EU proposal – CIRC4Transform
SPCleantech together with partners from other EU countries has sent a proposal as part of call HORIZON-CL4-2021-RESILIENCE-01 Accelerate Circularity for SME Transformation titled CIRC4Transform.
Circ4Transform aims to build the bridge for circular economy deployment and scale-up through investment at scale. Through the designed approach and methodology, SMEs from a broad set of sectors and different manufacturing fields will access enabling services and financial support that will foster their investment readiness and the deployment of circular solutions at scale.
The methodology will be framed in a two-stage call for proposals process where phase 1 will be open to an EU-wide context and SMEs of diverse geographies will be able to apply and start their journey toward circular transformation. Using the MATChE circularity assessment tool as a point of departure, the consortium will implement an approach combining assessments of readiness to circular transition, provision of support & advisory services for organizational change in different domains, matchmaking to providers of circular solutions and services and coaching on access to finance all targeted to EU SMEs.
The process will culminate in the provision of vouchers to SMEs for uptake of advanced CE technologies from a provider of circular technologies of their choice and according to their most pressing needs and unrealized potential. The overall journey of the SMEs will be complemented by continuous tracking of progress using the MATChE tool at different stages of the process which will allow evaluation on how companies change during their circularity transition – first, after receiving support & advisory services (soft support) and subsequently after uptake of advanced CE technologies through the vouchers (investment support).
The project aims to support at least 50 SMEs from different EU geographies and sectors in the accelerated deployment of circular economy models, technologies, and solutions, promoting the drivers and investment needed for a sustainable and digital Europe and contributing to the objectives of the European Green Deal and EU SME strategy.
Our vision consists in building the bridge for circular economy deployment and scale-up. Our angle? The one of investment at scale. Through our approach, SMEs will access enabling services and financial support that will foster their investment readiness and the deployment of circular solutions to the SME market at scale.
CIRC4Transform will contribute to the objectives of the EGD and EU SME Strategy by mobilizing Industry through a support system for boosting SME innovation. Our consortium of Clusters and Experts covers more than 3000 SMEs across different key industrial value chains. Through the proposal, our consortium (12 partners from 11 EU countries) and 20 associated partners (LoS attached) aim to accelerate the transition and investment in a clean and circular economy by engaging leading clean-tech clusters, SME supporting organizations, investors, academia, R&I communities and EU wide innovation networks, as well as regional and national authorities. The overall objective of the project is to accelerate the deployment of circular economy models, technologies and solutions to EU SMEs, promoting the drivers and investment needed for a sustainable and digital Europe