Figuring out what to do
You now understand the system - super! But now, what should you do with this information?
We help organizations peel their ambitious words and targets off the strategy document and design circular pilots, partnerships, and programmes.
Why designing the right initiative comes next
Many organizations have circular ambitions written into strategies or sustainability plans. The challenges lies in turning those ambitions into something practical.
Designing the right initiative means thinking through partners, funding, infrastructure, and the realities of the system you’re working within. Without this groundwork, even your strongest of ideas can fail to take flight.
We help organizations design initiatives in line with their strategies by:
Translating circular goals into programme concepts
Testing ideas through pilot projects before scaling
Identifying and aligning the right partners
Exploring funding pathways and resources
Designing initiatives that work in systems
Typical ways we help
Every organization’s goals, resources, and timelines are different. Some projects involve moulding a new circular strategy, whilst others focus on designing a specific pilot or partnership.
At this stage, our role is to help translate insights into initiatives that can realistically move forward.
Typical design and planning work can include:
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Once opportunities are identified, the next step is deciding how to move forward in a structured way.
We help organizations develop strategies and roadmaps from their ambitions that prioritize the most meaningful actions.
This work can include:
Circular strategy development
Action plans and implementation roadmaps
Identifying priority intervention areas
Defining goals, indicators, and timelines
Aligning initiatives with organizational objectives
The result is a crystal clear direction for what to focus on first and how to move forward.
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Pilots allows organizations to test circular ideas in a manageable way before committing to larger investments.
We help design circular initiatives and pilot programmes that are ready to go!
This can include:
Pilot programme design
Defining objectives and success indicators
Identifying requires resources and infrastructure
Implementation planning
Preparing for initiatives for future scaling
Consider the pilots to be experiments that generate learning and momentum.
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Most circular initiatives require collaboration across organisations, sectors, and supply chains.
We help identify and engage the partners needed to make an initiative viable and impactful.
This work may include:
Identifying potential partners and collaborators
Stakeholder engagement and alignment
Defining roles and responsibilities
Facilitating collaboration discussions
Building shared understanding across stakeholders
Strong partnerships often make the different between a stalled idea and a working initiative.
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Larger circular programmes often require lots of partners collaborating, especially when applying for funding or delivering international projects.
We support organizations in building consortia that combine complementary expertise and resources.
This may include:
Identifying consortium partners
Shaping collaborative project concepts
Coordinating roles and responsibilities
Facilitating early alignment between organizations
Preparing consortium structures for funding applications
This helps create strong partnerships capable of delivering complex circular initiatives.
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Many circular initiatives require external funding to launch or scale.
We help organizations explore funding pathways and develop strategies to secure the resources needed to move forward.
This work can include:
Identifying relevant grants or funding programmes.
Mapping funding lanscapes
Shaping initiatives to align with funding priorities
Developing funding strategies and timelines
A clear funding strategy increases the chances of getting those ideas turned into funded projects!
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When funding opportunities are identified, strong proposals are essentials.
We support organisations in designing ‘unturndownable’ funding applications.
This can include:
Concept note development
Grant proposal writing
Structuring project plans for funding applications
Coordinating contributions from partners
Supporting submissions processes
Strong proposals help get initiatives implemented.
You might need this support if…
You have a circular idea but need help turning it into a structured program
You’re preparing a grant or funding proposal
You want to test a circular solution through a pilot project
You’re coordinating a multi-stakeholder initiative
You want to de-risk an innovation before scaling it
You’re launching a cross-sector collaboration or knowledge exchange program
Sample Past Projects
“We had the pleasure of working together last year on the impact report for Delen is Helen, and [TWNS’s] impact assessment made a real difference. [They] helped us translate soft values of the weggeefwinkel into numbers, insights and a story that potential sponsors and supporters could understand. So yes: if anyone is looking for solid, funder-ready impact reporting grounded in circular thinking, I can highly recommend working with [them].”
— Karola (Delen in Helen WegGeefWinkel)