What Up2Circ does

Up2Circ is a Horizon Europe-funded consortium project (Grant Agreement 101091367) launched in January 2023 to accelerate the transition of European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from linear to circular economy business models. The project operates through seven consortium partners under a Joint Controller Agreement and is headquartered in Turin, Italy, with Tutech Innovation GmbH (TUTECH) in Hamburg serving as the website administrator and project coordinator. Up2Circ is funded by the European Commission and is scheduled to run through 31 December 2026, with project outputs maintained for a minimum of five years after final payment.

Up2Circ delivers an integrated service portfolio rather than a unified software product, consisting of four core offerings: the Up2Circ Assessment Tool (an online circularity readiness evaluator), the Up2Circ Academy (an e-learning platform with training content on circular economy principles), Customised Advisory (personalized consulting services), and Cascading Grants distributed through competitive open calls. Each selected SME beneficiary receives a grant of EUR 15,000 for feasibility studies or pilot projects. The project has developed sectoral catalogues for 14 industrial ecosystems spanning agri-food, textiles, construction, electronics, mobility, tourism, renewable energy, and others, providing sector-specific resources to participants.

The go-to-market model is event-driven and demand-generation focused: Up2Circ runs webinars, workshops, and interactive sessions; participates in EU policy events (EU Green Week, Circular Week); collaborates with the Enterprise Europe Network for SME referrals; and leverages the SustainableSolutionsMatch B2B matchmaking platform for partnership formation. Services and grants are provided free of charge to eligible EU SMEs, with no commercial revenue model. The project has funded two completed open calls plus a third round of three additional small-scale projects, and has published multiple case studies demonstrating outcomes including 25-30% shelf-life extension, 10-12% food waste reduction, and CO2 savings ranging from tens of kilograms to approximately 20,000 tonnes per year depending on the project. As a grant-funded public project, Up2Circ has no traditional ownership structure, shareholders, or equity instruments.

Name

Up2Circ

Legal name

Up2Circ

Website

https://up2circ.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Up2Circ is an EU Horizon Europe-funded consortium project (Grant Agreement 101091367) that supports European SMEs in transitioning to circular economy models through an online assessment tool, e-learning academy, customized advisory services, and EUR 15,000 cascading grants distributed via open calls.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Circular Economy Advisory Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Circularity Consulting & Program Management (EPR, Design-for-Circularity, LCA) (EUAIANAH)

Keywords

• Circular economy advisory
• SME transition support
• Circularity assessment services
• Cascading grant funding
• Sustainability training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cascading Grants / Open Calls: Up2Circ distributes cascading grants (EUR 15,000 per project) to selected SMEs through competitive open calls. The grants fund feasibility studies and pilot projects for circular economy transition. Funding comes from EU Horizon Europe Grant Agreement 101091367.
2. Customised Advisory Services: Personalized advisory services provided to EU SMEs seeking circular economy transition support. Services include assessment, training, and guidance through the project ecosystem.
3. Academy Training: Educational content and training programs on circular economy delivered through the Up2Circ Academy learning platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Up2Circ is an EU-funded Horizon Europe support program that helps European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) transition to circular economy business models. It delivers an integrated portfolio of services including an online circularity assessment tool, an e-learning academy, personalized advisory services, and cascading grants of EUR 15,000 per project awarded through competitive open calls.

Product overview

Up2Circ is a Horizon Europe-funded support program (Grant Agreement 101091367) that provides European SMEs with a comprehensive suite of services to accelerate their transition towards circular economy. Rather than a unified software product, Up2Circ offers an integrated service portfolio consisting of: the Up2Circ Academy (e-learning platform), Up2Circ Assessment (circularity evaluation tool), Customised Advisory (personalized consulting), and Cascading Grants (Open Calls for funding). The program also provides Resources including sectorial catalogues covering 14 industrial ecosystems. The services are designed to work together—SMEs can assess their current state through the Assessment, learn via the Academy, receive tailored guidance through Advisory, and access funding through Grants to implement their circular transition projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Up2Circ Academy: Training and learning platform for SMEs to learn about circular economy principles and applications.
• Up2Circ Assessment

Products and services

• Up2Circ Assessment Online circularity assessment tool that helps SMEs evaluate their current circular economy readiness and identify opportunities for transition towards circular business practices.
• Up2Circ Academy Online learning platform providing educational content and training materials on circular economy principles, strategies, and implementation for SMEs and support stakeholders.
• Customised Advisory Personalised consulting service providing tailored guidance for SMEs seeking to transition towards circular economy models, including signposting to regional multipliers such as Enterprise Europe Network sustainability advisors.
• Cascading Grants (Open Calls) Financial support programme providing EUR 15,000 per project in funding to EU SMEs for circular innovation projects through competitive open calls, supporting feasibility studies and pilot implementations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cascading grants of EUR 15,000 per SME project funded
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tutech Innovation GmbH (TUTECH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023TUTECH serves as the project administrator and website manager for Up2Circ. They coordinate data management, handle contact inquiries, and host project events including the kick-off meeting in Hamburg.
• 7 Project Partners ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The Up2Circ consortium consists of 7 partners who have signed a Joint Controller Agreement for data sharing. All partners keep project documentation and data for 5 years after final payment for audit purposes.
• Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaboration for outreach and SME referrals. EEN partners conduct workshops, share circular economy expertise, and provide regional sustainability advisory services including signposting to Up2Circ customized advisory.
• EU Stakeholder PlatformminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on joint events and knowledge sharing for circular economy stakeholder community building.
• BlueInvestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory connection that introduced Up2Circ to Ocean Material, facilitating their participation in the cascade funding program.
• EU Green WeekminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual EU environmental policy event where Up2Circ presented the project during EU Green Week 2023.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WBCSD: Global business sustainability organization with a circular economy program stream offering advisory and tools to large enterprises and their SME supply chains. Broader industry remit but overlapping advisory and program management offering.
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Leading global circular economy foundation providing research, education, and program support to businesses, governments, and academia. Broader in geographic scope but operates an analogous circular-economy advisory, learning, and stakeholder engagement model.

Emerging players

• Madaster: Netherlands-based circular materials platform providing material passports and circularity assessment tools to real estate and manufacturers. Comparable as a software-enabled circularity assessment and registry offering targeting similar stakeholder pain points.

Direct peers

• EIT Climate-KIC: EU knowledge and innovation community funded through EIT/Horizon Europe that runs accelerator programmes, cascading grants, and SME advisory for climate and circular innovation. Directly comparable funding structure, SME support model, and EU-wide consortium approach.
• Sitra: Finnish Innovation Fund operating circular economy programmes, funding mechanisms, and SME support pilots. Directly comparable as a publicly-funded body that combines grants, advisory, and thought leadership to accelerate circular transition.
• Circle Economy: Amsterdam-based foundation providing circular economy metrics, advisory, and program support to businesses and governments. Closely comparable as a circular-economy advisory and program management organization targeting similar stakeholder segments across Europe.

Regional players

• Circular Flanders: Flemish hub coordinating circular economy policy, advisory, and SME support programs across Belgium. Comparable program management and SME enablement mandate, though focused on a single Belgian region rather than pan-EU.
• RREUSE: European network representing social enterprises active in reuse, repair, and recycling across EU member states. Comparable EU-level stakeholder coordination and SME-facing circular economy support function.
• ACR+: International network of cities and regions working on sustainable resource management and circular economy. Comparable European coordination function targeting public stakeholders and SME support intermediaries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/up2circ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Up2Circ