Last year Meath company Novelplast, a company which takes in waste plastic and returns it to a marketable state, was one of 10 companies to secure between €10,000 and €50,000 funding under the Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS).
“We’re not recyclers, we are upcyclers,” says Neil Skeffington, who set up the business in 2017. “We take in really low-quality materials and, by adding additives, add value.”
Applications are currently open for the 2022 funding round of the CEIGS, closing in mid-December. The €650,000 grant scheme supports innovation and circular economy projects by social enterprises, voluntary and community organisations, as well as businesses with fewer than 50 employees. In all, up to €100,000 could be available for individual projects that demonstrate exceptional impact.
Last year just €490,000 in CEIGS funding was awarded to applicants with measures that helped reduce food waste, single-use plastics, packaging or textile waste. This year’s significant increase is in line with the commitment in the Circular Economy Strategy 2022-2023 to increase CEIGS funding each year to 2024.
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The aim is to proactively address environmental challenges in ways that will safeguard natural resources
Novelplast is a member of Circuléire, the National Platform for Circular Manufacturing and Ireland’s first industry-led network dedicated to delivering circular business models. It was established in 2020 by Irish Manufacturing Research, an Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland supported technology centre.
It has a growing cross-sectoral network of members ranging from multinationals to SMEs and micro-enterprises, including food and drink, packaging, fashion and electrical waste businesses, and runs events to share knowledge and support circularity up and down supply chains.
Under Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which runs to 2026, European Union funding is available through Enterprise Ireland and Local Enterprise Offices for GreenStart. It’s worth up to €6,300 (you pay the first €1,300) towards the cost of hiring an environmental consultant or trainer, to undertake a short, in-company assignment designed to lower carbon emissions. This could include guidance on anything from basic environmental management systems to green procurement or climate adaptation. Applications are ongoing.
Each summer the Environmental Protection Agency puts out a funding call to research organisations, multinationals and SMEs for Green Enterprise: Innovation for a Circular Economy. This year’s fund was worth €650,000 with awards of €50,000-€100,000 to support Irish businesses developing circular solutions in product and service design, production, distribution and use of resources, including resources and raw materials. The grant is provided on a shared cost contribution basis, of 25-95 per cent of the total eligible project costs incurred.
Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation, with a budget of €95.5 billion. It’s not just for academic researchers or multinationals, but businesses. Indeed, 70 per cent of the budget for SMEs is earmarked to provide support for innovations of a disruptive nature, with scale-up potential, that may be too risky for private investors. Funding of up to €10 million is up for grabs.
If it is training you need, Skillnet Ireland’s Climate Ready programme helps provide leadership and skills support to equip businesses with the sustainability actions they need to take to be “climate ready” now. The aim is to proactively address environmental challenges in ways that will safeguard natural resources and the environment, while also driving competitive advantage. Its Climate Ready Academy helps businesses develop the skills required to mitigate the effects of a changing climate.
With rising energy costs top of mind for many businesses, it’s also worth seeking out support from the SEAI’s Energy Academy, an e-learning support offering high-quality, on-demand energy training designed to improve energy efficiency.
For small businesses, the Local Enterprise Office network offers Green for Micro, a free programme that provides access to a consultant who can help identify how becoming “greener” could result in cost savings, improved resource efficiency or reduced carbon emissions.
If you’re still not sure where to start on your zero emissions journey, check out climatetoolkit4business.gov.ie. Simply input information from your energy and waste bills, as well as company travel or freight data, to receive a report and a step-by-step action plan tailored to your business.
