Greenovation Circularity Challenge 2026 — ₹20 Lakh Prize for Waste Innovators

Greenovation Circularity Challenge 2026 is a nationwide innovation competition for ventures that treat waste as a resource. It is an initiative of the EarthON Foundation, run with Greenovation Hub and SwitchON Foundation, and it is aimed at registered startups, SMEs and social enterprises rather than at concept-stage ideas.

Every entry must fit one of three action pillars, and each pillar is deliberately wide:

• Plastic Circularity — recovering, reusing and recycling plastic waste: collection, segregation and smart sorting technologies; mechanical, chemical and enzymatic recycling; small-scale recycling of multilayer and low-value plastics; bio-based alternatives; reuse, refill and circular packaging models; material traceability and recycled-content verification; and models that strengthen the livelihoods of waste-pickers and informal recycling communities.
• Textile Circularity — extending the life of textiles and recovering value from textile waste: collection and sorting, fibre identification and grading, advanced fibre-to-fibre recycling and blend separation, upcycled and regenerated products, repair, resale, reuse and take-back models, sustainable textile materials, and Digital Product Passports and traceability solutions.
• Food Circularity — converting food waste into economic and environmental value: post-harvest management and shelf-life extension, food waste prevention and surplus redistribution, organic waste collection and resource recovery, composting and biogas, bio-based products, valorisation of food by-products, and circular food supply chains with traceability.

The prize structure works as a ladder rather than a single payout. Winners share a ₹20 Lakh non-dilutive prize pool to put their field solutions into practice, and high-potential graduates of the cohort can move into the EarthON Gurukul programme for follow-on funding support of up to ₹4 Crore, routed through the EarthON Blended Finance Platform and the GreenovatiON Fund.

The challenge launched on 14 August 2026, with webinars through August and September. Applications close on 30 September 2026 via the F6S portal. Screening and shortlisting follow from 1-6 October 2026, a selection committee evaluates entries between 7 and 25 October 2026, and bootcamp attendees are announced around 30 October 2026. The virtual accelerator runs from 3-20 November 2026, ending with a 2-day residential bootcamp and the Grand Finale on 25 November 2026.

• ₹20 Lakh non-dilutive prize pool shared by winners
• Follow-on funding of up to ₹4 Crore through the EarthON Gurukul pathway
• Three pillars — plastic, textile and food circularity
• Pan-India, for registered startups, SMEs and social enterprises under 10 years old
• Virtual accelerator plus a 2-day residential bootcamp and Grand Finale on 25 November 2026
• Mentorship, pilot partnerships and direct access to investors and policymakers

The challenge is open to registered startups, SMEs and social enterprises based in India. Applicants from every Indian state can apply — the programme is explicitly pan-India.

• The business must be under 10 years old.
• Founders must be working on the venture full time.
• The solution must have reached prototype, pilot-tested or market-ready stage.
• It must address plastic, textile or food circularity, and align with one of those three action pillars.

The stated criteria do not include DPIIT recognition or MSME registration, and there is no restriction to a particular sector beyond the three circularity pillars. What matters is a registered entity, a young company, a full-time founding team and a solution that already exists in some demonstrable form.

Greenovation Circularity Challenge 2026 — ₹20 Lakh Prize for Waste Innovators is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Applications for Greenovation Circularity Challenge 2026 — ₹20 Lakh Prize for Waste Innovators are open and the current deadline is 31 Oct 2026. Deadlines can change — always reconfirm on the official source before submitting.

Winners share a ₹20 Lakh non-dilutive prize pool to fund the implementation and scaling of their field solutions. Because it is non-dilutive, the prize does not cost winners a stake in their company.

From there, selected high-potential cohort graduates get a pathway into the EarthON Gurukul programme, which carries follow-on funding support of up to ₹4 Crore. This route is delivered as blended finance and investment facilitation through the EarthON Blended Finance Platform and the GreenovatiON Fund.

Beyond money, participants receive:

• A 2-day residential bootcamp for capacity building.
• Mentorship from industry experts.
• Training workshops and networking with ecosystem peers.
• Pilot and partnership opportunities with ecosystem partners.
• Direct access to investors, global climate finance networks and policymakers.
• Incubation support, fundraising support and market access.
• Visibility across the programme's partner ecosystem.

Greenovation Circularity Challenge 2026 — ₹20 Lakh Prize for Waste Innovators is offered by EarthON Foundation. It is delivered directly by EarthON Foundation as a competition. You can verify current details and timelines on the provider's official website before applying.

Selection runs in clear, dated stages rather than a single screening round. Applications close first, and everything after that is time-bound.

• Application window — submissions through the F6S portal until 30 September 2026.
• Screening and shortlisting — 1-6 October 2026. Entries are checked against eligibility and fit with the plastic, textile or food circularity pillars.
• Detailed evaluation — 7-25 October 2026. A selection committee assesses the shortlisted applications in depth.
• Bootcamp announcements — attendees are announced around 30 October 2026.
• Virtual accelerator — 3-20 November 2026.
• Residential bootcamp and Grand Finale — a 2-day bootcamp concludes with the Grand Finale on 25 November 2026, where final winners and access to follow-on funding are decided through a pitch to the evaluation panel.

Before you apply to Greenovation Circularity Challenge 2026 — ₹20 Lakh Prize for Waste Innovators, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.

Greenovation Circularity Challenge 2026 — ₹20 Lakh Prize for Waste Innovators is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹4Cr. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.