FAQ
On this page you will find frequently asked questions and answers about the Circular Plastics NL (CPNL) program.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Circular Plastics NL (CPNL) is an initiative within the National Growth Fund. The goal is to make plastics fully circular and use grants to accelerate the transition. The program runs for eight years and has eight program lines. Each program line focuses on bottlenecks in different value chains to close the cycles for existing plastics.
Circular Plastics NL (CPNL) is an initiative within the National Growth Fund. The National Growth Fund invests in projects that make the greatest possible contribution to sustainable and structural economic growth. The National Growth Fund does this together with initiators and other investors. With the National Growth Fund, the government is earmarking €20 billion for projects between 2021 and 2025. For more information about the growth fund look: here
A CPNL program line is one of eight lines formulated by the end of 2022. The program lines are: Systems Integration & Design; Characterization, sorting and washing; Mechanical recycling of polyolefin packaging and films; Recycling of styrene-based materials; Chemical depolymerization; Thermochemical recycling; Incubator; Brightlands Circular Space
This program line focuses on exploring the impact of partially and maximally circular plastics chains in the Netherlands by mapping the positive and negative impacts within key societal themes such as economy, technology, environment, health and societal aspects. We develop methods to measure and share this information, essential for decision-making and accelerating circular developments. For more information on systems integration and design see: here
One of the eight CPNL program lines is called "Incubator" and is for scientific research into new materials or recycling technologies with the goal of making plastics more and better recyclable, including any necessary dyes and excipients/additives that turn a polymer into a plastic. The first call for proposals for the nursery program closed in the first week of January 2024. To find partners (private and scientific), please use our matchmaking platform B2Match explore and use.
The board of the Circular Plastics NL foundation has been appointed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate. It is responsible for realizing, and directing, the program. The CPNL program office is the executive body of the Circular Plastics NL foundation, headed by a director. Within the office there are specialists for general management and communication and the program managers, are responsible for leading and developing the program lines. For more information about the organization look here
The members of the program council advise the board to ensure that the rollout of the program remains in line with current developments in the industry and the knowledge available in the Netherlands.
An open call is a "call for proposals" for a grant application for companies and/or knowledge institutions.
From October 2023 to January 2024, CPNL has issued a tender with generic research projects or showcases for entrepreneurs and knowledge institutes through Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO).
And for scientific research for the program line incubator, a call for proposals has been issued by Netherlands Organization for Scientific Education (NWO). Around April 2024, after evaluation, the awarded projects and research will be announced.
In our monthly newsletter the latest development and announcements for open calls will be shared, you can sign up here
The first open calls for the nursery program (NWO), generic research projects and showcases (RVO) were announced in the first week of October 2023 through a publication in the Government Gazette. For 2024 and 2025, we expect to announce new calls in the fall.
Our monthly newsletter will share the latest development and announcements for open calls, sign up can be done here
Open calls will be announced in advance in our monthly newsletter, sign up can be done here .
Everyone: all parties, including small and medium-sized enterprises, knowledge institutions and industry associations that can contribute to the objectives of the program, possibly in a consortium. A consortium consists of several parties working together on a project proposal. To find partners (private and scientific) you can use our matchmaking platform B2Match explore and use.
Scientific research projects are submitted to NWO and cannot start until they are awarded.
Projects submitted to RVO can start when the project plan is submitted.
Activities are only eligible if the grant is awarded.
Around April 2024, after a review period of approximately 13 weeks, awarded projects and research will be announced for open calls 2023.
The activities required to write and submit a proposal are not eligible with the National Growth Fund. Circular Plastics NL (CPNL) is an initiative within the National Growth Fund.
A maximum amount per program line item will be made available in the 2023 open call. Final amounts and percentages will be published in the by RVO based on the submitted budget and project plan, taking into account state aid rules.
In the 2023 call for proposals through NWO for (scientific) research, a minimum co-funding percentage of 10% is applied.
For 2024 and 2025 we expect to announce new calls in the fall.
In our monthly newsletter the latest development and announcements for open calls will be shared, you can sign up here
Studies to (further) develop recycling and characterization technologies that can handle both fossil and biobased are included in CPNL's incubator program (P8).
In the RVO tender in 2023 for research projects and showcases, an envisioned project with (partly) non-fossil materials or recycling can be considered provided the TRL level matches.
For example, for rigid polyolefins (PP/HDPE) or flexible polyolefins (L(L)DPE), more consideration is given to recycling the material, rather than the original feedstock/source from which the monomers are made.
For a purely natural materials cycle, the BioBased Circular growth fund program, among others, has been launched.
Contact one of the CPNL program line managers for more information. See also
No. The efforts of all parties participating in the growth fund proposal have resulted in a vital and broad-based program.
It illustrates the support in the market and demonstrates the need for action on the challenges of circular plastics.
The open calls in the CPNL program have been made accessible to all parties who can contribute to the goals of the program.
Yes. The National Growth Fund expects co-funding for the CPNL open calls in 2023.
RVO:
Co-financing is required for project proposals within the Circular Plastics NL grant module of RVO in 2023. More information on the percentage level can be found on the RVO website .
NWO:
The NWO call for proposals for (scientific) research uses a minimum co-funding percentage of 10%.
It is possible to include foreign parties as co-funders within a consortium, provided the subsidy funds are spent in the Netherlands and the activities take place in the Netherlands. The full conditions have been published via announcement(s) in the Government Gazette.
To find partners (private and scientific), please use our matchmaking platform B2Match explore and use.