Deadline Date: June 8, 2026
The Circular Economy in the Food Sector Incubator Programme 2026 is seeking applications to support Sri Lankan innovators in reducing food loss, waste, and single-use plastics.
The focus areas of this programme include reducing food loss, reducing food waste, minimizing single-use plastics, developing circular approaches in the food sector, supporting prototype development, accelerating sustainable business model growth, facilitating access to financing and investment opportunities, and strengthening Sri Lanka’s circular economy ecosystem through cross-sector collaboration.
The programme is part of the European Union’s Global Gateway Strategy with partial co-financing from the BMZ, and runs from 2024 to 2027. Central to the initiative is the Circular Innovation Incubator, a six-month, tailor-made business development programme designed to support entrepreneurs in validating high-potential ideas and developing prototypes through access to labs and technical expertise. Participants also receive targeted mentorship and business development support to help transform prototypes into scalable solutions.
The Circular Economy in the Food Sector Incubator Programme aims to cultivate a pipeline of high-potential enterprises, foster collaboration among innovators, industry experts, and policy stakeholders, and accelerate Sri Lanka’s transition towards a more sustainable and inclusive economy. Workshops and programme materials are delivered in English.
Eligible participants include individuals, groups, or companies with digital or tech-enabled solutions addressing food waste, food loss, or single-use plastics, and whose solutions have reached at least the prototype stage. Applicants are expected to demonstrate relevance to circularity throughout the food supply value chain.
For more information, visit GIZ.
