What is it?
NextCycle Colorado is a business accelerator designed to improve the end markets for recovered commodities and organic materials in Colorado.
Why do we need it?
Our statewide waste diversion goals aim to more than double the state’s current recycling rate to 45 percent by 2036. NextCycle helps the state reach its waste diversion goal by catalyzing recycling and recovery end-market growth while simultaneously creating jobs, increasing tax revenue, and improving Colorado’s environment.
Program overview
NextCycle Colorado is a business accelerator that challenges businesses, organizations, non-profits, universities, and entrepreneurs to pursue innovative projects that will develop new, or improve existing, recycling and composting end markets in the state. NextCycle helps teams develop their business plans, make connections across the state, find partners, understand industry and economic data, identify feedstock, secure funding, and drive toward shovel-ready projects under the guidance of an expert advisory committee. Since 2018, NextCycle has managed three cohorts and supported 24 teams, all with the potential to bolster Colorado’s recycling end markets. Of those teams, twelve have been approved for RREO funding to grow their businesses in the state.
Teams who apply and are accepted into the NextCycle Colorado program will be able to advance their end-market endeavors through:
- No-cost consulting support is provided by Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) and project subject matter experts (SMEs).
- Attending a multi-day business planning-focused boot camp with travel and attendance costs covered by the NextCycle program.
- Participation in a Pitch Competition for potential funders, investors, partners, and community leaders.
- Access to subject matter on the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), including experts in material processing, infrastructure, manufacturing, finance, risk assessment, partnerships, and market development.
Applications
The application period is now closed, sign up for the mailing list for future NextCycle Colorado opportunities.
See NextCycle teams in action
Learn more about what a NextCycle project team looks like by watching previous pitch sessions. The five-minute pitches can be viewed on the NextCycle Colorado YouTube channel.
NextCycle Colorado YouTube channel
Join the mailing list
Join NextCycle Colorado mailing list
Join NextCycle Colorado mailing list and receive regular updates on the project, including opening and due dates for applications, information on forming a team, and other important information.
Who is funding it?
Funding for Colorado NextCycle is provided by our existing grant fund dollars through the Recycling Resources Economic Opportunity Program.
Closed Loop Partners to support NextCycle
Closed Loop Partners, a circular economy-focused investment firm and innovation center, will work collaboratively with participating states in the NextCycle initiative to identify opportunities to provide competitively priced and flexible financing to organizations and municipalities, up to $5 million per project. Read the full press release.
Resources
A free library of resources is available to all interested teams. The resources have been chosen to assist project teams in developing and strengthening their applications and include: business plan development, financial resources, policy, material and diversion data, infrastructure, and industry and market resources.
The virtual Data Room enables teams to quickly access and compare local economic and demographic data as well as recycling and solid waste facilities. It also enables the user to identify potentially available feedstock on a county-by-county basis.