€1.5 million Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme Launched
Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment with special responsibility for the Circular Economy Alan Dillon has announced the launch of the 2026 Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme (CEIGS), with total funding increasing from €650,000 to €1.5 million.
The 2026 funding round opens today (14 September), with individual grants expected to range from €50,000 to €150,000.
The increased investment represents a significant expansion of Government support for circular economy innovation. It will help businesses and social enterprises to develop and implement practical solutions that reduce waste, extend the life of products and materials, and make better use of resources.
Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme
The Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme is a Government initiative that is designed to support innovative projects that advance the circular economy in Ireland. Since its launch in 2021, the scheme has awarded over €2.4 million to 50 projects, supporting innovation across areas including food waste, plastics, single-use plastics, packaging, construction, textiles and general waste.
The 2026 scheme will place a strong emphasis on projects that can demonstrate practical implementation and measurable circular economy impacts, including approaches that keep products, components and materials in use for longer and at their highest possible value.
The increased funding is aligned with the implementation of Ireland’s Circular Economy Strategy 2026–2028. The strategy places a stronger emphasis on moving from policy development to practical delivery. It identifies innovation as an important enabler of Ireland’s circular transition.
CIRCULÉIRE and Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR)
For 2026, the scheme will be administered in partnership with CIRCULÉIRE and its secretariat Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR). CIRCULÉIRE is Ireland’s Circular Innovation Network, an industry‑led, cross-sectoral, public‑private platform supporting Irish businesses to capture circular advantage since 2020. CIRCULÉIRE will manage the application, evaluation, administrative processes for the Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme. It will steward successful awardees, as they deliver on their projects.
The 2026 Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme will support projects focused on priority areas for Ireland’s circular economy, including:
- Plastics: Redesigning products or packaging to reduce reliance on virgin or non-recyclable plastics and increase the use of recyclable alternatives.
- Construction and demolition: Developing reusable construction products and approaches that enable greater reuse and material recovery through selective demolition.
- Food waste: Implementing technical or behavioural interventions to prevent and reduce food waste in production and commercial settings.
- Resources and raw materials: Improving the recovery and reuse of critical raw materials and reducing the use of hazardous substances in products.
The scheme is intended to support projects that can demonstrate tangible environmental, economic and social benefits and contribute to the wider development of a more circular Irish economy.
Full details on the application process for the Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme are available through CIRCULÉIRE.
Applications will remain open until 12 October (at 23:59 Irish time).
Online Information Session
An online information session will take place on 21 September. Interested applicants can register through the CEIGS information session registration page.