C-VoUCHER will distribute €4.2m to SMEs adopting the circular economy
C-VoUCHER is the first pan-European initiative that will distribute up to €60k to SMEs adopting sustainable business models
C-VoUCHER is the first pan-European initiative, funded by the European Commission, adopting the concept of the Circular Economy to transform linear value chains (cradle to waste) towards circular models (cradle to cradle®). The project will distribute a total of €4.2m to SMEs through 4 open calls. The first of these open calls looks for companies willing to participate in the Circularity Program (circular economy acceleration program), offering the selected SMEs up to €60k to create and design circular solutions (new, circular products or services) by using design thinking methodologies and implementing new technologies.
The project will continue on with the search for circular SMEs through its later calls, i.e. the Adopter SMEs open call, in which selected SMEs will gain up to €15k to define detailed strategies (feasibility plans) allowing them to incorporate the previously created circularity solutions in their processes. The plans will be prepared with assigned Designers-in-Residence. This programme will last for 3 months.
In total, 66 European SMEs will benefit from C-VoUCHER open calls (2 Circularity Programmes and 2 Adopter Programmes). In the first Circularity Program open call, 12 SMEs will be selected and invited to the “Prototype-athon” (planned for January 2019). After the event, the 6 best SMEs will participate in the Circularity Program lasting 9 months.
This programme includes tailored and dedicated Designer-in-Residence support (1-on-1 mentoring), vouchers for technology implementation, top business mentoring and further funding opportunities (both public and private).
SMEs will be stimulated to create innovative circularity solutions using enabling technologies (Digital, Hybrid & Engineering) in the following verticals: Agro-Food, partnered with Arla; Health, partnered with Neuca; Manufacturing, partnered with MADE; Blue Growth, partnered with Green Ship of the future, and Textile, partnered with Lifestyle and Design Cluster.
The project will leverage a total of €6 million of complementary funding for selected SMEs provided by private and public investors, and a “Circular Design Toolkit for Regions” will be produced to mainstream the methodology in other EU Regions.
Circularity SMEs interested in designing circular prosperity can apply for C-VoUCHER Circularity Program open call before November 30th, and in order to be updated about the project, they can join C-VoUCHER Community.
C-VoUCHER partners
C-VoUCHER consortium comprises of 13 partners with different profiles from 6 different countries (Poland, France, Spain, Denmark, Romania, Sweden): FundingBox Accelerator, BLUMORPHO, NEUCA S.A., Foreningen MADE, Lifestyle and Design Cluster, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (Green Ship of the Future), FundingBox Communities, Axencia Galega de Innovación (Galician Innovation Agency), Agencja Rozwoju Mazowsza Spolka Akcyjna (Mazovia Development Agency S.A.), Agentia de Dezvoltare Regionala Nord-Vest (Regional Development Agency of Nord-West), SYSTEM@TIC PARIS REGION, Tillväxtverket (Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth), and Trekantområdet Denmark (The Triangle Region).
