1. WHAT IS LAUNCH CIRCULAR?
LAUNCH Circular is a partnership between pioneering companies and public organisations that all believe the shift to a circular society requires new levels of innovation, collaboration, and action. Our Vision is to build a circular, sustainable, and inclusive society where people, businesses, and communities thrive. This is done through partners committed to accelerating a Circular Society: IKEA Group, eBay, VF Corporation, Novozymes, Kvadrat, and governmental institutions.
LAUNCH Circular announces an annual Innovation Challenge, with 2018’s theme focusing on Customer Engagement & New Business Models for a Circular Society.
To read more about LAUNCH Circular, visit our about page.
2. WHAT TYPES OF INNOVATIONS ARE LAUNCH CIRCULAR LOOKING FOR?
The challenge is open to individuals, teams, startups, and established companies.
We are interested in early prototype to commercially proven innovations, as long as it has the potential to significantly accelerate engagement in circular products and business models. While your innovation may hold a short-term higher cost, it should also be cost-competitive at scale.
Innovations can be business models, technologies, financial instruments, or initiatives that will make sustainable lifestyles a reality.
The deadline for applications is September 1, 2018.
3. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
The challenge is open to individuals, teams, startups, and established companies. This means that any person, company, or organisation from anywhere in the world can apply with an idea, technology, or business plan that specifically addresses the current LAUNCH Circular challenge statement. The key requirements are that you have the potential to grow your innovation regionally and globally.
4. HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?
You participate in the Innovation Challenge by clicking this link [LINK], that can also be found at the top of this page. In the application form, you will be asked to present your innovation and company/organisation in order for us to evaluate why you should join LAUNCH Circular, how we can help you, and also if we can help you. There is a limited number of characters per field, which means that you have to be sharp on your why’s and how’s. However, please contact us if you have any questions.
The deadline for applications is September 1, 2018.
5. WHY SHOULD I PARTICIPATE?
In the Fall of 2018, we will select up to 10 innovative solutions and invite them into the LAUNCH community. If you are selected you will:
- Become a part of the LAUNCH network and innovation ecosystem, gaining access to connections and dialogues with key stakeholders from corporations, government, investment, and academia resulting in visibility for your work, exposure to new ways of thinking and opportunities to grow your business
- Take part in the LAUNCH Forum, December 5-6, where you will collaborate with a curated group of pioneering companies, other innovators, public organisations and investors on how to scale your business and impact.
- Work with the LAUNCH team to create a concise, high-impact presentation, tailored towards the LAUNCH network.
- Get a professional video of your innovation story, featured on LAUNCH.org, and accessible for your use in promotional activities.
- Continued support for scaling your impact, through LAUNCH network engagements during and beyond this challenge cycle.
At the Forum, you will get counseling from the LAUNCH Circular Council specifically chosen for this year’s theme and based on the chosen innovators. The Council is an international panel from some of the world’s leading businesses, academic and policy institutions, and NGOs.
Following the Forum, innovators will become part of the LAUNCH Accelerator process, where LAUNCH Circular will facilitate access to and realisation of the opportunities identified at the Forum. This acceleration process has no limited time because we believe that some commitments from the council should be unlocked in a specific order and when the timing is right.
Participation in the LAUNCH Circular Innovation Challenge can, therefore, help mature your innovation, and open the door to countless of new opportunities.
6. CAN I SUBMIT MY APPLICATION IN ANY OTHER LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH?
No. Due to the international composition of the LAUNCH Circular partners and collaborators, all applications must be in English.
7. I HAVE MORE THAN ONE INNOVATION. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
You are welcome to submit more than one innovation per person, team, company, or organisation. Simply fill out individual forms for each innovation you submit.
8. ARE THERE ANY FINANCIAL COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION?
No, and yes.
There are no financial costs associated with submitting an application – you should ‘only’ be prepared to invest time in the process. However, if you are chosen as one of this year’s innovators, then you will take part in the LAUNCH Forum in Denmark on December 5-6th, 2018 – financial costs you have to cover yourself. You can apply for paid travel, but with the decision based on the financial setup and maturity of your company/organisation.
9. IF I ENTER THE CHALLENGE WITH A PROTOTYPE, IS MY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SAFE?
You will, of course, retain all rights to your innovation. You are fully able to complete the application form using non-confidential information. However, if your innovation is selected, you do need to accept a degree of openness that allows the LAUNCH Circular Council to understand and support your innovation.
We want to keep it simple, so the only terms and condition you are required to commit to as part of your application are below:
- That the organisers of LAUNCH Circular will use the data and information I have provided to review and process my application for participation in the LAUNCH Circular Innovation challenge, and only for this purpose.
- That I grant the LAUNCH Circular Innovation Challenge organisers the right to share and distribute my submission materials to the LAUNCH Circular review board for review purposes only.
- That I retain full rights over my intellectual property.
- That submitting information and content to the LAUNCH Circular Innovation Challenge do not in any way constitute a commercial or other contractual relation with any and all Challenge participants, partners, and organisers.
10. WHAT ARE THE JUDGING CRITERIA?
To guide the selection process, your innovation will be peer-reviewed by LAUNCH partners and external experts based on the following criteria:
- Transformative Potential: How disruptive your innovation can be within its area of focus, including its ability to provide a superior service or value.
- Environmental Impact: The innovation’s potential for impact on environmental sustainability.
- Social Impact: The innovation’s potential for social/economic impact in developing or underserved communities and regions.
- Technical Feasibility: The technical feasibility of bringing the innovation to market.
- Political Feasibility: The political feasibility of bringing the innovation to market.
- Financial Feasibility: Your company or initiative’s ability to demonstrate a pathway to profit or sustained operations, if a non-profit initiative.
- Market Scale: The innovation’s market adoption potential and ability to reach a significant number of customers/users.
11. IF I AM SELECTED AS THIS YEAR’S TOP 10 INNOVATOR, DO I GET PAID TRAVEL AND COST?
No, however, you can apply for paid travel and cost, with the decision based on the financial setup and maturity of your company.
12. HOW SHOULD I STAY INFORMED DURING THE PROCESS?
Once you submit an application, we will keep you updated by email on the selection process. So make sure to type in the correct email address.
For general updates and information, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of the page, follow us at launch.org/circular, and our different social channels: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
13. DOES LAUNCH CIRCULAR PROFIT FROM SUBMITTED INNOVATIONS?
No. LAUNCH Circular does not make a financial profit from submitted innovations, nor do we take financial stake in any person, company, or organisation that submits their innovation to us.
14. HOW IS LAUNCH CIRCULAR FUNDED?
LAUNCH Circular is funded by a core group of private and public partners, who are committed to accelerating a Circular Society. These core partners are IKEA Group, eBay, VF Corporation, Novozymes, Kvadrat, and governmental institutions.
15. WHAT IS THE LAUNCH CIRCULAR COUNCIL?
The LAUNCH Circular Council is a selected group of key stakeholders and decision makers from pioneering companies, public organisations, and research institutions. They are all chosen based on their expertise and their commitment towards helping you, as an innovator, overcome the barriers to realising the full circular and sustainability impact of your solution.