The fund looks to support “new and innovative ideas” for developing a more circular electricals system in the UK, with grants of up to £150,000 per project.
It will shut on 14 August 2025 and is open to applications from industry bodies, nonprofits, companies, compliance schemes, universities and research institutions.
Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus, said: “We have already funded over 60 projects that make it easier to fix, donate, and recycle existing electricals for over 10 million people across the UK.
“However, we are designing and making too many products without full consideration of the materials they are made from, the repairability of them, and how easy it is to recover useful parts and materials.
“We are delighted to be announcing our new £1 million Circular Electricals Fund which will help drive innovation and support the development of a more circular electricals system in the UK.
“We are looking for ambitious projects that can bring fresh new ideas to reduce the environmental impact of electricals by improving product design, improving resource efficiency and encouraging collaboration.”
The fund is looking for projects that improve resource efficiency, reduce environmental impact and encourage collaboration across industry.
Project applications will need to demonstrate practical, scalable solutions that enhance resource efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and encourage collaboration that address the following key challenges:
- Materials – developing new methods for more efficiently recovering materials such as technology metals and other valuable materials from e-waste such as advanced recycling technologies ensuring that their value is recovered.
- Product design – making electricals more durable, repairable, upgradeable, and long lasting. For example, designing consumer and household electricals with easily replaceable components to extend their lifespan.
- Business models – developing new services that promote reuse, sharing, and waste reduction (e.g. leasing, product-as-a-service, smart homes, libraries of things).
E-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world with over 100,000 tonnes of electricals binned in the UK alone every year.
These electricals contain some of the most precious materials on our planet, which according to Material Focus’s research are worth nearly £1 billion, including copper, lithium and gold.
Find out more and apply here.
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