contexts.
The CCRI Europe provides a range of support materials, tools, and methods to assist cities and regions in adopting circular economy practices. These resources include guidebooks, reports, methodologies, and frameworks that offer practical guidance on various aspects of circular economy implementation, such as policy development, funding mechanisms, project planning, and stakeholder engagement. It can be used as a database to find information on appropriate options for financing circular projects and activities in a local/regional context. The types of funding considered include grants from governments at different levels, equity, and quasi-equity, guarantees, debt and alternative forms of funding. However, as this is a knowledge category activity, some information may be obsolete.
https://circular-cities-and-regions.ec.europa.eu/support-materials/funding-and-financing
👉 List of relevant content from CCRI:
Table 1 summarises the main points of the CCRI resources. More information can be found below. Click on the name to go directly to it.
Table 1. List of relevant content from CCRI
This publication of Circular Cities and Regions Initiative Europe provides a methodology for implementing the circular economy at the local and regional levels. It includes various steps and tools that can help stakeholders to identify and prioritise circular opportunities, assess the potential benefits, and design and implement circular business models. The methodology also addresses the challenges of monitoring and evaluating the circular economy’s impact and suggests ways to improve data collection and analysis. The publication also provides case studies and examples to illustrate the practical application of the methodology.
This publication describes a Circular City Actions Framework, which is a tool that can help cities to transition towards a circular economy. The framework consists of six key steps, including setting a vision and strategy, engaging stakeholders, mapping and assessing current activities, identifying circular opportunities, designing and implementing circular solutions, and monitoring and evaluating progress. The publication provides detailed guidance and examples for each step, as well as resources and tools that can support cities in implementing the framework. The Circular City Actions Framework is designed to be adaptable to different city contexts and can be used by policymakers and practitioners to drive the CE transition at the city level.
https://circular-cities-and-regions.ec.europa.eu/ccri-projects/circularinvest-powering-access-investment-next-generation-circular-economy Official website: https://investcec.eu/
CircularInvest is part of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative. The CircularInvest project received EU impact investing fund that focuses on supporting circular economy businesses in the early stages of development. The fund provides equity and quasi-equity financing to start-ups and SMEs that are developing innovative circular economy solutions, with the aim of generating both social and environmental impact as well as financial returns. The fund’s investment focus areas include sustainable food, renewable energy, circular design and manufacturing, and resource efficiency. On April 24, 2023, Circular Invest launched an open call for circular economy projects. The fund aims to help selected projects to become investment-ready and support their access to financial resources by offering free, tailored-made support delivered by experts. The support provided by CircularInvest will improve the circularity of the projects, provide a business plan, and guide them in securing funding. Selected circular project promoters will also have the opportunity to participate in knowledge transfer and networking events and live pitch sessions with potential investors.
https://circular-cities-and-regions.ec.europa.eu/news/ccri-newsletter-archive-all-issues-so-far
The archive of the CCRI newsletter provides access to past issues of the newsletter, which contains information and updates related to circular economy initiatives, projects, events, and other relevant topics. To get a summary of the content, you would need to visit the webpage and explore the archived newsletter issues.
The Circular Economy Guidebook for Cities is a tool developed to support cities in transitioning to a circular economy. The guidebook provides practical guidance on how to implement circular economy principles in the context of urban environments. It covers a wide range of topics, including waste management, sustainable construction, mobility, and urban planning. The guidebook is structured around four key steps: understanding the circular economy, assessing the city’s current performance, identifying circular economy opportunities, and implementing circular solutions. The publication also provides case studies and examples to illustrate the practical application of the guidebook. Overall, the Circular Economy Guidebook for Cities is designed to help cities of different sizes and levels of development to transition towards a more circular economy.
The publication ‘Systemic thinking for policy making: the potential of systems analysis for addressing global policy challenges in the 21st Century’ discusses the importance of applying a systems approach to cities and urban policies. Its chapter ‘Cities and the circular economy’ highlights the importance of cities in driving the circular economy transition and provides an overview of the opportunities and challenges faced by cities in this regard. It identifies several key areas where cities can take action, such as waste management, sustainable mobility, and circular design. The report also provides examples of best practices from cities across Europe that have successfully implemented circular economy strategies. Overall, the report aims to inspire and guide policymakers and practitioners in cities to accelerate the transition toward more circularity.
The Circular City Funding Guide provides information on how to create financing programmes for circular economy projects. It explains that financing is a crucial factor for transitioning towards a circular economy and suggests that funding programmes can help to overcome the challenges of accessing finance faced by circular economy businesses. The guide outlines the key steps for creating a financing programme, including defining the scope and objectives, identifying financing sources, designing the financing instruments, setting up the programme management structure, and monitoring and evaluating the programme’s impact. The webpage also provides case studies and examples to illustrate the practical application of the guide. Overall, the guide aims to help policymakers and financiers create funding programmes that can support the transition to a circular economy.
The previous section offered an overview of the available resource for grounding circular productions. And now, this section focuses on the subvention’s opportunities for financing circularity efforts.
👉 List of relevant subvention opportunities for circular production projects.
Table 2 summarises the main points of the different resources selected. More information can be found below. Click on the name to go directly to it.
Table 2. Overview of subventions for circular production projects
https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities_en
The European Innovation Council (EIC) is a body established by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme to support innovation and entrepreneurship in Europe. It has several initiatives aimed at promoting innovation in various sectors, such as research and development, SMEs, and start-ups. The EIC supports businesses via funding, networking activities, and mentoring programmes, among others. The ultimate goal is to make Europe a leader in innovation and technology.
The European Innovation Council provides funding opportunities through three scopes:
EIC pathfinder funding opportunities, which support ‘deep tech’ research projects in various fields such as healthcare, data science, energy, and materials science. The funding is aimed at supporting interdisciplinary and high-risk research that has the potential to create new markets and drive economic growth. Entrepreneurs and makers might benefit from EIC Pathfinder by allying as a research partner. The webpage outlines the eligibility criteria, application process, and deadlines for interested applicants. It also provides resources for potential partners to find collaborators and form consortiums to apply for funding together;
EIC transition funding opportunities, which support the development of breakthrough innovations that have the potential to create new markets and industries or transform existing ones. It targets SMEs that have previously received EIC funding and are now looking to scale up their innovation. The funding can be used for activities including product development, testing, and piloting, as well as market deployment and commercialisation. The page provides information on eligibility criteria, the application process, and the evaluation and selection process for this funding opportunity;
EIC accelerator programme opportunities, which provide funding and coaching to innovative start-ups and SMEs in Europe. The funding is provided in the form of grants and equity investments for projects that have the potential to scale up quickly and create significant economic and societal impact. The coaching includes business development support, mentoring, and access to a network of experts and investors. The programme is open to innovative projects in any field but has a particular focus on deep tech, such as healthcare, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. The web page provides information on the application process, eligibility criteria, and the amount of funding available.
However, the EIC funding opportunities are aimed more at technology-based start-up profiles, such as university spin-offs, and therefore less at maker business. The EIC funding opportunities remain the most powerful and provide larger amounts of grants.
https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life/life-calls-proposals_en
The European Commission’s CINEA (Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency) is responsible for managing and implementing EU funding programmes related to climate action, energy, transport, and environmental projects. Its objective is to contribute to the EU’s climate and energy targets and promote a sustainable and low-carbon economy. The website is structured into several units dealing with different topics, and it collaborates with stakeholders and partners to achieve its goals.
One of their programmes is called LIFE. This programme aims to fund projects that contribute to the protection and improvement of the environment and climate action in the European Union. This webpage includes details on the different types of calls for proposals and their respective deadlines, as well as information on funding priorities, eligibility criteria, and how to apply.
This funding opportunity can be interesting for maker projects that work directly with environmental protection. There is also a focus on CE within the programme structure, which is very interesting for fab labs and maker spaces profiles.
The Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) is a public-private partnership that aims at promoting the development of a sustainable bio economy in Europe. This partnership offers funding opportunities for businesses and organisations working on circular bio-based projects, as well as financing and investment options for individuals and groups interested in participating in this growing sector. This page is part of the Circular Cities and Regions website and outlines the goals and objectives of the CBE JU, highlighting the importance of a circular bio-based economy in contributing to the European Green Deal and transitioning to a more sustainable future.
This funding opportunity can be interesting for maker projects that work with innovative bio-based solutions although the focus is industrial solutions.
👉 Funding sources more specific for public administrations:
The Cohesion Fund provides funding for projects in regional development and infrastructure in less-developed EU member states. Relevant investment themes are the promotion of low-carbon strategies and investments in the waste sector. The webpage explains the criteria for eligibility and the types of projects that can be funded, as well as offers guidance for potential applicants. It also provides an overview of the application process and the role of the European Commission in administering the fund.
The cohesion fund has a budget of €48 billion for the period 2021-2027.
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/programmes/esf
The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) is the main financial instrument strengthening Europe’s social dimension, by putting the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights into practice. It targets employment, labour mobility, social inclusion, and skills. ESF+ supports EU Member States to achieve high employment levels, fair social protection, the eradication of poverty, and a skilled and resilient workforce ready for the transition to a green and digital economy.
The ESF+ has a budget of €87.9 billion for the period 2021-2027.
This funding opportunity can be relevant for employment and social innovation. For example, through public incubators or accelerator programmes.
https://een.ec.europa.eu/about-enterprise-europe-network/advice-support/access-eu-funding-programmes
The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) helps SMEs to find and apply for EU funding programmes that can help drive research, innovation, and business projects forward. The platform also helps European SMEs to master the triple transition to more sustainable, more resilient, and more digital business models.
EEN is made up of teams of network experts in each member organisation who offer personalised services to businesses. The experts know the local business environment and have contacts for business opportunities worldwide. It covers all key economic sectors, from healthcare to fashion and textiles, from agri-food to smart energy.
This is a network of chambers of commerce and local competitiveness agencies (e.g., Acció, in Catalonia) that provide access to free EU services and provide access to consultancy services on a fee basis.
Steps: Find local contact point
https://een.ec.europa.eu/local-contact-points/es/agencia-la-competitivitat-de-la-empresa
https://www.thecircularlab.com/gocircular/ Ecoembes innovation ecosystem (National)
GoCircular is an innovation ecosystem created by Ecoembes, a Spanish non-profit organisation that promotes the circular economy and sustainability. GoCircular offers resources and tools to help businesses and entrepreneurs develop circular economy projects and initiatives in Spain and aims at accelerating circular economy start-ups and projects at the national level.
The following subsections will present further sources where to stay informed and research for funding opportunities information at an EU level, such as benchmarks and networking events for identifying partners.
Euro Alert
Euroalert.net is an unofficial platform with an ISSN that provides EU-related content and competitive intelligence products and services for companies, organisations, and/or institutions. There is a charge for this service.
EUCalls
https://eucalls.net/dashboard/
EUcalls is an unofficial ‘intelligent’ database of EU calls and EU project partners powered by the Institute of Entrepreneurship Development (iED). This service is also subject to a fee, although there is a free package offering limited access.
The following references are used to search for Horizon coordinators. This might be useful tools for exploring strategic partnerships.
Crowdhelix
https://crowdhelix.com/network/members/rto
Crowdhelix creates collaborative links between excellent researchers and innovative businesses around the world.
Horizon Europe
https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/programmes/horizon
Horizon Europe is the European Union framework programme for research and innovation (R&I) for the period 2021-2027. The link leads to the full list of national contact points.
Subsequently, there will be presented other types of (private) funding opportunities for entrepreneurs, such as crowdfunding and accelerating programmes.
Crowdfunding is a way of raising funds for a project or venture by obtaining small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet. The process involves creating a campaign or project on a crowdfunding platform, setting a fundraising goal, and offering rewards or incentives for contributions. Crowdfunding can be used for a wide range of projects, such as creative works, entrepreneurial ventures, social causes, and personal needs. It allows individuals or organisations to bypass traditional fundraising methods and directly appeal to a large audience for support. Crowdfunding has become an increasingly popular way of financing projects, with platforms such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and GoFundMe attracting millions of users and generating billions of dollars in contributions. Pop-Machina shared information on crowdfunding opportunities using basic platforms such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo, etc. More details are explained in Section II of this report, in the subsection ‘training’.
This section provides valuable information to support your access to leading acceleration programmes for attracting investors and getting funding, especially for maker spaces and makers (social) businesses.
Preparing your acceleration applications
There are various approaches to preparing your acceleration applications, but some key steps include identifying the appropriate accelerator programme that aligns with your business goals and needs, carefully reviewing and following the application guidelines and requirements, crafting a clear and compelling pitch that highlights your unique value proposition and potential for growth, and preparing a strong team that can effectively execute on your vision. It is also important to conduct thorough research on the accelerator, its mentors, and alumni to gain insights on what to expect and to practice your pitch and be prepared to answer tough questions during the selection process. Finally, make sure to meet all application deadlines and stay proactive in following up with the programme after submitting your application.
Whereas preparing your application, you may wish to brainstorm with your core team and relevant stakeholders (e.g. investor partners building ecosystems, coaches, mentors, network of partners such as fab labs, maker spaces, societal development practitioners, social corporates, investors, and entrepreneurs). You may reflect altogether or in working groups on how you would define or interpret ‘acceleration’ within the scope of circularity, tech, social or policy, etc.
Looking at your ideas on how your aim looks may require different approaches. Below, you may find four acceleration approaches and tips.
Approach #1 (initial idea & inspiration) Ensure the identification, capture & nurture of ‘new ideas’ that may lead to innovations.
Approach #2 (realisation, development & planning) Build the capacity of innovation actors to self-organise, create, to experiment, to test & put new ideas into practice.
Approach #3 (dissemination & embedding) Actively disseminate new innovations to promote their uptake & adoption by other actors not directly involved in their creation.
Approach #4 Build/improve the enabling environment for innovation.
Figure 13. Overview of global incubators/accelerators approaches
👉 List of relevant accelerator programmes. However, it is important to note that some of these programmes may quickly become outdated:
Go Circular
https://globuc.com/go-circular/start-up-competition/
The competition focuses on offering technologies or innovations with the potential to accelerate toward a low-carbon circular economy (plastics, biomass, CO2). The initiative is a specialised event dedicated to circular economy and sustainability in industries such as energy, manufacturing, waste management, packaging, and resource efficiency. Go Circular offers a platform for start-ups to showcase innovative circular solutions, connect with investors and industry experts, and gain valuable insights into sustainable business practices. Attendees can benefit from networking opportunities, knowledge-sharing sessions, and potential partnerships, empowering start-ups to drive positive environmental impact and create a more sustainable future.
The applications are normally in April. Not in a fixed location.
Green Alley Award
https://green-alley-award.com/apply/
Focused on recycling, waste prevention and digital solutions. This event provides an opportunity for start-ups to showcase their innovative solutions, gain recognition, and access a network of industry experts and investors. Green Alley Award offers support, mentorship, and potential funding to help start-ups drive positive environmental impact and accelerate their growth. Normally in April, in Berlin, Germany.
The applications for 2024 will open in September. There is an opportunity for applications for awards.
Tech Tour South East
https://techtour.com/events/2023/5/event-tech-tour-south-east-2023.html Tech Tour South East 2023 is a highly anticipated event organised by Tech Tour that spotlights innovation and investment prospects in key industries within the Southeastern European start-up ecosystem. This event focuses on various sectors, including Digital/ICT, Fintech, Mobility, Sustainability & Health Digital Models. By bringing together start-ups, investors, and industry experts from these sectors, Tech Tour South East 2023 offers a unique platform for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and investment opportunities tailored to these specific industries.
The event occurs in Athens, Greece, held annually with deadlines for registration in early April.
It’s not specific for sustainability but have a great section https://techtour.com/sectors/sustainability.
The event hosts a pitch event, possibility of participating in the event by purchasing the ticket Presenting Company https://community.techtour.com/#/login.
Infoshare
Infoshare is a leading tech conference that gathers start-ups, investors, and tech enthusiasts. With a focus on technology, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation, it offers valuable networking opportunities, industry insights, and investor connections, targeting industries such as technology, software development, fintech, healthtech, and e-commerce.
The event occurs on May, Gdańsk, Poland.
Start-up ticket €190 Ticket for all 9 stages, Start-up Expo, Matchmaking and Great Networking Party.
Pitch opportunity getting the Start-up Pass and sending application form with a detailed pitch deck attached.
ChangeNOW Summit
https://www.changenow-summit.com/
A global summit bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and decision-makers to accelerate positive change. It features keynote speeches, workshops, and networking opportunities focused on Sustainable innovation clean energy circular economy.
The event occurs usually in May 2023 in Paris, France and has a €110 ticket cost.
GreenTech Festival
https://greentechfestival.com/
A leading platform showcasing cutting-edge green technologies and sustainable innovations. It combines exhibitions, conferences, and live experiences. Empowering changemakers and fostering innovative green technologies for a sustainable future, this event is focused on Building green, mobility & Infrastructure and Food transition. The event occurs in Berlin, Germany annually in June.
The ticket conference pass costs €399 and the festival pass €1,399.
The event includes an Award contest for outstanding personalities, institutions, companies, start-ups and innovations. Apply process filling out formulary on the web. Registration is currently closed.
Impact’23
Impact’23 is also an ideal opportunity to gain new business contacts – during numerous accompanying events, participants have the opportunity to exchange insights on the most important economic trends and new ideas for cooperation that fit perfectly into the current reality. The event is focused on Digital Future, Industry 5.0, Future Societies, Green Economy, Sustainable Fashion, Energy, and many more.
The registration process is currently closed for ‘23 event and ticket are not enabled.
The ticket cost is approx. €640-1,800.
The events host a pitch competition calls Impact Arena, Registration currently closed.
Impact Start-up Fest
An event focused on impact-driven start-ups and investors. It includes inspirational talks, pitch competitions, and networking activities focused on Circular economy, Food transition, Energy transition, Climate adaptation, and more.
The event occurs in November, but location and prices ticket are not published.
The event hosts a pitch competition https://getinthering.co/global-startup-competition/. Registration is currently closed.
Nordic Circular Summit
https://www.nordiccircularsummit.com/
A summit gathering circular economy leaders and start-ups in the Nordic region. It features keynote speeches, workshops, and networking opportunities focused on Circular economy and sustainable business practices.
The event occurs in Reykjavik, Iceland, normally in October. Ticket prices and release day are not available.
Sustainable Brands
https://sustainablebrandsmadrid.com/
A conference exploring sustainability and brand innovation. It offers insights from thought leaders, case studies, and interactive sessions focused on Impact investment and Impact Brands. Which seeks to inspire, transform, and activate innovative brands and organisations that want to integrate sustainability into their business.
The event occurs in Madrid, Spain on October 23 & 24, tickets, and prices not enabled.
Additional programmes were briefly mentioned in Pop-Machina D6.2, such as Digicirc https://digicirc.eu, Circular Valley, https://circular-valley.org/, and Circular-Accelerator. https://www.circular-accelerator.com/
In summary, the acceleration programmes and events mentioned are mainly characterised by:
mainly focused on networking, keynote speeches, exhibitions, and showcases and workshops & interactive sessions;
pitch events opportunities but a highly close registration period process;
despite some free events, the average cost is €600 depending on the pack;
wide variety of topics in events such as: DeepTech, GrowTech, circular economy food transition energy transition, climate adaptation, and more;
many events attract investors and venture capitalists actively seeking promising start-ups, offering opportunities to pitch ideas, secure funding, or engage in investment discussions.
When considering funding opportunities, it is essential to consider both EU-level funding programmes and local resources. The European Union offers a range of funding programmes and initiatives that target different sectors and priorities, with target audiences ranging from start-ups and entrepreneurs to research institutions and regional projects. Interesting elements of these programmes include the possibility of obtaining substantial financial support, networking opportunities, and access to expertise. In addition, the importance of local resources offered by development agencies, municipalities, and regional programmes should not be overlooked. These local channels often provide funding, grants, and tailored support for entrepreneurship and business development, as well as networking opportunities and specific programmes designed to meet the needs of the local community.
When it comes to accessing EU funding opportunities, there are many avenues for businesses, entrepreneurs, and organisations to explore. The European Union (EU) offers a range of funding programmes targeting different sectors, including research, innovation, circular economy, regional development, entrepreneurship, etc. The target audience for these funding opportunities is diverse, encompassing start-ups, SMEs, research institutions, local authorities, and other stakeholders. A notable resource is the Enterprise Europe Network, which provides valuable advice, support, and partner search services to access EU funding programmes.
When it comes to accelerators, in today’s investment landscape, where sustainability is a top priority, acceleration programmes have become crucial facilitators. They provide a platform for responsible entrepreneurs to exchange knowledge and network with like-minded individuals. These programmes are available in various industries and geographies and are tailored to meet the specific requirements of start-ups that aim to make an impact through sustainable innovations. Participating in acceleration programmes offers numerous benefits for emerging circular productions. They can showcase their creative ideas, attract potential funding partners, and build alliances committed to realising global sustainable goals, ultimately contributing to the betterment of society. However, entrepreneurs should be aware that access fees are typically high, and each programme requires careful evaluation before committing resources. Additionally, due to the close timing of many events, start-ups often prioritise local connections over international networking, limiting their attendance to events in their country of operation.
Proposal writing tips: how to design excellent circular project proposals?
show the project will undertake interdisciplinary approaches, and appropriate gender considerations in research and innovation content;
it should highlight the quality of open science practices that will be used, including sharing and management of research outputs; and as appropriate the engagement of citizens, civil society, and end users during the project implementation;
outcomes identification.
Collaborating with local actors and keeping abreast of regional initiatives can greatly improve the chances of obtaining funding and accessing relevant resources.
Final considerations
When looking for resources to fund your projects, it is important to think about both big EU programmes and what is available locally. The EU has lots of different funding schemes for different things, like helping new businesses or supporting research. These schemes can offer a lot of support, chances to meet new people, and access to like-minded people.
Remember what is available in your local area! Places like local councils and groups often have money, grants, and help specifically for starting businesses. They also have events and programmes tailored to the needs of the people living there.
Working with local groups and keeping up with what is happening nearby can really help you get the money and support you need for your projects !
About Pop-Machina
Coordinator
HIVA - Research Institute for Work and Society Behavioral Engineering Research Group KU Leuven (BE)
City of Leuven (BE)
ETAM (GR)
Municipality of Thessaloniki (GR)
Municipality of Piraeus (GR)
Q-PLAN INTERNATIONAL (GR)
University of Macedonia (GR)
Ayuntamiento de Santander (ES)
Universidad de Cantabria (ES)
Gemeente Venlo, KanDoen (NL)
TU Delft (NL)
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (TR)
İSTAÇ AŞ (TR)
Planet Turkey (TR)
Koç University (TR)
Municipality of Kaunas (LT)
ISM University of Management and Economics (LT)
University of Cambridge (UK)
CERTH (GR)
White Research (BE)
CommonLawgic (GR)
INTRASOFT International (LU)
Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (ES)
Pop-Machina aims to demonstrate the power and potential of the maker movement and collaborative production for the EU circular economy. We draw from a number of cut-edge technologies (factory-of-the-future, blockchain) and disciplines (urban planning, architecture) to provide the support necessary to overcome scaling issues; a typical drawback of collaborative production; to find the areas more in need of our intervention and to reconfigure unused spaces. We put forth an elaborate community engagement programme to network, incentivise and stimulate through maker fairs and events existing and new maker communities in all our municipalities. We build upon the current informal curriculum for maker skills development by nurturing the social side and we put educators and makers together to exchange ideas on the training modalities. A particular focus on the skill development of women and vulnerable groups will aim to empower these (underrepresented) segments to partake actively in collaborative production. In every pilot area we will demonstrate business oriented collaborative production of feasible and sustainable concepts from secondary raw material or other sustainable inputs, based on the needs and preferences of the local stakeholders. A thorough impact assessment framework with increased scope (e.g. social) will be codesigned with stakeholders after short basic assessment trainings and will be used in the assessment of our pilot work. Based on the findings we will kick-start a series of policy events to discuss openly – without pushing our results – the tax and legal barriers that hamper collaborative production.
Partners
Please refer to this publication as follows: Gerson Saltiel Schmidt, A., Seuba, J., Tsolakis, A. & Roma, I. (2023). Routes to access funding for circular productions (Deliverable 6.4). Leuven: Pop-Machina project 821479 H2020.
Information may be quoted provided the source is stated accurately and clearly.
This publication is also available via http://www.pop-machina.eu
The information and views set out in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Neither the European Union institutions and bodies nor any person acting on their behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Name
Target audience
Type of resource
Specificity
CCRI Europe Methodology
Cities, maker spaces and makers
Specific tools, methods, and resources
Provides a step-by-step guide to implementing circular economy strategies at the local and regional level, including identifying priority sectors and value chains
Circular Cities Actions Framework
Cities, maker spaces and makers
Specific tools, methods, and resources
Offers a practical framework for developing and implementing circular economy strategies in cities, including 30 recommended actions across different areas
CircularInvest
Maker spaces and makers
Support services and funding
Offers free, tailored-made support delivered by experts to help circular projects become investment-ready and support their access to financial resources
CCRI Newsletter archive
Cities, maker spaces and makers
News and events
Provides information and updates related to circular economy initiatives, projects, events, and other relevant topics from CCRI
Circular Economy Guidebook for Cities
Cities
In-depth reports and analyses
Provides a comprehensive guide to implementing circular economy strategies in cities, including case studies, best practices, and tool
Circular City Funding Guide
Cities
In-depth reports and analyses
Provides guidance on how to design and implement financing programmes for circular economy projects at the local level, including different types of financing models
Name
Target audience
Type of resource
Specificity
European Innovation Council (EIC)
More mature circular production projects
Support services, funding, and knowledge sharing
Provides valuable information on funding opportunities for ground-breaking innovations and offers additional business support services to help accelerate their growth and impact
LIFE
Maker spaces and more mature circular production projects
Support services, funding, networking, and knowledge sharing
Provides information on funding opportunities under the LIFE programme, technical assistance, and networking and knowledge sharing between project beneficiaries
Bio Circular Joint Undertaking
Maker spaces and more mature circular production projects
Support services, funding, and knowledge sharing
Provides information on funding and financing opportunities within the circular and bio-based domain and highlights the collaboration between the European Commission and private sector partners
Cohesion Fund
Cities
Support services, funding, and knowledge sharing
Funding source for circular economy projects. Provides information on eligibility criteria, project evaluation, implementation, and support available to help navigate the funding process
European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)
Cities and maker spaces
Support services, funding, and knowledge sharing
Funding source for projects related to social inclusion, employment, skills development, and labour market integration. Provides information on eligibility criteria, project types, funding calls, and support available
Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)
Cities and maker spaces
Support services, funding, and knowledge sharing
Highlights the various funding opportunities offered by EU programmes and provides advice and assistance on developing proposals, managing projects, and optimising international collaboration for successful participation in EU-funded projects
