Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction

What Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction does

The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction is an independent, non-profit grant-making foundation established in 2003 under Swiss Civil Law and headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, with operations in Zurich. It is among the first global initiatives to define and champion the principles of sustainable construction, and is supported financially by Holcim, the global building materials company. The Foundation operates as a knowledge-mobilization platform rather than a technology or product company, with a small core staff of 11-50 employees, a Renewed Board, and a global expert network spanning climate science, engineering, urban planning, design, governance, and finance.

The Foundation's core offerings center on four interlinked program pillars: (1) the Holcim Foundation Awards, a global sustainable design competition awarding USD 1M in prizes across five regions (Europe, North America, Latin America, Middle East Africa, Asia Pacific) and global categories; (2) the tri-annual Holcim Foundation Forum, an international expert conference held at rotating locations (Cairo 2019, Venice 2025); (3) the Next Generation Accelerator (NGX) and Fellowship programs, which cohort young professionals in cities such as Brussels, London, New York, and Mexico City; and (4) the CityMakers platform, including the CityMakers Live traveling events series (launched 2025) and CityMakers Voices conversation series. The Foundation publishes a Solutions Portfolio covering 13 thematic domains (Circular Materials, Embodied Carbon, Biomaterials, Nature Based Solutions, Urban Requalification, Housing & Infrastructure, Conflict & Emergency, etc.) and a content library of Forum digests, publications, and newsletters.

The Foundation's business model is grant-based rather than commercial: it is funded by Holcim and distributes awards, fellowships, and in-kind programming rather than selling products or services. Its customer base is a global community of architects, structural engineers, urban planners, climate scientists, students, humanitarian organizations, and city leaders (including via its strategic partnership with C40 Cities through the Reinventing Cities initiative). Its go-to-market is event-driven and content-led, with reach through its website, social channels, regional juries, and physical events across five global regions. As a Swiss nonprofit, it is a member of SwissFoundations and supervised under Swiss federal oversight.

Name

Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction

Legal name

Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction

Website

https://holcimfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction is a Swiss non-profit foundation established in 2003 and funded by Holcim. It runs global awards, triennial forums, fellowships, and citymaker programs to advance sustainable construction among architects, engineers, urban planners, and city leaders worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Construction Foundation Programs

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Sustainable construction awards
• Building materials research
• Architectural fellowship programs
• Urban development forums
• Social equity housing

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Funding from Holcim: The Holcim Foundation is an independent legal entity supported by Holcim. The Foundation was formed in 2003 under Swiss Civil Law and is under the supervision of the Federal Department of Home Affairs. As a grant-making foundation, it receives funding from its corporate sponsor Holcim to operate awards competitions, forums, fellowships, and publications promoting sustainable construction.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction is a nonprofit grant-making foundation that operates global awards competitions (with USD 1M in prizes), triennial international Forums, cohort-based Fellowship programs, the Next Generation Accelerator network, and publications that recognize and advance exemplary sustainable construction projects. Its work connects architects, engineers, urban planners, climate scientists, and policymakers to mobilize knowledge on circular materials, embodied carbon, biomaterials, nature-based solutions, and social equity in construction.

Product overview

The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction operates as a grant-making foundation (not a product company) offering a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core offerings include the Holcim Foundation Awards (USD 1M global sustainable design competition), the tri-annual Holcim Foundation Forum (international expert conference), and the Next Generation Accelerator (NGX) network supporting young professionals. The Foundation also runs CityMakers Voices (conversation series) and CityMakers Live (traveling events platform), the Fellowship program (cohort-based learning in cities worldwide), the Expert Network, and manages the C40 Reinventing Cities Partnership. Related offerings include the Solutions Portfolio covering Circular Materials, Circular Design, Embodied Carbon, Biomaterials, and Nature Based Solutions, as well as Social Equity Solutions addressing Conflict & Emergency, Inclusion, and Housing & Infrastructure Needs. The Foundation publishes Forum Digests and maintains Media resources including News, Multimedia, Publications, and Newsletters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Holcim Foundation Awards
• Holcim Foundation Forum
• Holcim Foundation Fellowship
• Next Generation Accelerator (NGX)
• CityMakers Voices
• CityMakers Live
• Holcim Foundation Catalyst Award
• Expert Network

Quantifiable outcome

• USD 1M annual prize purse distributed through Holcim Foundation Awards
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and regional.

• C40 CitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Strategic partnership with C40 Cities through the C40 Reinventing Cities initiative. This collaboration bridges city governments, the private sector, and the next generation to drive low-carbon, resilient urban development worldwide. The Holcim Foundation supports C40 Cities in hosting panels and events on sustainable urban regeneration.
• Norman Foster FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Re-materializing Housing Workshop 2021, supported by the Holcim Foundation. The workshop invited scholars and experts to explore sustainable construction practices within the framework of housing as a fundamental human right.
• SwissFoundationsminorOthersMember of SwissFoundations, the association of Swiss grant-making foundations
• Lafarge EgyptregionalGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported the 6th International Holcim Forum for Sustainable Construction in Cairo, Egypt in 2019
• American University in Cairo (AUC)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of the 6th International Holcim Forum for Sustainable Construction in April 2019, coinciding with AUC's centenary
• Better Shelter / IKEA FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohan Karlsson, Managing Director of Better Shelter (social enterprise founded by IKEA Foundation), participated in Norman Foster Foundation workshop supported by Holcim Foundation, addressing humanitarian shelter design

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Global foundation focused on accelerating the transition to a circular economy, with substantial programs on circular materials and built environment. Directly overlaps Holcim Foundation's Solutions Portfolio on Circular Materials, Urban Metabolisms, and circular design themes.
• World Green Building Council: Global network of national GBCs advancing sustainable building practices through advocacy, certification (EDGE, LEED), and policy engagement. Directly comparable mission of accelerating sustainable construction globally through member engagement and knowledge mobilization.
• Norman Foster Foundation: Foundation promoting architectural thinking, research, and education to broaden the horizons of architecture and design. Direct partner of Holcim Foundation on Re-materializing Housing workshop; comparable mission around housing as fundamental human right and sustainable construction knowledge mobilization.
• Habitat for Humanity International: Global nonprofit housing organization working to build affordable housing and advocate for housing as a matter of conscience. Comparable mission around housing & infrastructure needs, social equity, and conflict/emergency shelter — all themes in the Holcim Foundation's Social Equity Solutions portfolio.
• Architecture 2030: Non-profit advocacy organization working to transform the built environment from the major emitter of greenhouse gases to a solution to the climate crisis. Comparable focus on sustainability targets, awards/recognition, and architectural community engagement.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Network of 100+ mayors of the world's leading cities addressing the climate crisis. Strategic partner of Holcim Foundation through the Reinventing Cities initiative; comparable mission of advancing low-carbon, resilient urban development through city-level action.
• IKEA Foundation (Better Shelter): Strategic philanthropy foundation funding Better Shelter and humanitarian shelter programs. Active partner with Holcim Foundation on humanitarian shelter design; comparable grant-making model addressing sustainable construction for displaced populations and conflict/emergency response.

Broad incumbents

• US Green Building Council (USGBC): Operator of the LEED green building rating system and largest sustainable building organization in the US. Much larger scope and budget than Holcim Foundation, but shares the mission of mainstreaming sustainable construction practices and convening the architectural and building community.
• Rockefeller Foundation: Major philanthropic foundation with significant programs in climate, cities, and resilient infrastructure (100 Resilient Cities). Operates at materially larger scale than Holcim Foundation, with overlapping interest in urban resilience and sustainable built environment.

Others

• Pritzker Architecture Prize: The most prestigious annual award in architecture ('Nobel Prize for Architecture'). Operates in a parallel recognition/premium-awards model that Holcim Foundation has overlapping affiliations with, including Diébédo Francis Kéré who won Pritzker in 2022 after Holcim recognition.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HolcimFdn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/HolcimFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/holcimfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holcimfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/holcim_foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction