Open Call 2025

The CBC Open Call seeks to amplify proven solutions (“Blueprint Projects”) to accelerate the transition to a circular built environment in Europe. Winners of the Open Call will receive up to €70,000 funding, as well as network and market access support.

While there are existing efforts to address challenges to adopting circularity at scale, many of the solutions have been developed and tested within closed or limited environments, but have not reached their full market potential, or been widely diffused across the sector for the public good.

The Open Call supports circular innovators to:

  • Identify promising approaches and solutions to identified challenge areas that have been proven to be feasible.
  • Demonstrate market demand and de-mystify assumed barriers for circular solutions.
  • Support the real-world demonstration and diffusion of scalable approaches and solutions across the built environment sector for the wider public good.
  • Showcase inspiring examples of new approaches to creating change in the built environment to influence the industry to develop and diffuse such approaches.

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The deadline of the Open Call is 11 May 2025, 23:59 CET.

Apply here

Open Call Challenge Areas

Challenge Area 1 – Demonstrate assurance on the quality of secondary materials
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A circular built environment promotes the (multiple) use of secondary products, components and materials. However, there is a perceived risk that the quality and condition of secondary materials is insufficient compared to new products, particularly among contractors and investors. The lack of warranties and assurance of secondary materials – often not covered by conventional insurance products – deters the use of these secondary materials. To realise the potential of replacing 10% of the demand for virgin materials with recovered materials from the existing building stock3, it is crucial to enable secondary building materials to compete with virgin materials through quality assurance.

Therefore, to support their adoption, the CBC is looking to support initiatives that can provide increased assurance on the quality and performance of secondary materials, and to help to dispel the perceived risks associated with these secondary materials and products.

Blueprint projects could include, but are not limited to, initiatives that:

  • Provide standardised and scalable systems for validating and certifying the quality and performance of secondary materials
  • Demonstrate scalable insurance models for secondary materials and components within an environment of limited historical data.
  • Build market confidence in secondary materials through transparent, data-backed performance assurance.
  • Business models that integrate performance-based incentives and secondary material assurance into their operational model.

Example Blueprint Project‍

From the need for an insurance product that standardises coverage for reclaimed materials, setting a new industry standard, Concular’s insurance solution -Reclaimed Construction Material Insurance- addresses a significant market gap, promoting the sustainable integration of reclaimed materials.

Read more about Concular’s Blueprint project here.

Challenge Area 2 – Showcase the value of secondary materials
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Within a circular economy, products are at their highest value for as long as possible and presents an opportunity to unlock new value across the construction and real estate sectors. However, in North-Western Europe, only 1% of this value is reclaimed,4 with recovery practices in the sector commonly favouring low-vary recycling over higher value material reuse and recovery. To date, there are limited demonstrations of methods and approaches to integrate circular principes into existing accounting and business model practices, which can perpetuate a greater perception of risk.

The CBC is looking to support initiatives that can demonstrate the potential to capture the additional value of circular practices in the sector, such as through the residual value of secondary materials, and through business models (such as Product-as-a-Service). The development of novel valuation and financing models and establishing an evidence-base of successful circular business models can help to enable the direction of increased amounts of funding to circular practices in the sector.

Blueprint projects could include, but are not limited to, initiatives that:

  • Unlock CapEx investments through common finance models and instruments that mitigate higher initial costs of circularity throughout the transition period.
  • Redistribute costs, risks, and profit of stakeholders in the value chain through finance models and contracts.
  • Demonstrate standardised approaches for variation to the discounted cashflow model and articulate the financial benefits of the circular business case in practice.
  • Quantify environmental and social benefits of secondary materials to positively influence investment decisions.
  • Promote the demand for higher value secondary materials by unlocking barriers related to processes, logistics, infrastructure and collaboration of the value chain.

Example Blueprint Project‍

Circotrade is a French company that captures buildings’ unrealised value by listing, gauging and trading their components via an innovative futures contract. In this way, Circotrade overcomes the financial and logistical barriers facing reuse and boosts the uptake of secondary construction materials and products.

Read more about Circotrade’s Blueprint project here.

Challenge Area 3 - Unlock data and information flows across the value chain to facilitate and implement material reuse and recovery
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Implementing a circular economy at scale across Europe’s built environment requires information on the material assets, such as on the types, quantities and qualities of materials that are present. Increasingly, data is increasingly being generated and used across the sector, such as by designers, insurance providers, developers and real estate companies. Yet, this is still often in silos, and the right data and information does not get shared with the right stakeholder at the right time to support reuse and recirculation of materials across throughout the supply chain.

Although there is increasing practices to capture information the nature of the building stock through for example, pre-demolition audits, inconsistent adoption and approaches to understand both the quantity and quality of materials and components limit proactive identification and re-use of materials. What’s more, a lack of efficiency in the matching of the availability of secondary materials and components with a reuse opportunity can lead to increased needs for storage and logistics. Therefore, unlocking the flows of information and data throughout the supply chain can help to unlock the flows of recirculated materials and capture value.

The CBC is looking to support initiatives that facilitate the consistent and transparent collation of data and facilitate new forms of collaboration throughout the supply chain to facilitate the circulation of resources and components.

Blueprint projects could include, but are not limited to, initiatives that:

  • Employ digital technology and data to efficiently matchmake the supply and demand for secondary materials to allow for high-value reuse and reduce logistics and storage costs.
  • Enhance transparency of the availability of secondary materials through efficient and feasible tracking and monitoring of building materials.
  • Scale and expedite cataloguing of materials of existing real estate assets to improve transparency of future secondary materials stock.
  • Demonstrate how data and information flows enable flexible workflows and processes across the value chain to support adaptable design with variable secondary material supply.

Example Blueprint Project‍

The Building Passport Alignment Project by UCL Consultants (UCLC) aims to establish the necessary framework for facilitating seamless Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting within the real estate and construction sectors. The initiative aims to identify a complete set of granular, building-level data points needed to meet all the ESG reporting requirements of the real estate sector.

Read more about UCLC’s Blueprint project here. ‍

Applying to the call

Who can apply?
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Almost any start-up, company, or organization is eligible, as long as they have a registered office within Europe.

Exclusionary criteria:

  • Core partner in the Circular Buildings Coalition.
  • A past recipient of the Circular Buildings Coalition Blueprint project funding.
  • Projects focused solely on biobased construction – see the Laudes Foundation’s ‘Built By Nature’ Programme: https://builtbn.org/
What is a ‘Blueprint Project’?
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We define a ‘Blueprint project’ as an initiative that can help overcome existing market barriers to scale or create demand, or support the diffusion of a solution that accelerates the transition to a circular built environment. The solution is focused on maximising systemic change by providing economically sustainable market-oriented solutions.

Why apply to the Circular Buildings Coalition Open Call?
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  • Impact: Maximise the systemic impact of your solution towards a circular built environment by diffusing it into the field.
  • Funding: Secure grant funding to develop and execute that plan to diffuse your solution.
  • Knowledge: Drawing upon the resources from the Circular Building Coalition, receive guidance by experts in the built environment, the circular transition, and those leading systemic change.
  • Platform: Gain access to partner networks and communications channels to spread your solution.

You can find more about the Blueprint Projects supported in Cohort 1 (2023-2024) here: https://www.circularbuildingscoalition.org/blueprint-projects

Submitting an application
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The deadline to apply to the Open Call is 11 May, 2025 at 23:59 CET. You can submit your application via this link: https://form.typeform.com/to/KmUXmheb
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The application asks for relatively concise answers to 14 questions, totalling roughly three pages of text. You will be able to edit, save, and come back to your application.

Selection Committee
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The CBC Selection Committee to assess applicants will be formed and governed to meet the following principles of the CBC:

  • Relevance: Ensuring that solutions selected fundamentally address the challenge areas identified and enable the diffusion of promising systemic solutions.
  • Diversity: The process brings in a diversity of perspectives.
  • Balance: The process ensures a balanced spread & diversity of solutions.
  • Additionality: The process enables solutions to be developed and diffuse that would not have otherwise.
  • Transparency: The process is transparent to consortium partners and those applying to the call.

The selection committee will be composed of CBC consortia members and funders, and external experts in specific challenge areas and geographies.

Phases of The Blueprint Project Funding
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Overview
The Blueprint Project Process will run for 6 months during the second half of 2025. During this time, grantees develop and pilot their solutions and consolidate outcomes to support scaling.
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During this phase, grantees will receive the following:
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CBC Support:

  • Guidance: Grantees will receive 20 hours of mentoring support from the CBC that can be tailored to needs. This support can entail, for instance, reviewing core materials, limited technical support or sharing network resources.
  • Guidance and network support: The CBC will support grantees with practical questions about implementation as well as accessing key network partners.
  • Recommendations: Consortium partners will offer advice and recommendations at milestone points in the process.
  • CBC Network: Access to a CBC Alumni network with previous Blueprint Project initiatives.

Funding: €70.000(euro) in soft funding, allocated on a conditional basis

  • 75% of the grant will be disbursed upfront, and 25% will be disbursed after two progress reports8 are handed in over 6 months.

By the end of this phase, the CBC expects projects to:

  • Piloted and/or carried out a real-world demonstration of the stated solution.
  • Captured initial learnings from pilot/demonstration.
  • Diffuse their solutions to target stakeholders, and in other cases engage stakeholders for potential future engagement.
  • Develop a market- and exit-strategy for the initiative post-involvement with the CBC.
  • Produced a concise publicly-facing output that summarises the initiative, lessons learned from the CBC piloting, and targeted next steps that can be openly shared by CBC and operates under a Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-SA.
Scoring Criteria
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Selection Criteria
The CBC will use the following criteria to assess submissions to the Open Call. There are eight selection criteria that will be used across three core themes:

  • IMPACT: The potential positive impact of the initiative to accelerate the adoption of circularity in Europe’s built environment sector.
  • SOLUTION: The originality and feasibility of the proposed initiative.
  • TEAM: The team (or consortium) that is delivering the proposed initiative.
The assessment and selection will be undertaken in June 2025. Following which, the selection committee will collectively come to a decision to select a maximum of 6 grantees.
Key Dates
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Open Call Launch: Thursday 13 March 2025

Deadline – Open Call Close: Sunday 11 May 2025, 23:59 CET

‍Selection of winners: June 2025

Blueprint Project piloting and mentoring: July 2025 - December 2025

Application Questions
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The following section provides the application questions outlined in the application. The deadline to apply to the Open Call is 11 May 2025 23:59 CET. You can submit your application via this link: https://form.typeform.com/to/KmUXmheb

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Section 1: Eligibility

Before you start your submission, please answer the following five filter questions. If you answer no to one of the following questions, it may not be worth your time to submit a full application. After the filter questions, we ask you to answer 13 short questions about your initiative.

a. The initiative focuses on generating value for society-at-large, not on developing intellectual property for the applying organization.

‍b. Blueprint projects are intended as an initiative that helps push the sector forward, rather than increasing the competitive advantage of a single organization.

‍c. The initiative targets one or more of challenge the challenges described in the 2025 Open Call by the Circular Buildings Coalition (see challenges outlined in the Open Call Brief: https://www.circularbuildingscoalition.org/opencall)

‍d. The initiative is designed to be replicated / built upon / possibly be taken-up by others.

‍e. The applicant is a registered organization in Europe. (Europe here means EU 27 + UK + Norway + Switzerland)

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Section 2: Getting in touch with you

Kindly provide your contact details in the next form for us to get in touch with you if selected for a blueprint project.

a. First name:
b. Last name:
c. Phone number:
d. Email:
e. Company (Lead Organisation if part of a consortium):
f. Organisation Website:
g. Location (Country) of Organisation:

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‍Section 3: Application

Please provide the following information about your initiative:

a. What is the title of the Blueprint Project that you are submitting?Please make the title as descriptive as possible. - Max 30 words

‍b. Where will your initiative be focused geographically? - Max 30 words

‍c. What are the most critical goals/objectives of the initiative? - Max 100 words

‍d. Describe briefly your proposed initiative, including a description of the current state of readiness - Max 150 words

‍e. How, in your view, does the initiative align with the objectives the Circular Buildings Coalition and the challenge(s) described in the Open Call? - Max 100 words

‍f. How do you expect to achieve your goal with the initiative? Describe briefly the concrete steps/activities you will undertake, including how to will pilot and/or provide a real-world demonstration of your initiative - Max 300 words

‍g. Which other partners are involved in the initiative, and what roles do they play? If there no current partners, which types of partners could strengthen the initiative? - Max 100 words

‍h. Briefly outline the market potential of your initiative, and describe the potential for scaling its adoption and impact in the future – Max 125 words

‍i. Who else is working on a similar or related initiative? What distinguishes your approach when compared to other initiatives, and adds unique value? - Max 100 words

‍j. What support from the partners in the Circular Buildings Coalition would strengthen your initiative? - Max 100 words. The Circular Buildings Coalition can provide, with a maximum amount of working days, technical support, access to networks, and general review and discussion support.

k. What are the most important feasibility questions surrounding your initiative? To what degree have you validated the technical, social, or economic feasibility? - Max 150 words

‍l. What are your plans for expanding the impact of your initiative in the future? - Max 125 words

‍m. How will you use the €70.000 to develop and/or pilot the Blueprint Project? Include any co-contributions to this initiative - Max 150 words

n. Would you like to attach additional files to this application? Please include a workplan outline for your project during the 6 month CBC engagement.

‍End of application‍

Past CBC Blueprint Projects
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You can find past CBC Blueprint Projects here: https://www.circularbuildingscoalition.org/blueprint-projects

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Glossary of Terms
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Blueprint Projects – An initiative that can help to overcome existing market barriers to scale or create demand, or support the diffusion of a solution that accelerates the transition to a circular built environment. The solution is focused on maximising systemic change by providing economically sustainable market-oriented solutions.

Challenge areas – Three challenge areas that the CBC has identified that, if addressed, would accelerate the transition to a circular built environment sector. Each of the challenge areas has specific challenges nested within it.

Circular Buildings Coalition – The Circular Buildings Coalition (CBC) is an initiative of the Laudes Foundation, Metabolic, Circle Economy, EMF, WGBC, WBCSD and Arup to accelerate circularity in the built environment in Europe. The CBC aims to address main challenges to scale action in Europe through developing system analysis, hosting thematic round tables, advocacy, developing blueprint projects, and providing support to novel and proven solutions through regranting.

Circular built environment – A construction and development sector that fully cycles the resources it uses and is in harmony with nature by design.

Diffusion/Dissemination – Spreading solutions to be adopted by different stakeholders and for different use cases as widely as feasible.

Europe – EU27 + Norway + Switzerland + UK.

Feasibility study – An assessment of the practicality of the project, aiming to objectively uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the project, opportunities and threats present, the resources required to carry through, and ultimately the prospects for success. Key aspects to consider in a feasibility study are Economic, Social, Political, Legal, Technical, Environmental and Practical.

Public good – An outcome that is of benefit to society and a variety of stakeholders, in contrast to benefit that is primarily privatised internally within an organisation where the organisation primarily benefits. Public good should focus on enabling wider change to occur within the sector. However, the fit between the project’s needs and the organisation’s capacities is of course important.

Systemic change – A formal definition of system change is as follows:

  • Addressing root causes rather than symptoms;
  • by altering, shifting, and transforming structures, customs, mindsets, power dynamics, and rules;
  • through collaboration across a diverse set of actors; and,
  • intent on achieving lasting improvement of societal issues on a local, national, and global level.
FAQ
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A series of questions asked in Webinar Open Call Kickoff. Hopefully these may answer general queries.

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Expectations and deliverables:

How many projects will be funded?

a.     Up to six projects will receive funding.

How detailed are the interim reports expected to be?

a.     There will be two progress reports during the project. These are structured to be light progress reports to maintain progress. Greater detail of project outcomes and learnings is required for the final publicly facing output.

Will all reports be required to be written up within the six-month scope?

a.     Yes, it is expected that these arewritten during the project scope 

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Relevance of applicant projects:

Do initiatives need to be fundamentally novel?

a.     In the application grading criteria, one category assesses the 'originality' of a project. The full application grading criteria can be found below where the weighting of each scoring criteria is provided.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15gFDfafnZ8kg2MjKvW8tWa_w1kXvoRxP/view

Is the BPP Open Call only for the building economy or are circular infrastructural solutions accepted?

a.     The Open Call is focused on supporting initiatives that can accelerate the adoption of circular economy practices in Europe’s built environment. While previous research effort has focused on buildings, the built environment can also include infrastructure. Nevertheless, we encourage applicants to demonstrate the ability of the initiative to address one (or more) of the challenge areas outlined in the briefing document.

Does ‘reused secondary materials’ include ‘reused elements’?

a.     Yes, materials, elements and components are all considered of interest.

How important is scalability to the selection criteria – for example would prototype equipment be supported?

a.     Scalability is very important to the selection criteria. In addition, the feasibility of the initiative or solution to provide a real-world application is a selection criterion, which supports established initiatives over early-stage concepts.

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Read the Applicants' Guide here

Apply here

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