Ecopreneur.eu - The European Sustainable Business Federation

What Ecopreneur.eu - The European Sustainable Business Federation does

Ecopreneur.eu is an international non-profit federation (AISBL under Belgian law) headquartered at Rue Belliard 40 in Brussels, representing approximately 15,000 SMEs and larger companies across Europe that are committed to sustainability and often pioneering circular business models. Founded in 2015 by Grüne Wirtschaft (Austria), Entreprendre Vert (France), and Bundesverband Nachhaltige Wirtschaft (Germany), and formally established as a legal entity on 23 February 2016, the federation operates with a lean team of 7 staff led by Executive Director Arthur ten Wolde. Its core activity is advocacy at the EU level on sustainability regulation, with current focus areas including the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the Public Procurement Act, and the Circular Economy Act. Ecopreneur.eu holds formal appointments by the European Commission as SME Representative for the EU Ecolabel (2026-2029, alongside adelphi) and Environmental Footprinting Methods (2026-2028, alongside PRé Sustainability), and is a member of the Ecodesign Forum and the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform.

The federation's revenue model is built on recurring membership fees with two tiers: full membership for national and European business associations (voting rights) and associate membership for individual for-profit companies and NGOs (no voting rights). It currently counts 9 full members plus 2 European association members, and 5+ enterprise associate members (Interface, REMONDIS, Resortecs, Tarkett, Werner & Mertz). Beyond membership, Ecopreneur.eu delivers EU policy advocacy services, publishes position papers and research notes on circular economy and SME sustainability, hosts Parliamentary Breakfasts and webinars, and operates an EU Ecolabel SME Working Group launched in May 2026. The ORIENTING Sustainability Assessment Tool List, inherited from an EU-Horizon 2020 project, catalogues 42 sustainability assessment tools for SMEs. Membership fees are not publicly disclosed, and the organisation has not received external investment rounds; it functions as an independent membership-funded advocacy body.

Name

Ecopreneur.eu - The European Sustainable Business Federation

Legal name

Ecopreneur.eu AISBL

Website

https://ecopreneur.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ecopreneur.eu is a Brussels-based non-profit federation (AISBL) representing approximately 15,000 European SMEs and larger companies committed to sustainability. It conducts EU-level policy advocacy on circular economy regulation, holds formal European Commission SME Representative appointments, and operates through a membership-based model with national associations and enterprise associate members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Business Advocacy and Policy Federation Services

NAICS

Business Associations (81391), Business Associations (813910), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Circular Economy & Sustainable Products (Reuse, Repair, Upcycling) (BPAGALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM), SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE)

Keywords

• European sustainability policy
• SME advocacy
• Circular economy policy
• Ecodesign regulation
• Sustainable business federation

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Revenue generated from membership fees paid by full members (national and European business organizations) and associate members (individual for-profit companies and non-profit organizations). The organization has full members with voting rights and associate members without voting rights.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ecopreneur.eu is a Brussels-based international non-profit federation that represents almost 15,000 European SMEs and larger companies by advocating at the EU level for the transition to a sustainable economy. Its core deliverable is collective policy advocacy on files such as the Ecodesign Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the Public Procurement Act, and the upcoming Circular Economy Act, delivered through working groups (EU Ecolabel SME Working Group, Environmental Footprinting SME Working Group), position papers, and direct engagement with EU institutions. Membership and associate membership are the primary means by which organizations access this representation.

Product overview

Ecopreneur.eu is the European Sustainable Business Federation representing approximately 15,000 SMEs and larger companies committed to sustainability. Rather than a traditional software product company, Ecopreneur.eu offers advocacy services at the EU level, including formal roles as SME Representative for the EU Ecolabel and Environmental Footprinting methods. The federation provides an EU Ecolabel SME Working Group, publishes position papers and research on EU sustainability policy, and offers membership programs with access to advocacy platforms, working groups, and EU policymaker networks. The ORIENTING sustainability assessment tool list provides SMEs access to 42 sustainability assessment tools and methodologies. Focus areas include the Ecodesign Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), Public Procurement Act, and Circular Economy Act.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ecopreneur.eu Federation Membership Organizational membership product for national sustainable-business federations (e.g., BNW Germany, B Lab Europe, CirEko Sweden, Entreprendre Vert France, Grüne Wirtschaft Austria, Kaya Ecopreneurs Belgium, New ERA, Změna k lepšímu / Change for the Better Czech Republic), granting them representation at EU level, access to working groups, and participation in policy advocacy on ESPR, the Public Procurement Act, and the upcoming Circular Economy Act.
• Corporate Associate Membership Corporate associate membership tier for larger companies such as Interface, REMONDIS, Resortecs, Tarkett, and Werner & Mertz, providing a seat in the federation's Advocacy Group and direct engagement in EU policy positions on sustainable products and circular economy.
• EU Policy Advocacy Service Collective advocacy and representation service delivered through the federation's EU Ecolabel SME Working Group, Environmental Footprinting SME Working Group, and direct engagement with EU institutions on the Ecodesign Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the Public Procurement Act, and the upcoming Circular Economy Act.

Quantifiable outcome

• Representing almost 15,000 SMEs and larger companies committed to sustainability
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• PRé SustainabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Dutch consultancy PRé Sustainability has been appointed together with Ecopreneur.eu as SME Representative for the EU Environmental Footprint methods by the European Commission (April 2026 - April 2028).
• adelphicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026German think-and-do tank adelphi has been selected together with Ecopreneur.eu as SME Representative for the EU Ecolabel by the European Commission (January 2026 - December 2029). Collaboration on simplifying EU Ecolabel procedures for SMEs.
• Business For a Better Tomorrow CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcopreneur.eu is a member of the Business For a Better Tomorrow Coalition, collaborating on business advocacy for sustainability and better tomorrow initiatives.
• Business for NaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcopreneur.eu is a member of Business for Nature, collaborating on advocacy for nature-positive business practices and policies.
• Corporate Leaders Group (CLG) EuropemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating with Corporate Leaders Group (CLG) Europe on climate and sustainability policy advocacy at EU level.
• European Environmental Bureau (EEB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating with EEB, the largest network of environmental organizations in Europe. Co-hosting EU Ecolabel webinar with EEB and BEUC.
• Zero Waste EuropemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating with Zero Waste Europe on circular economy and waste reduction policy advocacy.
• True Animal Protein Pricing (TAPP) CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcopreneur.eu participates in the International Advisory Board of the True Animal Protein Pricing (TAPP) Coalition.
• Austrian Circular Economy ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcopreneur.eu participates in the Austrian Circular Economy Forum for circular economy discussions and initiatives.
• Change for the Better (Změna k lepšímu)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member of Ecopreneur.eu since May 2025. Leading sustainable business association in Czech Republic, founded in 2020. Representative Gabriela Měsícová serves on the Board of Directors.
• B Lab EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member of Ecopreneur.eu since September 2024. Part of international network transforming global economy through B Corp certification. Has community of over 1,900 B Corps in 32 European countries.
• ELCA - European Landscape Contractors AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member of Ecopreneur.eu since December 2025. European federation representing landscape contractors and green infrastructure professionals, founded in 1963.
• ResortecsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst associate company member of Ecopreneur.eu since October 2025. Brussels-based scale-up driving circularity in textile industry through patented design-for-disassembly technology (heat-dissolvable stitching threads).
• New ERA - New European Reuse AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member of Ecopreneur.eu since January 2025. Founded in 2022, leading trade association representing businesses promoting refillable and reusable packaging solutions.
• European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcopreneur.eu is a member of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP), participating in the Economic Incentive Leadership Group within ECESP.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• EUROCHAMBRES: Association of European chambers of commerce representing ~45 national chamber systems. Same confederation-of-associations governance structure and Brussels advocacy footprint as Ecopreneur.eu, but with a much broader SME/business remit and not focused on sustainability.
• Zero Waste Europe: Brussels-based circular-economy NGO network — collaboration partner of Ecopreneur.eu on circular-economy advocacy. Strong thematic overlap on ESPR and Circular Economy Act, but operates as an NGO federation rather than a business federation.
• Orgalim: European federation representing the mechanical engineering, electrical equipment, electronics and ICT industries from 23 countries. Same EU-level federation-of-associations governance and Brussels advocacy model as Ecopreneur.eu, though sector-specific rather than cross-sectoral/sustainability-focused.
• European Environmental Bureau (EEB): Largest European network of environmental citizens' organisations, also Brussels-based and co-hosting EU Ecolabel events with Ecopreneur.eu. Closely comparable as an EU sustainability-advocacy organisation and listed partner, but represents NGOs rather than businesses.
• BusinessEurope: The leading EU-level confederation of national business federations, headquartered in Brussels. Comparable as a membership-based EU business federation with a Brussels policy-advocacy model, but vastly broader in industrial scope (not sustainability-specialised) and far larger.

Direct peers

• World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD): Global CEO-led association of ~250 companies working on sustainable business. Direct functional peer — same 'voice of sustainable business' mission, same membership-driven advocacy model — but operates at global scale with corporate (rather than SME association) members.
• B Lab Global / B Lab Europe: Non-profit behind the B Corp certification, with 1,900+ B Corps across 32 European countries — and a full member of Ecopreneur.eu. Comparable as a community-of-sustainable-companies platform that combines certification with advocacy and standards work.
• CSR Europe / Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative: European business sustainability network helping companies integrate CSR/sustainability into strategy. Direct thematic peer on sustainable business advocacy at EU level, with comparable Brussels presence and member-services model, though it is company- rather than association-membership-based.
• SMEunited: Brussels-based federation representing crafts, trades and SMEs at EU level. Closest structural peer to Ecopreneur.eu — same AISBL-style membership federation model, same Brussels advocacy motion, and overlapping SME constituency, but without Ecopreneur.eu's specific sustainability/circular-economy positioning.

Emerging players

• Circle Economy: Amsterdam-based impact organisation providing the Circularity Gap Reporting framework and circular-economy advisory. Thematic peer on circular-economy thought leadership and SME tooling (overlaps with Ecopreneur.eu's ORIENTING tool work), but operates as a think tank/consultancy rather than a business federation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecopreneureu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ecopreneur.eu - The European Sustainable Business Federation