Only two weeks left to apply to the Ecosurety Exploration Fund

We officially launched the Ecosurety Exploration Fund last November, with the aim of providing a visible funding route for projects that can reduce the environmental impact of packaging, batteries or e-waste on the environment through UK-based innovation or research. Since launching, the level of interest in the fund has been extremely high to say the least, encouragingly indicative of the number of fresh ideas and projects out there that are seeking to tackle the big problems of today.

A maximum of £150k is available to each funding application, although there is no minimum limit as we are interested in all projects, from large through to small, so long as they can make an impact. We also actively welcome collaborations between multiple organisations working on a single project.

Open to companies, charities, not-for-profits and academic organisations, the fund builds on our experience of supporting innovative projects and new technologies across the whole life-cycle of products and materials.

So, if you have not yet applied and you think you have a strong idea for a project that can make a real difference, please make sure you submit your application by the deadline of 10 March 2020! Click here for the full details of how to apply.

An independent judging panel

Once the Exploration Fund deadline has passed, all entries will be considered by Ecosurety and a long-list of successful applicants will be drawn up. Winners will then be selected by the independent judging panel, a range of experts from industry, non-governmental and business sectors that so far includes:

• Peter Maddox, Director, WRAP
• Libby Peake, Senior Policy Advisor, Green Alliance
• Mike Barry, former Director of Sustainable Business (Plan A) at M&S
• Janet Gunter, Co-founder of the Restart Project
• Tim Cooper, Professor of Sustainable Design and Consumption at Nottingham Trent University
• Paul Franey, Senior Manager, Repair and End of Life at Virgin Media
• Alison Bramfitt, Group Packaging Manager, Nestlé
• Chris Hillman, Head of Innovation and Sustainability UK & IE, Danone

To assist applicants we have conducted a series of interviews with a number of the Ecosurety Exploration Fund judges. These interviews offer fascinating insight into the key challenges in our current resource and waste economy as well as the kind of applications the judges are hoping to see. You can read the interviews here with Peter Maddox, Libby Peake, Janet Gunter and Mike Barry.

A vital springboard for projects

Thanks to rapid urbanisation and a steadily increasing population, rates of waste are predicted to increase exponentially over the coming decades and the need to develop solutions to the lasting impact that waste has on the environment has never been greater.

In launching the Ecosurety Exploration Fund, we hope to provide a vital springboard for projects tackling some of the most pressing environmental issues derived from the packaging, battery and electronic waste streams, as well as shine a light on some of the original ideas that exist in the waste and resource mitigation sector today.

How to enter

Applications to the Ecosurety Exploration Fund can be made via the dedicated webpage www.ecosurety.com/impact/exploration-fund where more details on eligibility can be found. Deadline for submission is 11.59pm, Tuesday 10^th March 2020.

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