Who funds circular economy research?

We count 152 funded circular economy projects, active between 2020 and 2031, from 5 funders. The most came from EU · MSCA (43 projects), EU · Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (38 projects) and EU · Digital, Industry and Space (23 projects). The median award is $4M, across the 151 of 152 projects that list an amount.

Funded projects

152

Funders

5

Median award

$4M

Open calls now

3

Top funders of circular economy research

Projects whose title or summary mentions circular economy. Median award: of the projects that list an amount, in US dollars; “—” when fewer than 3 do.

Open circular economy funding calls

3 open calls mention circular economy today.

• Data-driven circular economy for e-mobility ecosystem (2ZERO Partnership)
  European Commission · Horizon Europe€5,000,000 – €7,000,000Deadline: April 14, 2027 ·
• Emission or Waste Reduction and the Circular Economy
  National Science Foundation (SBIR/STTR)Not specifiedDeadline: July 7, 2027 ·
• Crafting routes to a circular economy
  European Commission · Horizon Europe€3,000,000 – €3,500,000Deadline: September 23, 2027 ·

Funded circular economy projects

A sample, latest start first, at most three per program.

• EPSRC Manufacturing Research Hub in Robotics, Automation & Smart Machine Enabled Sustainable Circular Manufacturing & Materials (RESCu-M2)
  UKRI · EPSRC · £12,039,508 · ends 2031
• A circular economy approach to nutrient management is needed to promote a sustainable bioeconomy that considers the environmental impacts…
  USDA · $999,470 · ends 2030
• NLI: Design and Development: Cross disciplinary co-teaching sustainability across the formal and informal engineering undergraduate curriculum
  NSF · ENG · $400,000 · ends 2029
• Adaptive and Circular Manufacturing of Modular Filtration Systems from ThermoplasticWaste
  UKRI · Innovate UK · £1,202,071 · ends 2029
• The social dimensions of the circular economy: understanding how social value and community well-being are generated within circular economy hubs.
  UKRI · ESRC · ends 2028
• Agricultural enterprises are looking for ways to engage in a circular economy that sustainably converts waste materials into value-added…
  USDA · $650,000 · ends 2028
• Ai4Fibres Innovation Plant: The UK’s Low-Carbon Garment Recycling Facility with Digital Passport Integration
  UKRI · Innovate UK · £4,800,000 · ends 2028
• The critical materials accelerator aims to validate and prototype technologies and processes that address critical materials challenges by…
  DOE · $2,349,810 · ends 2027
• ThermaCORE: Thermus thermophilus Accelerated Co-evolution of Robust Enzymes for industrial applications
  EU · MSCA · €261,854 · 2027–2029 · UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI VERONA
• Circular Economy approaches to Digested Sludge Utilization in a Wastewater Treatment Plant Based on Hydrothermal Carbonization and Complementary Technologies
  EU · MSCA · €4,210,194 · 2027–2031 · UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK

How we count

Funded projects come from public award records (NIH RePORTER, NSF, EU CORDIS, UKRI Gateway to Research, Wellcome, the Gates Foundation, DOE, NASA and USDA NIFA) whose title or summary matches “circular economy”. NIH lists each budget year separately; one project counts once. Amounts are as the funder lists them; medians use only projects that list one, in US dollars. Open calls and forecasts are from our listings of October 28, 2026. A project can mention a topic without being mainly about it, so treat the counts as a guide to who funds the area.