Circular Economy grants — page 7
658 listings tracked right now · page 7 of 14
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. Listed below are the open circular economy grant calls in that landscape, taken from each funder's own notice and re-checked on every refresh.
Industrial grants are capital-heavy and correspondingly slow. The recurring large pots are the EU Innovation Fund, the US Industrial Demonstrations Program, and the UK Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, all of which expect a named site, a credible counterfactual for emissions saved, and matched investment already committed. Smaller circular-economy and waste calls come through EU LIFE, national environment agencies and local authorities, where the eligibility is broader and the cheques are far smaller.
This page lists open circular economy grants currently tracked by Raise Lens — 658 of them right now, sorted with the soonest deadline first. Every listing has been classified against the sustainability taxonomy rather than matched on keywords, so what appears here is circular economy work rather than anything whose description happens to mention it.
The funders publishing circular economy grants here include SED Fund, Regeneration.vc, MEYERS FAMILY ENTERPRISES, among 2 others. Who is funding matters as much as what: eligibility, reporting burden and the realistic timeline to a decision vary far more between funders than between individual calls.
Geographic coverage on this page spans GLOBAL, EUROPE, MENA, EAST-AFRICA, LATAM. Eligibility is usually tied to where the work happens or where the applying organisation is registered, and the two are not always the same — worth checking before investing time in an application.
Seed and Scale-Up Funding
••••• Fund
Venture philanthropy fund providing seed and scale-up capital to organisations and programmes pursuing innovative, solutions-oriented climate action aligned with the SDGs. Supports projects across their lifecycle from early stage through scaling.
A Climate-Focused Early-Stage Venture Fund
••••• organisation
The funder invests equity capital in early-stage consumer-facing climate technology companies developing circular and regenerative solutions across sustainable materials, AI-powered resource recovery, and regenerative brands. The fund targets startups transforming consumer industry value chains to operate within planetary boundaries.
Impact Investing
••••• organisation
Impact Investing provides capital to ventures and projects that advance planetary regeneration and societal health through sustainable and regenerative practices. The fund targets entrepreneurs and organizations building businesses in regenerative agriculture, environmental restoration, and related impact sectors.
Real Assets Fund
••••• organisation
Evergreen investment fund from the funder deploying capital into real assets spanning circular economy, digital transformation, energy transition, and value-add real estate. Targets institutional and qualified investors seeking long-horizon returns with sustainability exposure across multiple climate and circular-economy themes.
Social Business Incubator & Accelerator
••••• organisation
This is an incubator and accelerator programme that funds social businesses developing environmental solutions to address the climate crisis, with support for scaling globally. It targets entrepreneurs and early-stage ventures across multiple sectors and geographies.
European venture capital fund for adaptation technology
••••• organisation
European venture capital fund investing in AdapTech companies that build resilience, autonomy, and productivity through technologies in energy, water, food, circularity, and Industry 5.0, with AI-enabled transformation as a cross-cutting theme. Targets early to growth-stage startups and scale-ups developing distributed energy systems, precision agriculture, advanced recycling, and smart industrial solutions.
Infrastructure: Builds new infrastructure and repurposes existing assets to underpin a lower-carbon economy
••••• organisation
The funder invests in infrastructure projects that build new assets or repurpose existing ones to enable a lower-carbon economy, with focus on low-carbon molecules, waste-to-X conversion, and decarbonization across the infrastructure value chain. The fund targets companies and projects at scale-ready and mature stages developing production, storage, distribution, and infrastructure solutions.
Catalyze Climate 2025
••••• organisation
Catalyze Climate 2025 is a climate-focused investment or accelerator initiative by the funder supporting startups developing solutions to global climate challenges aligned with UN SDGs. The programme targets early-stage companies across climate-tech, clean energy, sustainable agriculture, and circular economy sectors.
Cleantech Business Angels Network
••••• organisation
Angel investor network that provides structured deal flow, expert due diligence panels, and co-investment facilitation for early-stage climate and cleantech startups across mobility, energy, circular economy, and related sectors. Designed for founders seeking equity investment and investor syndication rather than grants.
Angel Network for Impact Startups
••••• organisation
An angel investment network deploying €100M+ across 250+ entrepreneur-angels to back early-stage founders building solutions in energy, circular economy, health, PropTech, and consumer sectors focused on environmental and societal impact. Ideal for pre-seed and seed-stage startups with climate or sustainability-driven business models.
Corporate Venture Capital Fund
••••• organisation
The funder Core Fund is a corporate venture capital programme investing in early to growth-stage companies developing materials, infrastructure, environmental solutions, and industrial systems. The fund leverages Heritage Group's operational expertise and networks to support portfolio companies as lead or follow investor.
A European Climate-Tech CVC Fund
••••• organisation
Helen Ventures CVC is a corporate venture capital fund investing in European early-stage and growth startups across energy, e-mobility, circular economy, decarbonisation, and digital solutions. Portfolio management transitioned to Redstone Nordics as of June 1, 2025.
Climate Solutions
••••• organisation
Early-stage equity investment fund backing climate-tech startups across sustainable resource use, grid modernization, circular economy, electrification, regenerative agriculture, and alternative proteins. Targets pre-revenue and growth-stage companies solving climate change through technology and business model innovation.
Climate Tech Seed Fund I
••••• organisation
The funder Fund I is a $65M seed-stage venture fund deploying $1.5–3M cheques into early-stage climate tech startups in Physical AI, Energy Tech, and Waste-to-Value sectors. It targets enterprise and mobility applications and is open to founders building hardware, software, and robotics solutions in climate and energy transition.
A Mexican Building Materials Company's Corporate Venture Capital Arm
••••• organisation
The funder invests corporate venture capital in early-stage and growth-stage construction technology startups developing sustainable, efficient, and innovative solutions across green construction, productivity, supply chain, and future-of-construction. The fund targets contech companies building technologies that advance sustainability and operational efficiency in the construction ecosystem.
Waste To Wonder
••••• organisation
This grant funds the transformation of discarded tyres and waste materials into resource facilities serving underserved communities across South Africa, combining environmental protection with social equity. Eligible applicants can access funding to build circular-economy infrastructure that addresses both waste management and community development.
A circular-economy investment fund focused on mid-market circularity investments, targeting established waste-reduction pioneers
••••• organisation
Summa Circular is a dedicated investment fund that provides equity capital to companies building circular economy and waste-free solutions across Europe. The fund targets businesses enabling the transition to a circular economy through innovative waste-reduction and resource-recovery models.
Mid-Market Sustainability Private Equity Fund
••••• organisation
The funder Fund II is a mid-market buyout fund targeting established European companies advancing sustainability, food systems, energy transition, and digital resilience. The fund acquires and scales portfolio companies solving global challenges in these thematic areas.
Mid-Market Sustainability Buyout Fund
••••• organisation
The funder Fund III is a mid-market buyout fund investing in established companies across circularity, sustainable food, energy transition, and tech-enabled resilience themes. The fund targets mature, revenue-generating businesses ready for growth capital and operational scaling.
A European Private Equity Buyout Fund
••••• organisation
The funder Fund I is a thematic buyout fund investing in mid-market companies addressing global challenges in circularity, sustainable food, energy transition, and tech-enabled resilience. The fund targets established businesses with proven revenue and operations, not early-stage startups.
Mentorship & Scale-up Support Programme
••••• organisation
This grant provides 240 hours of intensive business coaching (finance, sustainability, pitching, social innovation) to 12 selected rural startups and SMEs in circular bioeconomy sectors. It is designed to help early-stage teams scale their business models and impact in rural areas.
Investing in Early-Stage Companies
••••• organisation
The funder invests in early-stage companies driving system-level change across energy transition, nature, food, materials, and urban systems, providing seed funding, strategic advising, and network access. The fund targets innovative entrepreneurs and teams with ideas that can scale solutions in climate, circular economy, and sustainability.
Advising Pioneers
••••• organisation
The funder offers strategic partnerships with companies to co-design innovative business models that advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals across energy, nature, food, materials, and urban sectors. The programme provides hands-on support to help companies lead systemic changes that benefit people, planet, and industry.
Sustainability Frameworks and the Circular Economy
••••• organisation
This programme funds the development of sustainability frameworks and circular economy approaches tailored to Qatar and hot arid environments. It targets organizations and researchers working on circular economy models and sustainability strategy in these specific geographic and climatic contexts.
Climate Infrastructure Fund Provides Growth Capital
••••• organisation
The funder provides project finance and corporate equity to real-asset platforms in climate infrastructure sectors including distributed energy, waste-to-value, sustainable transportation, and food & agriculture. The fund targets companies in the 'missing middle' that have demonstrated traction but need growth capital.
Minerals for Transition
••••• Foundation
This grant funds projects developing responsible sourcing practices and supply chain solutions for minerals essential to clean energy technologies (lithium, cobalt, nickel, rare earths, etc.). Eligible applicants include nonprofits, social enterprises, research institutions, and companies working to improve environmental and social standards in mineral extraction and processing.
Protecting Our Planet
••••• Foundation
This grant funds innovative projects that advance sustainability in the apparel industry and outdoor recreation economy, with emphasis on global environmental stewardship. It targets organizations working on climate mitigation and sustainable business practices across these sectors.
A European Climate-Tech Venture Fund
••••• organisation
The funder Fund provides early-stage equity investment (Pre-Seed to Series A) for European green technology companies in climate mitigation, resource efficiency, waste prevention, and biodiversity protection. The fund targets hardware and software startups across agriculture, energy, manufacturing, transport, and water/waste sectors, with rigorous impact vetting via life cycle assessments.
Grants
••••• Foundation
General grant programme from Partnership Foundation supporting communities and organizations across Czech Republic, with explicit focus on nature conservation, community development, and climate adaptation. Eligible applicants can access funding, expert advisory services, and educational support for environmental and community projects.
State-funded Deeptech Batch
••••• organisation
This is an acceleration program for early-stage deeptech and green technology companies, funded by the Estonian government through the EU Recovery and Resilience Fund. It provides up to $66,000 in grant funding to support development of environmental and climate-focused technologies.
European Cleantech Acceleration Programme
••••• organisation
A 6-month acceleration programme offering up to €60,000 in investment plus mentorship and strategic connections for early-stage cleantech startups in energy, smart cities, waste management, carbon capture, and ESG solutions. Primarily targets pre-seed and seed-stage companies in Europe, with strong focus on the Baltics and Nordic regions.
A regenerative-technology seed fund
••••• organisation
The funder is a seed-stage venture fund investing in purpose-driven founders building scalable startups addressing global challenges in climate action, renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, circularity, and social inclusion. The fund targets advanced technologies across four core themes: Energy & Environment, Food & Water, Circularity & Zero Waste, and Social Inclusion, with global reach.
Solid Waste Management
••••• Foundation
Grants for projects that address waste management challenges through litter reduction, recycling, and sustainable waste solutions. Eligible for nonprofits, social enterprises, community groups, and local authorities working on circular economy and waste reduction in the Lamu region or East Africa.
Fund II: Currently deploying after first close (June 2026), targeting pre-seed/seed cheques averaging ~$848K with…
••••• organisation
The funder Fund II is deploying capital for pre-seed and seed-stage investments averaging $848K with ~15% ownership, targeting frontier technology companies in depopulation, decentralization, new sovereigns, peptides, and biotech. The fund focuses on transformative technologies across climate, robotics, longevity, energy, food, and manufacturing sectors.
Waste Valorisation Investment
••••• organisation
The funder invests in high-value waste valorisation solutions for the aquaculture sector, converting waste streams into profitable products while reducing environmental impact. The fund targets entrepreneurs, SMEs, and companies developing circular-economy innovations in aquaculture waste management.
Sustainable Aquaculture Investment Fund
••••• organisation
The funder invests in innovative technologies that make aquaculture more sustainable, affordable, and efficient across feeding, animal health, resource use, and harvesting. The fund targets aquaculture enterprises seeking to adopt or scale technology solutions.
Climate-Focused VC Fund
••••• organisation
The funder is a venture capital fund providing pre-seed to Series A follow-on investments in climate-adjacent and deep tech companies across energy, manufacturing, logistics, circular economy, and agtech sectors. The fund targets early-stage startups with experienced founding and operating teams across Europe, USA, and Latin America.
A Sustainable Luxury Collections Initiative
••••• Foundation
ViaTalenta Collections funds a luxury product line that integrates sustainable supply chains, circular-economy principles, and talent development with traceable, zero-waste manufacturing. The grant supports organizations building responsible, economically viable sustainable products.
a venture-stage deep-tech fund
••••• organisation
The funder invests in venture-stage companies developing breakthrough technologies across Future of Industry & Work, Materials & Production, and Energy & Mobility that target trillion-dollar market transformations. The fund backs deep-tech and climate-adjacent innovations in AI, robotics, advanced materials, energy transition, and circular economy.
Access to Green Finance (A2GF) Initiative
••••• organisation
The A2GF Initiative provides climate finance access to small and growing businesses pursuing green and circular economy projects. It is backed by the IKEA Foundation and administered by ANDE to bridge the gap between climate finance and underserved entrepreneurs.
Green'er – Circular Alternative to the Silo Tire
••••• Foundation
This grant funds the development of a circular product to replace silo tires using recycled tire materials, advancing circular economy and waste reduction. It is open to organizations capable of executing a product development trajectory in this space.
Venture Capital from a multilateral development bank
••••• organisation
The funder provides patient venture capital to early-stage technology companies developing climate and impact-focused solutions across clean energy, sustainable mobility, agriculture, circular economy, and green finance in emerging Asia. The fund targets startups solving environmental and climate challenges in the region.
a US climate-tech investment fund
••••• Fund
A capital deployment initiative that funds climate technology ventures with market-driven and community-informed approaches, offering flexible capital solutions aligned to business stage and impact potential. Targets climate tech entrepreneurs and early-stage to growth-stage ventures across clean energy, circular economy, and related sectors.
A Corporate Venture Capital Fund Technology
••••• organisation
M Ventures Technology is a corporate venture capital fund investing in electronics, semiconductors, computing, data storage, display technologies, and digital transformation solutions with explicit sustainability focus. It funds companies from early stage through growth across frontier technology and clean-tech sectors.
A European venture capital fund (Art. 9 SFDR)
••••• organisation
Art. 9 SFDR-compliant venture capital fund investing in scale-up stage companies developing circular economy, biodiversity, and climate tech solutions to regenerate nature and address climate change. Targets companies ready to scale proven business models in sustainability sectors.
Environmental Technologies Fund
••••• organisation
The funder invests in innovative, early-to-growth stage companies across Europe developing cutting-edge environmental technologies and sustainable solutions. The fund targets ventures with game-changing potential in sustainability, spanning cleantech, quantum computing, cloud infrastructure, and supply-chain optimization.
From Plastic Bricks to Classrooms
••••• Foundation
This grant funds the conversion of plastic waste into building materials to construct classrooms in Côte d'Ivoire, combining environmental conservation with education infrastructure. It is a partnership programme between the funder and UNICEF targeting communities in West Africa.
UNLEASH Philippines
••••• organisation
The funder Philippines mobilizes local youth to develop and implement SDG-focused innovation and solutions addressing sustainability challenges. The programme supports early-stage innovators and social entrepreneurs in the Philippines with funding, mentorship, and networks to scale their ideas.