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SME Grants for Circularity 

Description and Goal

Do you want to transform your SME to make it more competitive, more sustainable, and more circular? This opportunity is for you! 

The SME Grants for Circularity is a competition, as part of the CirculUP! project, designed to empower SMEs like yours to embrace the Circular Economy and transform their businesses. 

The project is led by the Impact Hub Network, Impact Hub Yerevan, and the Environment and Health NGO – funded by the European Union in Armenia.

The goal of the grant is to help transform Armenia’s business sector toward a more sustainable circular future! 

Benefits

  • Grant Funding: Become a circular SME with financial support of up to €50,000! (6 grants will be available in total)
  • Professional Guidance: Receive essential advice from leading industry professionals and circular economy specialists. 
  • Networking and Exposure: Join a dynamic community of innovators and enhance the visibility of your SME. 
  • Becoming a Leader of Circularity: Lead the change in creating a sustainable future for Armenia!

Timeline

  • Application deadline: September 2nd, 2024, 11:59 PM (Armenian local time).
  • Results will be announced in mid–September 2024.
  • Grant implementation begins in October 2024 and should be finalized by March 2025.

Target Group 

If you are an Armenian SME dedicated to transforming your business towards sustainability, this grant opportunity is for you. We are looking for SMEs ready to adopt circular solutions that incorporate the R-ladder strategies for a circular economy. Make sure to explore these R-strategies in our blog post and read it thoroughly before applying.  

While we give special priority to SMEs in the food and agriculture, tourism, and textile sectors, we also encourage applications from SMEs in other industries. 

Embrace this chance to contribute to a sustainable future and apply for our grant today!

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

SMEs must meet the following criteria:

  • Operating for at least 3 years 
  • Legally registered (LLC, JSC, Sole Proprietor).
  • Generated at least 10,000,000 AMD revenue in the past year. 

We are committed to supporting SMEs that create a positive impact on society. Consequently, organizations whose activities are considered to have a negative impact on society will not be considered for our grants.

The jury, composed of 5 experts, will evaluate applications based on the following criteria:

  • The relevance, quality, feasibility, and expected impact of the proposed circular solution for the SME.
  • Level of innovation of the proposed circular solution 
  • Project business model, budget figures, rationale, and scalability.
  • The team, its execution capacity in business and circular economy, and motivation.
  • Overall quality of the application.
  • Expected environmental impact of the proposed circular solution, contribution to the green deal and greening Armenia.
  • Reduction of raw material and resource consumption as a result of the proposed circular solution.
  • The utilization of the R-ladder strategies of Circular Economy.

How to Apply

Eligible SMEs can apply by downloading, filling in, and submitting the following documents by September 2st, 2024 at 11:59 PM (Armenian local time), in English or Armenian to shoushan.keshishian@impacthub.net.

These documents should detail your circular business solution and how it aligns with the principles of the circular economy and contributes to the development of your SME. 

To help you prepare your application, we have also prepared the following two documents:

Please read both guidelines carefully before preparing your application and submitting your proposal.

Each applicant can submit only one proposal. Failure to submit an application package containing all the required information and documentation may lead to the rejection of the proposal. Failure to submit an application within the specified deadline may lead to the rejection of the proposal. 

Have questions? Email shoushan.keshishian@impacthub.net by August 23, 2024. 

We will also be hosting an Online Info Session on August 13th (12:00-14:00 Armenia Time), so please feel free to prepare your questions and join us. Click here to register!

Don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of Armenia’s circular economy revolution. Apply now and help us build a sustainable future!

Brought to you by the Impact Hub Network, Impact Hub Yerevan, and the Environment and Health NGO – funded by the European Union in Armenia.  

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