Deadline: 31/08/2022

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 Circular Economy Community aims to identify and award relevant start-ups and SMEs with significant new solutions around the 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 favourable environments for creative thought processes and innovations in the circular economy to flourish.

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 such as critical raw materials, building, and food.

Topic 3: Waste valorisation including logistics: new ideas and approaches for waste valorisation in specific sectors such as critical raw materials, building, and food, including digital solutions to improve logistics.

Topic 4: Digital Products Passports: new ideas and developments in the field of Digital Products Passports as an 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 a country associated with Horizon Europe. Restrictions may apply to partners and entities that have already received funding from the participating EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), such as EIT RawMaterials, EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Food, EIT Urban Mobility, and EIT Manufacturing.