Circular Economy Catalyst

Project-related Links

Official Project Title

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Circular Economy Catalyst

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Promoting business for a circular economy in India and Kenya

adelphi and the IKEA Foundation, in collaboration with SEED, are working together to unlock the potential of circular economy entrepreneurship to design sustainable businesses and partnerships that foster inclusive and regenerative economies in India and Kenya.

The Circular Economy Catalyst offers a comprehensive support package to entrepreneurs driving the transition to an inclusive circular economy in India and Kenya. This includes tailored, interactive capacity building (business development support) based on co-creation and design thinking methodologies, accompanied by financial support, opportunities for networking and partnership building, as well as showcasing their businesses on a national and international level.

"Through our work in the field of Green Entrepreneurship, we see exciting businesses in the circular economy that address environmental issues and provide decent jobs in their community. Yet, many face challenges to grow their business and impacts. By combining capacity building support with financial support along their growth journeys, we can unlock their potential to deliver impact at scale."

Camilla Shearman, Manager at adelphi and Project Lead

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The power of small and medium businesses

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are an important part of the private sector in both India and Kenya, providing employment to approximately 7.5 million people in Kenya and over 110 million people in India. Many enterprises, however, experience financial, skills and market challenges to starting and growing sustainable businesses. This limits their ability to generate income, create jobs for women and young people, and address environmental issues in their community.

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For more news and information on the Circular Economy Catalyst:

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Circular Economy Catalyst Website

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Through the project, aspiring entrepreneurs join workshops to replicate proven circular economy business models; early stage enterprises receive ideation support to jumpstart their business; and advanced enterprises have the opportunity to apply for a Circular Economy Award, to receive a matching grant and tailored acceleration support. The project also trains Business Advisors on circular economy enterprise toolkits, engages the SME finance ecosystem to prototype solutions to deliver finance to circular economy enterprises, and shares key impact insights and case studies with the wider ecosystem.

Our Impact Objectives

By 2025, through our enterprise support we aim to have:

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120k+

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metric tons of waste

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reduced

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800k+

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cubic meters of water

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saved

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500+

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direct jobs

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created

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8,000+

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indirect jobs

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supported

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The project will build on the success of adelphi's Green Entrepreneurship projects and the SEED project, where 88% of enterprises that received comprehensive support between 2005-2018 remain in business, generating an average of over 28 direct jobs, 80 distribution jobs and 130 jobs within their suppliers. In 2013, adelphi took over the project sponsorship for SEED and is responsible for the overall coordination of the project as well as for the implementation of SEED's activities.

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The IKEA Foundation is supporting adelphi’s Circular Economy Catalyst because we believe it will help entrepreneurs transform their ideas into businesses that provide a decent income for people in their communities while protecting the planet.

- IKEA Foundation

Fields of Action

Green Entrepreneurship

Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency

Sustainable Financial Instruments