POLREC AWARDS 2025

The POLREC AWARDS 2025 constitute a funding opportunity aimed at recognizing and rewarding European SMEs that excel in advancing polymer recycling. This initiative is part of the EU-funded POLREC project under the SMP COSME programme, with a total funding amount of €20,000 allocated to three award categories each offering €6,000 to winners, plus an additional €2,000 for the best pitch as voted by the audience at the K Fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, on October 10, 2025.

Eligible applicants are small and medium-sized enterprises, as defined by the EU. They must be legal entities not currently in liquidation, financial difficulty, or otherwise excluded from EU funding. The focus is on SMEs established in the European Union, targeting innovation, training, and international expansion within polymer recycling.

The awards have three distinct categories:
1. Innovation Award for breakthrough technologies related to polymer recycling.
2. Training & Upskilling Award aimed at impactful training initiatives.
3. Internationalisation Award for SMEs that have successfully expanded their activities beyond the EU.

Applications for the awards open on July 21, 2025, and close on September 25, 2025. The application process involves submitting a completed template via email, requiring winners to attend the K Fair to present their solutions publicly. The evaluation process is single-stage, conducted by two members of the POLREC consortium, culminating in audience participation for the additional prize.

While the opportunity does not specify expected success rates due to varying numbers of applicants, only three winners will be announced, indicating a relatively competitive environment. No co-funding is required for applicants.

In summary, the POLREC Awards 2025 present an excellent opportunity for European SMEs involved in the polymer recycling industry to gain financial rewards and visibility. The initiative emphasizes cooperation within the sector to foster advancements in sustainable practices, showcasing the contributions made by SMEs towards a greener Europe.

The POLREC Awards 2025 are part of the EU-funded POLREC project under the SMP COSME programme (Grant No. 101074434). The awards recognize excellence in advancing polymer recycling in Europe and beyond. There are three key categories: Innovation, Training & Upskilling, and Internationalisation. One winner will be selected in each category by the POLREC consortium and awarded a €6,000 prize.

The prizes will be awarded to the 3 winners on October 10, 2025, during the POLREC project’s final event organized during the K show in Dusseldorf, Germany. Registration to participate in the final event is open.

All three winners will be invited to present their solution publicly during the POLREC Final Event on October 10th, held at the K Show, the world’s leading trade fair for plastics and rubber. Following the presentations, the audience will vote for the most impactful pitch. The pitch receiving the highest number of public votes will be awarded an additional €2,000 prize. Participation in the POLREC Final event will ensure visibility, networking opportunities, and potential EU-level or international-level collaborations for the awarded SMEs.

The call for applications to the POLREC Awards 2025 will open on July 21, 2025, at 9:00 CET and close on September 25, 2025, at 17:00 CET. Applicants must send their application to europe@polymeris.fr (INZIRILLO Anaïs from Polymeris) using the templates provided for each category of Award.

Each application will be evaluated by two members of the POLREC consortium according to the selection criteria detailed in the Guide For Applicants to award a winner per category. After the jury’s evaluation and notation, the audience attending the POLREC final event on October 10, 2025, will vote for their favorite pitch among the 3 success stories. The public voting will take place after the 3 winners have pitched their success story via a QR code provided during the event. The success story receiving the highest number of audience votes will be awarded an additional prize of €2,000.

To be eligible, applicants must satisfy all the following conditions: Be a legal entity. Be a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) in accordance with the SME definition of the European Union. Not be under liquidation or in financial difficulty or excluded from EU funding by national or EU law or non-compliant with tax or social security obligations in the country of establishment or involved in insolvency proceedings or similar legal situations. Submit only one application for a single POLREC Awards category. Award winners must attend the K Fair 2025 in Düsseldorf in person on October 10th, 2025, to receive their award during the POLREC Final Event. Applicants are entitled to benefit from more than one type of POLREC financial support, reaching a total maximum funding from POLREC of 60 000€ per SME. Consequently, laureates of the POLREC previous Open Calls can apply to the POLREC Awards call if the financial support already attributed does not exceed 52 000€. The SMEs targeted by this call can cover various sectors, such as transport and mobility, construction, renewable energy, digital and electronics, health, consumer goods, industrial and food packaging. All SMEs are eligible to this call and welcome to apply, not only the previous POLREC Open Call beneficiaries.

Innovation Award: This award recognizes outstanding innovations that significantly contribute to advancing polymer recycling. It is aimed at European SMEs that have developed breakthrough technologies, processes, or products addressing key challenges in polymer waste recovery and reuse. Each applicant must fill out their application through the template and send it in PDF format to europe@polymeris.fr (INZIRILLO Anaïs from Polymeris).

Training & Upskilling Award: This award recognizes outstanding training and upskilling activities that significantly contribute to advancing polymer recycling. It is aimed at European SMEs that have developed training content in polymer waste recovery and reuse. Each applicant must fill out their application through the template and send it in PDF format to europe@polymeris.fr (INZIRILLO Anaïs from Polymeris).

Internationalisation Award: This award recognizes a European SME that has successfully implemented a strategy to expand its polymer recycling-related activities beyond the EU. Whether through exports, partnerships, mutual learning, technology transfer, or market entry, this award highlights impactful international initiatives that support the global deployment and co-development of recycling solutions, acknowledging the value of both exporting European expertise and integrating innovations and practices from international partners. Each applicant must fill out their application through the template and send it in PDF format to europe@polymeris.fr (INZIRILLO Anaïs from Polymeris).

The opening date is July 21, 2025. The deadline is September 25, 2025, at 02:00 (Brussels time). The expected duration of participation involves pitching at the POLREC final event during the K fair. The total funding available is €20,000.00. The project acronym is POLREC. The full name of the EU-funded project is Supporting a green and resilient Europe through POLymer RECycling. The grant agreement number is 101074434. The topic is SMP-COSME-2021-CLUSTER-01 - Euroclusters for Europe's recovery.

In summary, the POLREC Awards 2025 offer European SMEs involved in polymer recycling the chance to gain recognition and funding for their achievements in innovation, training, and internationalization. The initiative aims to support advancements in polymer recycling by highlighting and rewarding SMEs that have made significant contributions in these areas. Each category winner receives €6,000, and an additional €2,000 is awarded to the winner of a public vote based on their pitch at the final event. The awards are part of a broader EU-funded project focused on promoting a green and resilient Europe through polymer recycling. Eligible SMEs must be legal entities, meet the EU's SME definition, and not be in financial distress or excluded from EU funding. The application process involves submitting a template-based application to europe@polymeris.fr by the deadline. The winners are expected to attend the K Fair in Dusseldorf to receive their awards.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant type is specifically a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) as defined by the European Union. Applicants must be legal entities and not be in liquidation, financial difficulty, or excluded from EU funding.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is an award. There are three awards of €6,000 each, one for each category (Innovation, Training & Upskilling, and Internationalisation). An additional €2,000 prize is awarded to the winner of a public vote after a pitch session at the final event.

Consortium Requirement: A single applicant is required. The opportunity is designed for individual SMEs, not consortia.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The geographic eligibility is focused on European SMEs. The Internationalisation Award specifically targets SMEs expanding activities beyond the EU, implying that the base of operations must be within Europe.

Target Sector: The target sector is polymer recycling. This includes innovations in polymer waste recovery and reuse, training and upskilling activities related to polymer recycling, and internationalization efforts to expand polymer recycling solutions. The SMEs can cover various sectors such as transport and mobility, construction, renewable energy, digital and electronics, health, consumer goods, industrial and food packaging.

Mentioned Countries: Germany (specifically Dusseldorf, where the K show takes place). The opportunity is open to European SMEs, so implicitly includes all EU member states.

Project Stage: The project stage varies depending on the award category. The Innovation Award targets SMEs that have developed breakthrough technologies, processes, or products, suggesting a development or validation stage. The Training & Upskilling Award targets SMEs that have developed training content, implying a development or implementation stage. The Internationalisation Award targets SMEs that have successfully implemented a strategy, indicating a commercialization or scale-up stage.

Funding Amount: The funding amount is €6,000 per category winner, with an additional €2,000 for the winner of the public pitch vote, for a total of €8,000 possible for one SME. The total funding available for the awards is €20,000.

Application Type: The application type is an open call. Applicants must submit their applications via email to europe@polymeris.fr using the templates provided for each award category.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of an award. Additionally, winners will receive non-monetary services such as visibility, networking opportunities, and potential EU-level or international-level collaborations through participation in the POLREC Final Event at the K Fair.

Application Stages: The application process appears to be single-stage. Applicants submit their application, which is then evaluated by the POLREC consortium. The three winners then participate in a public vote for an additional prize.

Success Rates: The success rate is likely to be below 10%, given that only three winners are selected from what is likely to be a large pool of applicants.

Co-funding Requirement: No co-funding is explicitly required. However, winners must cover their own travel and accommodation costs to attend the K Fair in Dusseldorf, although the award prize is intended to cover these expenses.

Summary:

The POLREC Awards 2025, funded by the EU under the SMP COSME program, aim to recognize and reward European SMEs that demonstrate excellence in advancing polymer recycling. The awards are divided into three categories: Innovation, Training & Upskilling, and Internationalisation. Each category winner will receive €6,000. The winners will be invited to present their solutions at the POLREC Final Event during the K show in Dusseldorf, Germany, where the audience will vote for the most impactful pitch, with the winner receiving an additional €2,000. The call for applications opens on July 21, 2025, and closes on September 25, 2025. Eligible applicants must be SMEs based in Europe and must submit their applications via email using the provided templates. This initiative provides not only financial support but also valuable visibility and networking opportunities for SMEs in the polymer recycling sector, fostering collaboration and innovation at the European and international levels. The awards target SMEs involved in various sectors, including transport, construction, renewable energy, and packaging, all contributing to a greener and more resilient Europe through improved polymer recycling practices. The total funding available for the awards is €20,000.