Advancing the global transition to a more circular economy with The Circulars Accelerator ’22.
If you’re concerned about plastic ending up in the environment, then you may have heard about a possible solution: the circular economy. Our linear economic system is unsustainable, we consume 75% more resources each year than the earth can naturally regenerate. By 2050 we will require 3 earths each year to sustain consumption, we need to act now. Programs like The Circulars Accelerator are vital, paving the way for the circular economy, successfully connecting disruptive start-ups with cross-industry leaders and circular experts to change the way industries do business.
RELEVANT SUSTAINABLE GOALS
THE CIRCULARS ACCELERATOR ’22
An initiative of Accenture, The Circulars Accelerator is run in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and supported by an esteemed panel of global experts and an extensive network of public and private sector organizations. Launched in 2021, The Circulars Accelerator is an action-oriented, six-month accelerator program and a collaborative global circular ecosystem advancing the global transition to a more circular economy. An initiative of Accenture, The Circulars Accelerator is run in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and supported by an esteemed panel of global experts and an extensive network of public and private sector organizations. Selected innovators will be provided with expert mentorship, targeted business advice, and support to both rethink their propositions and scale-up their circular solutions.
The Circulars Accelerator ’22 is looking for early to growth stage entrepreneurs / innovators / businesses in need of specialized, tailored support. Applicants should be setting out to grow their business, whilst also exploring broader opportunities to redefine business as usual, trigger systems change and drive forward the transition to a more circular economy.
SUBMISSION PROCESS
Are you an innovator, disrupting your industry and showing that new ways of doing business are possible? If so, apply for The Circulars Accelerator ‘22 today!
Submissions will be reviewed in two stages. Stage 1 opens on 1st September. Successful applicants will be taken forth to Stage 2, and will be sent additional questions regarding their solution. Stage 2 is scheduled to open from 1st October. All submissions will close on 1st November.
The Submissions must fall within the framing laid out below, including general scope and focus areas
1: General Scope:
Successful submissions will be those that provide clear detailed answers to each of the application questions covering the innovation, scalability, value creation and environmental and social impact of your solution. Submissions must highlight how you are setting out to grow your business and how the solution redefines business as usual, triggering systems change and driving forward the transition to a more circular economy. Please refer to the Submission Guide for more specific questions and for an illustrative view of the types of questions you could be asked and a guide of the detail and style of answers we are looking for
2: Challenge Focus Areas
Eligible solutions must fit the general scope above and fall under one of these focus areas:
- Innovating Products & Production
- Transforming Consumption
- Recovering Value
SUBMISSION OVERVIEW
After an initial round of reviews, vetted submission will be asked to fill in an additional questionnaire to assess the quality and impact of the project or solution. With this in mind, please be aware that we will be prioritizing submissions received before the 1st October. The earlier an submission is received the more tailored support you can expect to receive from the team, and the more time you leave yourself to complete stage two of the process.
Challenge Timeline:
- 1st September 2021: Stage One: Submissions and review
- 1st October 2021: Stage Two: Additional questions and review
- September-October 2021: Stage Two: Selection
- 1st November 2021: All submissions closed
- November 2021: Deliberations, due diligence, and down-selection
- January 2022: Pitch Event
- February 2022-June 2022: Cohort Accelerator Program
BENEFITS FOR SELECTED SOLUTIONS :
Challenge winners will be invited to a six-month accelerator program facilitated by Accenture and partners in collaboration with the World Economic Forum to help scale and advance their impact. In 2021, the cohort consisted of 17 companies. This program, designed for the leaders of the selected solutions (founders, CEOs, etc.), will include:
- Global platform: program participation provides access to The World Economic Forum’s global platform, driving organizational value through enhanced reputation and visibility
- Corporate investor engagement: touchpoints with the corporate investor community during the program and at the Innovation Showcase
- 1:1 advisory connections: a select number of 1:1 sessions with a variety of experts to explore key barriers to scale
- Accelerator team support: ongoing support from the Accelerator Team to guide overall engagement and help shape opportunities
- Workshops: strategic, business and circular expertise delivered in a series of workshops and coaching modules
By applying to this Innovation Challenge, your solution will be visible to a growing community of over 20,000 innovators, experts, investors, and partners of the World Economic Forum.
If you have a general query relating to this challenge, please refer to the FAQ section.
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