EIT RawMaterials

EIT RawMaterials

EIT RawMaterials is the world’s largest consortium in the raw materials sector. By driving innovation, education and entrepreneurship along the value chain, its mission is to enable sustainable competitiveness of the minerals-, metals-, and materials sectors in the EU.

EIT RawMaterials focusses on the full material life cycle:

• Exploration and raw materials resources assessment
• Mining in challenging environments
• Increased resource efficiency in mineral and metallurgical processes
• Recycling and material chain optimisation for end-of-life products
• Substitution of critical and toxic materials in products for optimised performance
• Design of products and services for the circular economy

Support is offered via knowledge shared, facilitating matchmaking activities, and supporting the development of innovative technologies and business creation.

Regarding business creation and support, EIT RawMaterials has the objectives to:

• Create and develop new game changing business across Europe
• Fast track start-ups and support the commercialisation of business ideas
• Encourage exchange and networking across different disciplines and businesses
• Create new entrepreneurial education approaches
• Provide funding to boost innovation from ideas to commercialisation

What is the relevance for Circular Cities?

The innovation fields of the circular economy and circular cities are interwoven in the three strategic objectives of EIT Raw Materials:

1. Securing raw materials supply with a great focus on materials supply from secondary sources.
2. Designing solutions by inspiring innovation in the creation and design of products, product-service systems, processes and wider systems across whole life-cycles.
3. Closing material loops by raising awareness of the benefits of optimising resources and minimising losses.

Therefore, chances are that your circular city initiatives are eligible for funding or other support from EIT Raw Materials.

EIT RawMaterials has recently emphasised the importance of cities in the circular economy. The organisation has funded the CIRCuIT project to assess the needs of cities in their transition to circularity. It is expected that the results of this project will be translated into new, city-focused actions or instruments from the EIT RawMaterials.

How to apply?

EIT RawMaterials offers different types of support:

• Funding instruments (grants) to help high-potential entrepreneurs find the required financial and non-financial support to bring innovations to market.
• Business idea competition to support and develop idea holders and research teams turning ideas into business models.
• Start-up and SME boosters to support promising start-ups and SMEs at regional Innovation Hubs validating their business models.

Calls for projects are not open consistently and, therefore, it is recommended to check the website regularly.

Research organisations, entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs are eligible for support from EIT RawMaterials. To be eligible to receive EIT funding, however, the fund-seeker must be an EIT RawMaterials partner. More information on how to become a partner can be found here .