Business Support for Scotland’s Circular Economy
The transition to a circular economy presents significant opportunities for Scottish businesses. At Zero Waste Scotland we work with businesses, partners, and support organisations across Scotland to help accelerate this transition. Through collaboration with partners and targeted interventions, we support businesses to turn circular opportunities into action.
How we support businesses
Our support focuses on:
- Helping businesses identify and explore circular opportunities
- Bringing organisations together to address shared challenges
- Testing innovative approaches and sharing evidence of what works
- Supporting Scotland’s wider business support ecosystem too make circular practices more accessible
Cohort Programme
Many challenges or opportunities are best explored collaboratively.
Our cohort programmes bring together groups of businesses around a shared challenge or opportunity, within a sector, supply chain, or geographic area. Through structured collaboration, participating organisations can share experiences, learn from peers, and explore practical solutions together.
Through cohort businesses can:
- Access tailored support and guidance
- Learn alongside businesses
- Build partnerships and connections
- Develop practical, actionable solutions
- Contribute to wider sector and system change
Intern Programme
Since 2020, our internship programme has supported almost 60 placements across Scotland, helping organisations progress circular economy projects while developing the next generation of talent.
Interns work within organisations on defined projects, providing dedicated capacity, fresh perspectives, and valuable practical support.
Benefits for participating organisations:
- Additional capacity to progress circular economy initiatives
- New skills, ideas and innovation
- Support to explore opportunities that may otherwise be difficult to resource
- Access to emerging talent and future workforce development
Circular EDGE Award
In partnership with Scottish EDGE, we support ambitious businesses developing innovative circular economy solutions.
The Circular EDGE Award offers funding to businesses that are creating products, services, or business models designed around circular economy principles.
Since 2019, the award has supported multiple Scottish businesses to develop and scale their ideas, helping demonstrate the commercial potential of circular innovation.
Funding available: up to £100,000 through a combination of grant and loan funding.
Find out more about Scottish EDGE and upcoming competitions below.
Collaboration
Moving towards a more circular economy requires collaboration across businesses, support organisations, policymakers and communities.
We work closely with partners across Scotland to strengthen business support networks, develop new approaches, and build evidence that helps accelerate the adoption of circular economy practices at scale.
By sharing learning, fostering collaboration and delivering practical support, we're helping Scottish businesses seize the opportunities of the circular economy and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future.
Please reach out to your contact at Zero Waste Scotland for more information.