Circular economy funding
Grants and contracts for material reuse, recycling, design-for-disassembly, and product-as-a-service models.
Circular economy funding has moved from a niche industrial-decarbonization sub-theme to a top-line priority in the EU (Circular Economy Action Plan, Horizon Cluster 6), the UK (DEFRA Resources & Waste Strategy), and a growing list of MDB programmes. The 2024–2026 wave concentrates on textiles, electronics, plastics, and battery materials.
The funder mix skews towards EU instruments (Horizon, Innovation Fund, LIFE, Interreg) and national R&D agencies (UKRI Smart Manufacturing, Vinnova, ADEME). Corporate procurement is increasingly important, large brands signing offtake or pilot contracts for circular feedstocks behaves like non-dilutive funding for early commercial scale-up.
Live opportunities
- Grant
Coordinated topic with India on recycling of EV batteries
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• organisation• Up to €9,400,000This Horizon Europe Innovation Action funds coordinated research and deployment projects on electric vehicle battery recycling in partnership with India, supporting circular-economy solutions for EV supply chains. It targets consortia of research institutions, industry, and SMEs working on battery material recovery, reuse technologies, and recycling infrastructure.
- Contract
Mobile collection and disposal of hazardous waste – a German district
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• organisationMobile collection and disposal of approximately 70 tonnes per annum of hazardous waste across Limburg-Weilburg district. Bidders should be waste management operators with hazmat handling expertise and mobile collection capability.
- Contract
Refuse and waste management services – municipal waste collection and disposal
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• organisationThis tender procures municipal waste collection and management services from residential and recreational properties in Zielonki municipality, Poland, with mandatory recycling and recovery targets. Bidders must be waste-management operators capable of selective collection, transport, and compliant disposal across multiple waste streams.
- Contract
Household-refuse disposal services – street-sweeping waste transport and disposal
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• organisationThis tender procures transport and disposal services for street-sweeping waste (EER code 200108) collected across Salerno municipality for 6 months with optional 6-month extension. Bidders must be licensed waste-management operators with transport and disposal capacity for this specific waste stream.
- Contract
Refuse Collection Services – Reserved Tender for Municipal Waste Collection Centre Management Area East
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• organisationThis tender procures management and operation of municipal waste collection centres (Area Est) and ancillary services under Italian public procurement law. Bidders should be waste-management operators with experience in recycling centre operations, sorting, and compliance with Italian environmental regulations.
- Contract
Supply of two crane trucks for glass waste collection service
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• Municipality• $666KProcurement of two crane trucks for glass waste collection by a municipal water and sewerage company in Spain. Bidders should be commercial vehicle suppliers or specialized waste-collection equipment manufacturers with experience in municipal fleet procurement.
- Contract
Waste centre management, municipal waste transport and partial recovery services
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• organisationThis tender procures cleaning, management, and transshipment of municipal waste at a resource-recovery centre in southern Germany, with approximately 410 annual service hours. Bidders should be waste-management or environmental-services companies with experience in municipal waste handling and facility operations.
- Contract
Engineering services – Site remediation and demolition planning – Former industrial mill – Engineering and laboratory services
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• MunicipalityMunicipality of Lauchringen seeks engineering services for site remediation, demolition planning, and geotechnical oversight of a former cotton mill (66,700 m²) being converted to residential and waterfront development. Bidders must have expertise in contaminated-site assessment, building deconstruction, soil remediation, waste management, and construction supervision.
- Contract
Refuse and waste services – municipal waste collection and management 2027–2028
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• organisationThis tender procures municipal waste collection, transport, and processing services for residential properties in the funder, Poland for 2027–2028, including selective waste segregation infrastructure and point-of-collection management. Bidders must be waste-management operators with capacity for residential collection, segregation logistics, and licensed disposal/recovery facility access.
- Contract
Collection and Reprocessing of Glass Packaging for a UK Local Authority (Concession)
Deadline 15 Sept 2026••••• Council• $1MNewark & Sherwood District Council seeks a service provider to collect, haul, and reprocess approximately 2,200 tonnes annually of kerbside-collected glass packaging into recycling markets under a concession contract. The bidder must hold waste-handling licenses, operate a reprocessing facility, and establish a revenue-sharing arrangement with the council.
Active funders
Barn Investments
OpenDOEN Foundation
OpenEnvironment Agency
OpenDeadline calendar
Circular Economy grants closing in the next 90 days, grouped by urgency. Each card opens the grants listed in that window.
Frequently asked
Is "recycling" the same as "circular economy" for funder purposes?▾
Usually broader, recycling is one of several circular strategies (reuse, repair, remanufacturing, sharing, dematerialisation). The most competitive applications make the full circularity case, not just the end-of-life recovery story.
Which sectors have the most circular-economy funding right now?▾
On dollar volume in 2026: textiles (driven by EU PPWR + ESPR), plastics (UN Treaty preparatory work + extended producer responsibility schemes), electronics/critical raw materials, and battery recycling. Built-environment circularity (construction waste, reuse hubs) is a fast-growing pocket.
Are there grants for circular business models, not just hardware?▾
Yes. Horizon Cluster 6, EIT Climate-KIC, and Innovate UK Smart Grants fund product-as-a-service, repair networks, and digital product passports. Foundation funding (Ellen MacArthur Foundation portfolio, Laudes Foundation) explicitly targets systems and business-model change.
Do procurement contracts count as non-dilutive funding here?▾
Yes, large public buyers (NHS, EU procurement, local authorities) are increasingly buying circular materials or services with multi-year contracts that pre-pay capacity. Treat the UK Find a Tender and TED feeds as a funding source, not just a sales channel.
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Match scores, alerts when new programmes open, and the complete listing of every circular economy opportunity, across grants, government contracts, and offtake programmes.
What can I find here this week?
New this week
See all 1,630 →Refuse and waste services – collection and transport of biowaste
••••• organisation· PL
This tender procures collection and transport of biodegradable waste (food and garden waste) from properties across a Polish municipality. Bidders must be waste-management operators with local logistics capacity and compliance with EU waste-handling regulations.
International Consultant on Waste Management and Circular Economy
••••• organisation· KZ
A UN development agency seeks an international consultant to provide expertise on waste management and circular economy strategies, likely for Kazakhstan. The ideal bidder is an experienced sustainability consultant or firm with demonstrated expertise in circular economy policy, waste systems design, and international development contexts.
Selective collection and treatment of recyclable household packaging and paper materials
••••• organisation· FR
Procurement of selective waste collection and transport services for recyclable materials (glass, packaging, paper) from household sources. Bidders should be waste-management operators with experience in selective collection, sorting, and transport of recyclables.
Refuse and waste services – municipal waste collection and recovery/disposal
••••• organisation· PL
This tender procures municipal waste collection, sorting, and disposal services for approximately 2,277 residential properties and a selective waste collection point in a rural Polish municipality, covering the full waste stream with emphasis on recycling and recovery. Bidders must be licensed waste management operators with capacity to serve a municipality of ~7,000 residents, comply with EU and Polish environmental law, and manage multiple waste fractions.
Paper and cardboard collection services for recycling – Lot 1
••••• organisation· ES
This tender procures paper and cardboard collection services from separate waste streams for recycling purposes in the Pamplona region. Bidders should be waste-management or recycling-logistics operators with container-collection and material-handling capabilities.
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- Sibling sectors: waste reduction, low-carbon materials