We are delighted to share the results of our First Open Call, which aims to support European SMEs (EU27) on their journey towards a circular economy through financial support.
The call attracted 366 applications from SMEs across 20 EU countries.
After verification of eligibility, 317 proposals progressed to the evaluation stage, where external evaluators reviewed them based on three key criteria: Concept, Feasibility and Impact.
Each evaluator gave a score from 0 (lowest) to 5 (highest) for each of the three criteria. The scores of all evaluators on each criterion have been summarised in an average score. If the score for one criterion is below the threshold of 3, the proposal cannot be funded. The three scores were added in a total score according to the following weight: Concept 30%, Feasibility 30%, Impact 40%. If the total weighted score is below the threshold of 10, such a project cannot be funded. The lists with results published below only show the average weighted scores. This table might help to better understand how the weight is calculated:
| Score | Concept 30% | Feasibility 30% | Impact 40% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0,9 | 0,9 | 1,2 |
| 2 | 1,8 | 1,8 | 2,4 |
| 3 | 2,7 | 2,7 | 3,6 |
| 4 | 3,6 | 3,6 | 4,8 |
| 5 | 4,5 | 4,5 | 6 |
For those whose projects were not selected in this round, we encourage you to apply again in our Second Open Call, which will open in spring 2025.