The EIT Circular Economy Community launches the Circular Economy Prize

Are you an SME or start-up with an innovative service, technology, or product around circular economy? Compete for the chance to showcase your idea to an expert panel, secure the award prize and be part of the European innovation community!

The EIT Community Circular Economy aims to identify and award relevant start-ups and SMEs with significant new solutions around circular economy.

Compete for a chance to pitch your idea in front of our expert Jury, secure a substantial financial award to boost your product, service or technology and be a part of the vibrant circular economy network of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT).

Within the EIT Circular Economy Community, EIT RawMaterials, EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Food, EIT Manufacturing and EIT Urban Mobility are joining forces to craft favorable environments for creative thought processes and innovations in circular economy to flourish.

The Application is now open and closes on 31 August 2022 23:59 CET.

Thematic scope

We are looking for solutions in the areas of:

• Topic 1: New circular business models in two specific areas:
  • From products to services: This model is an alternative to the established “buy and own” approach and includes lending, renting, or pay-for-use agreements. It allows the customer to purchase a service or desired result, rather than buying the product itself.
  • Sharing economy: The primary feature that defines a sharing economy is cooperation. It creates the opportunity for consumers to tap into the unused potential of products by reducing their idle time and increasing access to goods and services.
• Topic 2: Circular economy assessment methodologies: new methodological approaches to monitor and/or quantify circular economy from a general perspective or in specific sectors as critical raw materials, building, food.
• Topic 3: Waste valorization including logistics: new ideas and approaches for waste valorization in specific sectors as critical raw materials, building, food including digital solutions to improve logistics.
• Topic 4: Digital Products Passports: new ideas and developments in the field of Digital Products Passports as efficient tool to improve materials traceability to support the implementation of sustainable products.

The contest is open to any legal entity or group of legal entities established in an EU Member State or in a country associated to HorizonEurope. For partners and entities that have already received funding by the participating EIT KICs (EIT Raw Materials, EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Food, EIT Urban Mobility and EIT Manufacturing) restrictions may apply. For more information refer to the Rules of the Prize.