Background
The Net Zero Industry Launchpad is using the Innovate UK Business Connect Innovation Exchange (iX) platform to offer an exciting new pilot competition using the iX platform to support challenges that benefit or impact on Southwest Wales.
The aim of this competition is to support outstanding innovation projects that will impact on Southwest Wales. The pilot – South West Wales Launchpad Net Zero iX Challenges, aims to foster collaborative partnerships between a challenge holder & solution provider to deliver a project that that will accelerate the adoption of industrial circular economy, net zero or decarbonisation innovations within and across sectors for the Net Zero Industry launchpad in Southwest Wales.
Choose2Reuse are a not-for-profit organisation, based in Llanelli, who promote sustainability in Wales by repurposing and diverting thousands of tonnes of unwanted items, such as clothing, bedding and household items, from going to landfill each year.
Through their established collection and sorting operations, they currently process and resell around 97% of the materials they handle. However, there is still small, but still significant volume of non-reusable textile (NRT) waste remains. Although this represents only 3% of their overall throughput, it still equates to approximately 144 tonnes per year of shredded textile material that cannot currently be reused.
To maximise circular economy outcomes within Southwest Wales, Choose2Reuse is seeking innovative solutions to revalorise these non‑reusable textile waste streams, ensuring that valuable resources are retained within the region and transformed into new materials, products or feedstocks that contribute to local industrial and net‑zero ambitions.
The challenge
Choose2Reuse are seeking innovative solutions which can either reuse or recycle their textile waste into:
Raw material components that can be further used in manufacturing or industrial processes, or
New products or materials with clear applications and market potential.
The non-reuseable textiles are made up of natural, manufactured & synthetic fibres, which may also contain plastics and metals.
The materials can be shredded if the solution requires it.
The solution provider will be eligible to apply for £25,000 to develop the proposed solution towards meeting this challenge. The funding will cover a 3-month project, the details of which will need to be refined with the challenge holder.
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To lead a project as a solution provider your organisation must be a UK registered :
- micro, small or medium sized enterprise (SME’s)
- Academic institution
- Research and technology organisation (RTO)
- Community interest company (CIC) or charity
Your project must:
- Have a grant funding request of up to £25,000
- Last for three months
- Not start before the 1st June 2026
- Must end by 31st March 2027
Applications will be assessed on:
- Relevance to the defined challenge
- Benefit of implementation
- Feasibility/economic viability
- Innovative nature
- Ability to launch in line with expected timescales
- Credibility of applicant company
- Coherence of the proposed business model
- Development potential
- Maturity of the solution
- Suitability for the intended geographic market
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- Challenge launch: 24 February 2026
- Deadline for applications: 7 April 2026
- Selection and notification of finalists: 13 April 2026
- Pitch Day: 16 and 17 April 2026
- Confirm selected solution provider: 21 April 2026
- Submission to Innovation Funding Service (IFS): Between 21 – 28 April 2026
- Project length: 3 months and/or anticipated project completion by September
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Successful applicants will be given an opportunity to Choose2Reuse. The winning applicant, as selected by the company, will then be eligible to apply for £25k grant funding to kickstart the development of the proposed solution through a 3-month project. Selected solutions will be trialled by Choose2Reuse, with potential for further adoption if trials are successful.
The benefits package for a successful applicant may also include:
- Pitch directly to Choose2Reuse
- Apply for £25,000 to develop and pilot the solution
- Receive support from Innovate UK Business Connect
- Access technical support and feedback
- Gain visibility across the Innovate UK network
- Build a potential long-term commercial partnership with Choose2Reuse
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Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Solution Provider(s). Where any new IP generation is envisaged, it will be subject to the mutual IP agreement of the solution provider(s) and challenge holder.
Any commercial deployment of a transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership, or direct investment, will be subject to the commercial agreement between the solution provider(s) and challenge holder.
Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the solution provider(s) and challenge holder. (This would be expected to be after company selection, it is suggested that details of IP be not disclosed, focus on the outcomes of the technology proposed).
Innovate UK and Innovate UK Business Connect do not take any share of IP ownership or enter commercial ventures through the iX programme.
The challenge holder is open to exclusive licensing for CO₂ use, with solution providers able to adapt the architecture for other applications.
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The application form for this challenge will require applicants to provide company information and answer 3 questions – Idea Summary, Technology Readiness and Intellectual Property – each with a limit of 300 words.
Additionally, the following documents must be attached for your application to be considered:
- Project plan
- Project costings – only eligible costs will be funded, please read the Innovate UK Costs guidance for further information
We recommend that you complete the application form in Google Chrome as other browsers may have compatibility issues. The application form does not need to be completed in one session and can be saved for future edits. Please ensure that you toggle “Stage Complete” for each section before submission. Note that you will no longer be able to edit your application once you have clicked “Submit Idea” at the bottom of the Summary page.
Innovate UK's application and funding process
If you need more information about how to apply, please read our funding support pages. For additional support, reach out to our team of innovation experts who are ready to help you navigate the application process and maximise your chances of success.
For more information
Accessibility and Inclusion
Innovate UK welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.