Circular by Design Call for Projects

Launched by the Belgian Federal Public Service for Health, this initiative aims to accelerate circular eco-design within Belgian companies, particularly SMEs. With a budget of approximately €600,000, this call for proposals will support innovative projects in four strategic sectors: construction, textiles, packaging, and electrical and electronic equipment. On this page, you will find the eligibility requirements, application procedures, and all the necessary documents for submitting your application.

The transition to a circular economy, by supporting businesses, and especially SMEs, is a priority for the Belgian federal government. This priority aligns with Europe's commitment to accelerating its reindustrialization and strengthening its strategic autonomy through a sustainable industrial strategy: reducing dependence on imports of critical resources, strengthening the resilience of the Belgian market, and making industry a driver of the ecological and digital transitions. The circular economy and eco-design are identified as key levers for competitiveness and reducing environmental footprint.

In this context, the Federal Public Service for Health is launching the "Circular by Design" call for projects to fund ambitious projects with high potential for systemic transformation and replicability. This call follows on from the Belgium Builds Back Circular (BBBC) fund and the "We are circular" campaign.

Scope
The main objective of this call for projects is to support high-impact circular eco-design projects demonstrating systemic transformation potential and replicability, as well as a measurable economic, environmental, and social impact. The targeted sectors are construction, textiles, packaging, and electrical and electronic equipment.

The call will prioritize initiatives that:

- are positioned as high as possible on the Lansink scale (the "10Rs" of the circular economy);
- sustainably transform local value chains;
- develop new economic models;
- reach a sufficient level of maturity (from TRL 4);
- demonstrate quantifiable and verifiable impacts: jobs created, reduced environmental footprint, and level of circularity.

Target group
The call is open to all types of stakeholders. Each project must be led by an economic actor established in Belgium, whether it is: an SME or a start-up (TRL ≥ 4) or a social economy actor.
Partnerships – with other companies or other types of organizations – are strongly encouraged.

Funding

A maximum of 85% of the eligible project costs will be financed by the FPS Public Health, with the remainder to be covered by the project leader and/or the consortium. In total, the FPS Public Health has allocated a budget of approximately €600,000 to support between 4 and 8 projects between the end of 2026 and the end of 2028.

Selection Procedure
July 17, 2026: Launch of the call for projects and opening of the application period
September 7, 2026, 9:00 AM: Closing date for submitting applications
September 11, 2026: Verification of eligibility and exclusion criteria
September 15, 2026: Rectification of minor irregularities
September 2026: Evaluation of applications by the selection panel
End of 2026: Announcement of selected projects

Commitment to and monitoring of selected projects
Project leaders commit, during the implementation of their project, to participating in the FPS Public Health's communication regarding the call for projects and in the constructive monitoring of the projects that will be implemented.

Contact/Helpdesk
Please consult the FAQ for any questions. It will be updated frequently based on the questions asked.

During the preparation of files, all other technical and/or administrative questions from those interested in submitting a file may be asked by email to the following address: wearecircular@health.fgov.be.