DBU Circular Economy Initiative (#DBUcirconomy)

Enriched Foundation · Found: 2026-03-11 11:10

DBU dedicated funding initiative for circular economy. Recognizes enormous potential of circular economy for sustainable transformation of economy and society. Project submission primarily open to SMEs and research institutions. Rolling submissions accepted.

Source: https://dbu.de/themen/foerderinitiativen/circular-economy

Funding Details

Contact

Dr. Maximilian Hempel — DBU Environmental Research, Department Head: +49 541 9633-300 Dr. Volker Berding — DBU Environmental Research, Circular Economy & Resources: +49 541 9633-310 Dr. Melanie Kröger — DBU Environmental Research, Circular Economy & Resources: +49 541 9633-312 Dr. Michael Schwake — DBU Environmental Technology, Environmentally Friendly Processes & Products: +49 541 9633-212

Last Checked

2026-04-20 10:28

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be an SME or a research institution (primary eligibility); NGOs and non-profits are not the primary target audience
• Collaboration between SMEs and research institutions is explicitly encouraged and preferred

Project Scope

• Project must address circular economy principles: resource loop closure, R-strategies, or transition from linear to circular models
• Sub-initiative applicants (textiles or healthcare) must fit the specific sector focus of the respective call

Required Documents

• Project must align with DBU's current Förderleitlinien (funding guidelines) — review the latest version before applying
• Application submitted via DBU's online project funding portal with standard DBU documentation requirements

Constraints

• Large companies may only participate as additional partners, not as lead applicants
• Projects primarily expected to have German-based activities; international scope may be limited

Historical Context

The textile sub-initiative "Cross-Company Solutions for Textile Cycles" was originally launched in 2022 and has been continued under #DBUcirconomy. The broader DBU project funding program has supported numerous circular economy projects, including Green Start-ups such as Cirplus (recycled plastics marketplace) and circular.fashion (textile design software), demonstrating a track record across both plastics and materials sectors.

Why it was added

German/EU foundation CE/plastic program

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