DKK 195 million to help companies reduce their climate footprint

On November 16, the Danish Business Promotion Board announced that it would allocate DKK 195 million to promote the green transition and circular economy among small and medium-sized enterprises. Through the Closing the Loops project, which involves more than 200 companies, new circular value chains will be developed with the help of clusters, knowledge institutions and private consultants. The grant will make it possible to reduce the amount of waste in the value chains of SMEs and effectively reduce CO2.

Environmental companies part of the Loop

Randers-based Prounit Frames, one of the 200 companies involved in the project, will now be able to introduce their separation technology for food and beverage cartons to new partners thanks to the investment. Prounit Frame’s CEO Michael Kristensen is excited that we can finally recycle more on Danish soil and create more value for different fractions:

“Now we are finally starting to recycle our milk and juice cartons on Danish soil instead of exporting our waste abroad. Denmark just knows something about technology, waste and recycling, and now we are putting the first pin in this segment”

An efficient and constructive collaboration

During the summer of 2023, four clusters and four business houses, together with the Danish Technological Institute, developed and wrote the project with the companies in focus. This is the first time that so many partners and stakeholders are involved as partners, and there were many things to keep track of right up to the deadline for the application.

When the news of the grant reached project manager Sean Coogan from CLEAN, there was no hiding his excitement.

“This is the first time we’ve tried to bring so many companies together in value chain collaborations at once, and it’s been a hectic development process over the summer. I am happy and proud that we have succeeded and that we can now launch a strong portfolio that will move the companies forward and make a significant contribution to the circular economy in Denmark.”

With the project and the strong partnerships, the ambition is also to create sustainable and scalable value chains for all partners. Including Prounit Frames and the 16 other environmental technology companies.

About the project

The project “Closing the Loops” starts in early 2024 and focuses on mobilizing Danish SMEs to implement and scale concrete circular economy solutions. There are almost 200 companies involved in the project, organized in at least 28 value chains that will provide reductions and better use of resources and reduced CO2 emissions.

The project has been realized in collaboration with Food & Bio Cluster, Lifestyle & Design Cluster, WE BUILD DENMARK and CLEAN, Erhvervshus Hovedstaden, Erhvervshus Sjælland, Erhvervshus Sydjylland, Erhvervshus Midtjylland, Erhvervshus Nordjylland and Teknologisk Institut with funding from the Danish Business Promotion Agency and the European Union.

Read more in the press release from the Danish Business Promotion Agency here.