19th Nov, 2026

All-Island Circular Venture Awards 2026

Celebrating Innovation. Accelerating Circular Impact.

ABOUT THE AWARDS

CIRCULÉIRE, Ireland’s Circular Innovation Network, led by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and funded by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE), is delighted to announce the All-Island Circular Venture Awards 2026.

In this second year, IMR, as the secretariat of CIRCULÉIRE, is pleased to welcome the Department for the Economy (DfE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as Media Support and Event Partner, respectively. Awards Day will take place following the EPA's Circular Economy Conference, in the same venue.

The All-Island Circular Venture Awards celebrate late-stage startups at the forefront of circular economy innovation, providing a platform to showcase high-potential ventures reshaping how materials, components and products are used, reused, remanufactured and regenerated.

In 2026, the awards will continue to spotlight start-ups and ventures across the island of Ireland who are pioneering the circular economy through innovative business models, products, and services that directly facilitate or enable circular value creation.

READ THE AWARDS GUIDELINES & CRITERIA

Shortlisted All-Island Circular Venture Awards 2026

All-Island-Circular-Awards-2025_0373_websize

HOW TO APPLY

Eligible ventures should apply via the link below. Shortlisted companies will pitch at the All-Island Circular Venture Awards 2026 on the afternoon of Thursday, 19th November 2026.

Don’t delay - start your Awards Platform registration now!

Complete your application by Tuesday 13th October 2026 at 23.59 (Irish time). Please note you must select the All-Island Circular Venture Awards call when applying on Awards Force.

Shortlisted ventures will be notified in late October 2026 and will be required to provide evidence demonstrating eligibility compliance by 4th November 2026.

For any questions, contact us at circuleire@imr.ie.

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WHY APPLY

Shortlisted companies will pitch to a distinguished audience of investors, industry leaders, policy makers, and media at the All-Island Circular Venture Awards to be held at the Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Rd, Dublin 4, D04 K5F9, hosted within the framework of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Annual Circular Economy Conference.

Finalists will compete for a total prize pool of €10,000, plus 1-to-1 coaching sessions with international experts in entrepreneurship and circular innovation. 

All shortlisted ventures will have the opportunity to: 

Gain high-profile exposure through professionally produced videos, in-depth case studies and promotional content featured across CIRCULÉIRE’s website, social media channels and stakeholder networks.

Network with like-minded businesses, all-island government representatives and investors to build valuable connections and opportunities.

Engage with CIRCULÉIRE network members and connect with a leading community of circular economy innovators and practitioners.

Pitch to investors and potential partners aligned with your venture's mission and growth ambitions.

Access promotional support from IMR's Circular Economy Innovation Unit to help raise the venture's visibility.

PRIZES

€5.000

+ Coaching Session
+ Premium CIRCULÉIRE Multimedia Profile (professionally produced video, featured case study and promotional campaign)

€3.000

+ Coaching Session
+ CIRCULÉIRE Multimedia Profile (featured case study and digital promotion)

€2.000

+ Coaching Session
+ CIRCULÉIRE Venture Spotlight (website profile and social media feature)

JUDGES

Geraldine Brenann Circular Venture Awards Judge 2026

Dr Geraldine Brennan is Director of Circular Economy Innovation at Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR). She is a strategic circular economy expert, systems thinker and senior sustainability leader with over 15 years of experience in industry-applied research, consulting, advertising, and communications. She has a track record of building collaborative public-private partnerships to deliver the circular economy's potential. Geraldine holds a PhD in Strategic Management & Sustainable Development and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London and is a recognised thought leader in scaling circular innovation, including CIRCULÉIRE, Ireland's Circular Innovation Network

Geraldine Brennan

Director of Circular Economy Innovation - IMR

Mark Peters is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of WakeUp Capital, Ireland's first female-led impact venture capital firm, investing in startups that enable more sustainable ways to live, work and consume within planetary boundaries. Prior to founding WakeUp Capital, Mark held senior technology leadership roles at Google, Microsoft and News Corp across Europe and the United States. He also founded a US-based SaaS platform focused on adaptive video advertising and early machine learning technologies. Mark is an active angel investor, a founding board member of the Irish Tech Operators network, and an advisor to early-stage sustainability and climate-tech companies.

Co-founder & Managing Partner - WakeUp Capital

Mark Peters

Mark is a prominent industrialist with a career in international business development for leading manufacturers in Northern Ireland. He retired as CEO of Wrightbus in 2019 and was subsequently appointed joint Chief Executive of Makers Alliance for 5 years. Today he is an independent strategic adviser to SME’s and public bodies engaged in the NI advanced manufacturing sector.

Mark is a past President of the NI Chamber of Commerce, served 8 years on the board of Invest NI, and was recognised in 2015 with the award of an OBE for services to the economy.

Strategic Business Adviser

Mark Nodder

Martijn Lopes Cardozo is a Partner at Regeneration.VC, an early-stage venture capital firm investing in circular and regenerative businesses. Previously, he was CEO of Circle Economy Foundation, helping governments, cities and businesses accelerate the transition to a circular economy. A serial entrepreneur, Martijn has founded and built innovative ventures, including Black Bear, a company recovering valuable materials from end-of-life tyres. He is a frequent international speaker and entrepreneur-in-residence at YES!Delft. Martijn holds an MSc in Applied Physics from TU Delft and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Partner - Regeneration.VC

Martjin Lopes Cardozo