What Route Circulair does

Route Circulair is a privately held Dutch circular economy consultancy founded in 2020 and headquartered in Utrecht. It advises public and private organizations on circular strategy, transformation, value-chain collaboration, and interim capacity, anchored by its proprietary Circulaire Volwassenheidsmeting (CVM), a scientifically validated 0–5 circular maturity assessment developed with Hogeschool Utrecht and TU Eindhoven. Beyond assessment, the firm delivers strategic consulting (Strategie & Organisatieverandering), chain management services (Ketenregie & Samenwerking), temporary staffing (Route Circulair Interim), and the Loop community of 20+ circular professionals on a subscription basis. It also operates sector-specific innovation programs such as DigiC (circular construction digitalization), YES (textile deposit system with MUD Jeans), Groene Hoogten (circular apartment construction), and the annual State of Circular Entrepreneurship research report.

The firm's business model combines professional services consulting (quote-based engagements), a subscription community (Loop), and freemium self-service tools (free CVM, whitepapers) that funnel prospects into paid engagements. Distribution is sales-led with content marketing as the primary demand-generation channel, supported by the podcast, an annual congress drawing 1,200 attendees, and academic partnerships lending scientific credibility. Customer concentration is spread across Dutch provinces, municipalities, and enterprises in construction, agriculture, textile, food, mobility, energy, and education, with no single dominant account disclosed. Route Circulair is funded through project-based public/EU grants (EFRO/Kansen voor West, Invest-NL, EIT Food, ROM Utrecht Region) rather than external institutional capital, and has set an explicit mission to guide 10,000 organizations through circular transition by 2030.

Name

Route Circulair

Legal name

Route Circulair

Website

https://routecirculair.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Route Circulair is a Dutch circular economy consultancy advising public and private organizations on circular strategy, maturity assessment, value-chain collaboration, and interim capacity, anchored by its proprietary CVM tool and Loop professional community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services - Strategy & Organization Change: Route Circulair provides strategic consulting services including circular economy strategy development, transformation and change management, and organizational implementation support. Engagements include CSRD-proof strategies, roadmap development, and propositional redesign for circular business models.
2. Circulaire Volwassenheidsmeting (CVM) - Circular Maturity Measurement: Both free basic and premium versions of the circular maturity measurement tool. Premium versions include interviews, workshops, and detailed reporting. The measurement helps organizations understand their current circular performance and provides actionable next steps.
3. Chain Management & Collaboration Services: Services focused on value chain analysis, setting up chain collaboration, financing chain programs, and program/project support for circular initiatives.
4. Route Circulair Interim: Flexible staffing solution providing experienced circular economy professionals for temporary capacity or specific expertise needs. Professionals range from project managers to chain coordinators, deployed flexibly based on client requirements.
5. Loop Community Membership: Loop is a community of circular professionals. Loop members pay a fixed monthly fee in exchange for access to an engaged community of like-minded professionals, network events, knowledge sharing, and project opportunities.
6. Whitepaper Downloads: Free whitepaper on circular business transformation, requiring email registration. This serves as a lead generation tool for consulting services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Route Circulair is a Dutch consultancy that advises organizations on circular strategy, organizational change, supply chain collaboration, and temporary staffing via the Loop professional network. Its proprietary Circulaire Volwassenheidsmeting (CVM) measures organizational circular maturity on a 0-5 scale, benchmarked against 600+ Dutch organizations, and feeds into paid strategic consulting engagements.

Product overview

Route Circulair is a circular economy consultancy that guides organizations toward circular business transformation. Their portfolio consists of advisory services (Strategie & Organisatieverandering, Ketenregie & Samenwerking, Route Circulair Interim) supported by assessment tools (Circulaire Volwassenheidsmeting), professional networks (Loop Community), and knowledge products (Whitepaper, annual Staat van Circulair Ondernemen report). They also operate specialized innovation programs including DigiC for circular construction digitalization and textile deposit system projects. The CVM tool serves as their core diagnostic product, which feeds into strategic consulting engagements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Loop Community: A community of impactmakers - a flexible pool of experts providing specialized expertise for circular or regenerative challenges.
• Circulaire Volwassenheidsmeting (CVM)
• Route Circulair Interim
• DigiC - Digitalisering in de Circulaire Bouweconomie

Products and services

• Strategie & Organisatieverandering Strategic consulting service that helps organizations develop circular strategies, redesign propositions and revenue models, manage transformation and change, and meet CSRD reporting requirements. Used by Dutch corporates, government bodies, and SMEs undertaking circular transition.
• Circulaire Volwassenheidsmeting (CVM) Assessment instrument that measures organizational circular maturity on a 0-5 scale across 10 themes, benchmarked against 600+ organizations, with concrete improvement advice. Used as a diagnostic entry point for organizations starting or advancing their circular journey.
• Ketenregie & Samenwerking Consulting service that performs value chain analysis, sets up and manages supply chain collaboration for circular initiatives, supports financing of chain programs, and provides program and project support. Used by organizations that need to engage value chain partners in circular transition.
• Route Circulair Interim Interim staffing service providing experienced circular economy professionals ranging from project managers to chain coordinators, deployed flexibly into client organizations needing temporary capacity or specific expertise.
• Loop Community Subscription-based professional community of 20+ circular economy professionals. Members pay a fixed monthly fee for access to network events, knowledge sharing, and project opportunities; the network also extends Route Circulair's delivery capacity.
• DigiC Program (Digitalisering in de Circulaire Bouweconomie) Innovation program that accelerates the circular construction economy through digitalization. Route Circulair manages the program and leads innovation projects with 30+ participating organizations across public, private, and knowledge sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average circular maturity score of 2.86 out of 5 for Dutch organizations in 2025 (3% increase from 2024)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Hogeschool UtrechtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Academic partnership for development of the Circulaire Volwassenheidsmeting (CVM) measurement instrument and annual State of Circular Entrepreneurship research reports. Route Circulair co-authors reports with Hogeschool Utrecht researchers.
• Technische Universiteit EindhovencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Academic partnership contributing to CVM research and annual reports. Arjen Wierikx's doctoral research at TU Eindhoven and Hogeschool Utrecht formed the scientific basis for the circular maturity measurement.
• Gemeente TilburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Partner in the State of Circular Entrepreneurship 2026 report, contributing to the research and analysis of Dutch circular economy maturity.
• ROM Utrecht RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026Regional Development Company Utrecht Region. DigiC program initiated in partnership with ROM Utrecht Region. Route Circulair continues to support and form part of the DigiC team.
• StamhuiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026Partner in Groene Hoogten: Innovatie in Circulaire Appartementenbouw project for affordable circular apartments in urban areas.
• Boelens de GruytercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026Partner in Groene Hoogten circular apartment construction innovation project.
• SustainercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026Partner in Groene Hoogten circular apartment construction innovation project.
• Hogeschool UtrechtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2026Partner in Groene Hoogten circular apartment construction innovation project.
• MUD JeansflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Joint project YES – CIRCULAR AND DIGITAL / NO – TEXTILE WASTE to establish the first nationwide clothing deposit system in the Netherlands combined with digital product passport. Project runs January 2026 to June 2028.
• Stichting Never Ever WasteflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Independent foundation being established to manage the clothing deposit system and make it accessible to other brands and retailers, ensuring sector-wide scalability.
• Circulair WestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2025Regional circular economy organization. Route Circulair partnered with Circulair West for the Circular Opportunities Map North-Holland program supporting 8 entrepreneurs.
• Midpoint BrabantcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2024Economic cooperation program for Midden-Brabant region. Route Circulair is support partner for Lerend Netwerk Duurzaam Produceren under the Slimmer Werken program, focused on future-proofing SME manufacturing industry.
• Foodvalley NLflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2024Route Circulair provides project manager for Regeneratieve Landbouw and supports the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio, a Europe-wide partnership launched in March 2024 to remove systemic barriers to regenerative agriculture adoption.
• Food Innovation Hub EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Initiator of the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio, bringing together actors across Europe for systemic food system transformation.
• EIT FoodcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024European Institute of Innovation and Technology supporting the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio for scaling regenerative agriculture.
• Food CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Supporting partner for the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio initiative.
• ROM Utrecht RegionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022DigiC program (Digitalisering in de Circulaire Bouweconomie) launched in partnership with ROM Utrecht Region. Over 30 organizations from public, private, and knowledge sectors participate. Route Circulair manages the program and leads innovation projects.
• Gemeente AmsterdamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership for Circular Amsterdam 2050, including premium CVM trajectories for local SMBs and policy development recommendations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Metabolic: Amsterdam-based circular economy and sustainability consultancy that advises organizations, governments, and supply-chain actors on circular strategy, similar in service portfolio to Route Circulair.
• Sustainalize: Dutch consultancy focused on circular economy, ESG, and CSRD advisory for corporates and public-sector clients — a direct Dutch competitor with comparable service lines.
• Circle Economy: Amsterdam-headquartered circular economy consultancy and research organization; offers circular maturity assessments, strategy work, and publishes the Circularity Gap Report — directly overlapping with Route Circulair's CVM and advisory offering.
• MVO Nederland: Dutch network organization and consultancy supporting companies on CSR, circular economy, and sustainable entrepreneurship — comparable to Route Circulair's government and SMB engagement model.
• Photon Future: Dutch circular-economy consultancy advising corporates and governments on circular strategy and implementation — closely overlapping with Route Circulair's strategic advisory work.

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte Sustainability Services: Global Big Four sustainability and CSRD advisory practice that competes for enterprise circular-economy and ESG mandates alongside specialist firms like Route Circulair.
• TNO: Dutch applied research organization with substantial circular-economy and sustainability consulting units, serving government and corporate clients at larger scale than Route Circulair.
• KPMG ESG & Sustainability: International advisory firm with strong CSRD, circular-economy and sustainability services in the Netherlands, competing for the same enterprise and government mandates as Route Circulair.

Regional players

• Impact Hub Amsterdam: Amsterdam-based impact ecosystem that supports circular and regenerative entrepreneurs through programming and advisory; comparable to Loop's community-driven support model.

Others

• Holland Circular Hotspot: Dutch foundation supporting international collaboration in the circular economy; indirectly comparable as part of the same ecosystem of Dutch circular-economy intermediaries.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/routecirculair
• Instagraminstagram.com/routecirculair

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Route Circulair