During a webinar to be held at 16:00 on Wednesday 9 November, Minister of the Economy, Franz Fayot, will launch the call for applications for the third edition of Circular by Design Challenge. The programme, which is managed by Luxinnovation with the support of the Ministry of the Economy, offers Luxembourg and European companies the opportunity to develop innovative, sustainable solutions through a 12-week coaching programme and the possibility to win an award of 8,000 euros.
As the consequences of climate change and lack of resources are becoming more apparent, the need to change our current production and consumption patterns is obvious. The Ministry of the Economy and Luxinnovation launched Circular by Design Challenge in 2020 to respond to this challenge. "The aim of Circular by Design Challenge is to incite businesses and entrepreneurs to develop products and services that will contribute to a more circular and sustainable world," says Minister of the Economy, Franz Fayot.
The programme cooperates with partners looking for innovative, sustainable solutions that can be implemented in their fields of activity. For edition #3, companies are invited to submit applications in four thematic fields:
- Sustainable solutions for business events (partner: Directorate-General for Tourism of the Ministry of the Economy)
- Multifunctional urban furniture (partners: LUGA – Luxembourg Urban Garden 2025 and Luxembourg Expo 2025 Osaka GIE)
- Sustainable products for the LuXembourg Collection (partner: Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs)
- Sustainable solutions that can contribute to development cooperation and humanitarian aid (partner: LuxAid – Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs)
Circular by Design Challenge provides participants with concrete tools for developing and refining their sustainable products and services. It also helps them put in place sustainable business models that can be applied for other activities in the future. The programme offers:
- 12 weeks of coaching
- A valuable network of key players in Luxembourg
- An award of 8,000 euros to each of the winners in the four thematic challenges
- The opportunity to pitch their sustainable solutions to industry
"Our aim is to foster business partnerships. We are proactively seeking to give the participants exposure to other companies that may have an interest in the sustainable solutions they will have developed. At the end of the coaching programme, all participants will be invited to pitch their solutions at a dedicated industry event", says Sasha Baillie, CEO of Luxinnovation.
The launch event on 9 November will provide detailed information on the Circular by Design Challenge programme, the thematic challenges and the selection criteria. It is possible to register to the webinar on https://www.luxinnovation.lu/event/circular-by-design-challenge-3-launch-event/.
Press release by the Ministry of the Economy and Luxinnovation