Circular Economy Fund
Last Update: July 22, 2025
QC, Canada
Canada's first investment fund for circular economy startups
Circular Economy Fund at a glance
Eligible Funding
- From $250,000 to $2,000,000
Timeline
- Continuous Intakes
Financing Type
Loans and Capital investments
Eligible Industries
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services
Grant Providers
- Fondaction
Status
Open
Overview of the Circular Economy Fund program
The Circular Economy Fund is Canada's first investment fund dedicated to accelerating ecological transition by reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions, with a maximum funding of $2,000,000. Eligible activities include innovation in agro-food systems, recycling and resource recovery, and eco-construction, focusing on startups in Quebec with circular economy business models.
Financing terms and conditions
- Investment amounts range from $250,000 to $2,000,000 per project.
- Funding is provided in the form of equity or quasi-equity investments.
Eligible projects & activities
Examples of admissible projects:
$ 450,000
Developing an urban agriculture initiative to reduce food miles and promote local food production
$ 1,000,000
Creating a local food hub for processing and distributing organic produce from urban farms
$ 600,000
Implementing a food waste transformation project to convert discarded vegetables into marketable products
Eligibility criteria of the Circular Economy Fund program
Eligibility for this grant is determined by specific requirements related to the applicant's profile and proposed activities.
- The applicant must be a young enterprise in its startup phase.
- The business model must be based on products, services, or technologies rooted in the circular economy.
- The company must be located within Quebec.
- The initiative must offer innovative solutions with strong potential for resource optimization or valorization, aimed at reducing residual materials and GHG emissions.
- The company must operate in one of the targeted sectors: Agro-food, Recycling and revalorization of resources, or Ecoconstruction.
Who is eligible?
- Start-up companies in the circular economy sector
- Businesses in the agri-food industry, including urban agriculture, short supply chains, food processing, and by-product valorization
- Companies involved in resource recycling and revalorization, including organic material recovery and new recycling technologies
- Businesses engaged in ecoconstruction, such as those focused on construction waste management and eco-design
Eligible geographic areas
- Companies located throughout Quebec.
Eligibility criteria of the Circular Economy Fund program
Oui, il existe des critères d'évaluation et de sélection pour cette subvention. Les entreprises doivent démontrer une solution innovante avec un fort potentiel d'optimisation de l'utilisation des ressources ou de leur valorisation.
- Secteurs d'activités ciblés : agroalimentaire, recyclage et revalorisation des ressources, écoconstruction, et autres secteurs d'intérêt relevant de l'économie circulaire
- Phase de démarrage
- Modèle d’affaires ancré dans l'économie circulaire
- Localisation : entreprise doit être située au Québec
- Montant de l'investissement demandé : entre 250 000 $ à 2 000 000 $
How to apply to the Circular Economy Fund program
1
Initial contact
- Contact the Fund to briefly present your company and its project.
- Ask for details about the required documents and the application submission process.
2
Preparation of the file
- Prepare a complete file detailing your business model and how it fits into the circular economy.
- Include a description of your project, the innovative solutions proposed, and their potential impacts in terms of resource optimization.
- Gather all necessary supporting documents, such as financial projections and environmental impact studies.
3
Submission of the request
- Send your complete file using the method of transmission indicated during the initial contact (for example, by email or via an online portal).
- Ensure that the application is submitted before any deadline that may be communicated.
4
Monitoring and evaluation
- Wait for a response from the strategic committee after the evaluation of your request.
- Be prepared to provide additional information if necessary during the evaluation process.
Additional information
- The fund supports ecological transition through innovation and collaboration.
- Focused on facilitating knowledge exchange between emerging and established companies.
- Aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while promoting circular economy solutions.
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