The Circular Accelerator Program provides business planning and technical support to promising circular businesses and projects.
Donor Name: NextCycle Washington
State: Washington
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Program
Deadline: 10/31/2025
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Less than 1 Year
Details:
A core element of NextCycle Washington is the Circular Accelerator Program, which provides technical assistance for promising businesses and projects. Selected projects are supported through a six-month program that includes consulting support, business planning, pitch development, and investment-readiness assistance.
The Circular Accelerator Program provides…
- Business and Technical Planning Support
- Pitch Development
- Funding Pathway Identification and Matchmaking.
Types of Projects
- Upstream Projects: Businesses and projects that prevent waste or improve and expand reuse and repair within Washington.
- Downstream Projects: Projects that improve, innovate, or expand material and organic recycling, recovery and end uses.
What’s Includes?
- Funding Pathway Identification and Matchmaking.
- Developing growth plan fundamentals through a multi-day intensive Accelerator Academy
- One-on-one consulting with experienced mentors and subject matter experts to improve and refine business models and project plans
- Attending facilitated networking opportunities to foster collaborations and partnerships
- Engaging with community voices to ensure equitable outcomes and generate grassroots support
- Identifying funding pathways
- Introducing participants to potential investors
- Refining pitch deck to help secure project funding
- Recognition and publicity.
Grant Period
December 2025 – June 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
- Businesses, entrepreneurs, universities, non-profits, community-based organizations or tribal governments that have investable project ideas with the potential to contribute towards zero waste goals, greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, and equitable outcomes while stimulating the circular economy.
- Cross sector partnerships and existing end markets from out-of-state are eligible to apply.
- Applicants from communities that have been overburdened, under-resourced, or under-represented are encouraged to apply.
- Late-stage startup, early growth, and mature stage projects will be considered.
- Projects must either utilize materials that are otherwise disposed of, provide a higher better use of materials, or focus on waste prevention.
- Project leads do not need to be headquartered in Washington at the time of application, but to be accepted, the project or business idea must be implemented and based in Washington.
- Projects must show the potential to be financially sustainable.
- Projects must consider social equity and community impacts, especially with respect to overburdened communities.
- Projects must consider GHG reduction potential.
- Projects must demonstrate a measurable and/or scalable impact to Washington’s waste diversion/zero waste goals.
- Foundational research and feasibility studies are not eligible. Pilot projects may be considered eligible.
For more information, visit NextCycle Washington.
