Circular Economy in the Food Sector Incubator Programme

Addressing food loss, food waste, and the reduction of single-use plastics

Welcome to the Application Portal – Circular Economy in the Food Sector Incubator Programme 2025

CIRCULAR Programme Overview

Through the European Union’s Global Gateway Strategy with partial co-financing from the BMZ, the CIRCULAR Economy in the Food Sector Programme (2024–2027) supports Sri Lanka’s transition towards a more sustainable and inclusive economy. The programme focuses on reducing food loss, food waste, and eliminating single-use of plastics in the food sector through innovative, circular approaches.

Central to this project is the Circular Innovation Incubator, which brings together aspiring entrepreneurs, students, and early-stage businesses tech develop innovative solutions for some of the most pressing challenges causing food insecurity. The Circular Incubator programme will go hand-in-hand with a series of Design Thinking Workshops that guide participants through ideation, prototyping, and refinement of circular business concepts, co-creating practical, scalable solutions to the food sector’s most pressing challenges.

For more information about the program, please see the Circular Economy in the Food Sector Incubator Programme Factsheet.

You can apply for the program below, choosing the application option that best describes you among individual applicants, applications on behalf of a group, or applications on behalf of a company.

 

Apply as an individual

Apply as a group

Apply as a company

 

Team

About the Incubator Programme

The Circular Economy in the Food Sector Incubator Programme 2025 is a six-month, tailor-made business development initiative designed to support Sri Lankan entrepreneurs who are ideating or developing solutions to address food loss, food waste, and the reduction of single-use plastics in the food sector.

The programme aims to:

  • Co-develop market-ready circular innovations by bringing together aspiring entrepreneurs, students, and early-stage businesses to tackle critical challenges in food loss, food waste, and single-use plastic reduction.
  • Accelerate the growth of sustainable business models through tailored mentorship, targeted business development support for prototype building and product development which will be facilitated towards access to financing and investment opportunities.
  • Strengthen Sri Lanka’s circular economy ecosystem by cultivating a pipeline of high-potential innovative enterprises and encouraging cross-sector collaboration among innovators, industry experts, and policy stakeholders.

Workshop Medium: English

Working days per week – 2 days

Eligibility Criteria

Before you start your application, please carefully review the eligibility criteria to ensure you meet the programme requirements:

  • Interested in creating solutions to reduce food waste, food loss, and single-use of plastics in Sri Lanka’s food system.
  • Have a digital or tech-enabled idea/ solution relevant to food waste and food loss, single use of plastic, circularity throughout the supply value chains.
  • Can apply as an individual or a group entity
  • Solution is at least at the ideation or prototype stage

Activity