STICHTING CIRCLE ECONOMY

Their core work

Circle Economy Foundation is an Amsterdam-based NGO focused on accelerating the transition to a circular economy across European industries. They work on practical frameworks for remanufacturing, closed-loop supply chains, and sustainable business models, bridging the gap between circular economy theory and real-world industrial implementation. Their recent work extends circular principles into the built environment, particularly green building elements and sustainable energy skills development. They operate at the intersection of policy, industry practice, and workforce training — helping sectors understand how to make circularity operational.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Circle Economy's H2020 trajectory shows a clear shift from manufacturing-centered circularity toward energy and the built environment. Their earliest involvement (ERN, 2015) focused on remanufacturing networks — a traditional circular economy topic. By their most recent project (BUS-GoCircular, 2021), they had moved into green building elements, sustainable energy skills, and procurement — applying circular thinking to construction and energy retrofitting. The intermediate ReTraCE project (2018) served as a bridge, covering broad circular economy models including life cycle analysis and sustainable business models.

Moving from analyzing circular economy in manufacturing toward practical implementation in the built environment and green energy workforce, suggesting future projects will likely target construction circularity and skills gaps.

How they like to work

Circle Economy exclusively participates as a partner or third party — they have never coordinated an H2020 project. With 51 unique consortium partners across 18 countries from just 3 projects, they plug into large, diverse consortia rather than leading them. This suggests they bring specialized circular economy knowledge to broader initiatives, making them a reliable domain expert to recruit rather than a project driver.

Despite only 3 projects, they have built a remarkably wide network of 51 partners across 18 countries, indicating participation in large pan-European consortia. Their Amsterdam base and broad country spread suggest strong connections across Western and Central Europe.

What sets them apart

Circle Economy occupies a distinctive niche as an NGO that translates circular economy concepts into actionable frameworks for industry — not an academic institution producing theory, and not a company selling products. Their value to consortium builders lies in their ability to connect circular economy methodology with practical sector applications, from remanufacturing to green buildings. For partners seeking circular economy expertise without a commercial agenda, their foundation status and cross-sector experience make them a credible, neutral contributor.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ERN
  Focused on building a European-wide remanufacturing network — a practical, industry-facing initiative rather than pure research, with the largest EC contribution (EUR 171,345).
• ReTraCE
  An MSCA training network (2018-2023) covering the full breadth of circular economy models, indicating Circle Economy's role in shaping the next generation of circular economy researchers.
• BUS-GoCircular
  Marks their strategic expansion into green building elements and energy skills — a new application domain connecting circularity with the construction and energy sectors.