Dancefloor Plus
From Idea to Experiment
The European Circular Innovation Valley (ECIV) is a Horizon Europe initiative uniting eight European regions to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Our "dancefloor" is where stakeholders meet, share ideas and discover shared challenges.
But what happens when a promising idea needs to be tested first?
Dancefloor Plus gives out-of-the-box, high-risk ideas the support they need to become real — through expert advice, access to the ECIV network, and the Experimentation Fund.
Have an idea that's not quite ready for our Open Call? Maybe it's just an idea at this point, or is in the testing phase, and you're looking for support to try it out and see if it can grow into a real-life experiment. Here's how Dancefloor Plus works: Dancefloor Stakeholders from participating ECIV regions come together, exchange knowledge, and identify shared circular economy challenges. Out of these conversations, a joint idea starts to take shape.
- Support: Tailored help to get your idea moving
- Who can apply: Consortia of at least two partners from at least two different ECIV regions
- Who's eligible: Companies, knowledge institutions, policymakers and civil society organisations
- Process: A simple application and reporting process, designed to keep the focus on learning, not administration
What kind of support can you get?
Expert Guidance and Advice
Regional experts from partner organisations work directly with you, helping them determine the right type and scope of support needed to turn your idea into a viable experiment or innovation project.
Access to the ECIV Network
Participants gain an active connection to knowledge partners and potential collaborators across all participating regions — opening doors to new expertise, resources, and opportunities for collaboration.
Experimentation Fund
Financial support for small-scale interregional initiatives, available across three categories:
- Exploratory work — early-stage investigation to test and refine an idea
- Feasibility studies — assessing whether an idea is viable before committing further resources
- Experimentation — proofs of concept, prototypes, and other hands-on testing
During a Dancefloor session, a supplier with an agricultural residual stream, a fibre-processing knowledge institution, and a construction materials SME — from three different regions — join forces. Through Dancefloor Plus, they design a small-scale experiment, co-financed by the Experimentation Fund, to test whether the residual stream can become a biobased building material.
Great ideas don't need to be fully formed to get started — they just need the right conditions to grow. Dancefloor Plus is where your idea can take shape. Reach out to your regional ECIV partner to find out how to join.
