Sustainable Tulip Award 2026 - call for applications

News item | 24-06-2026 | 14:33

The Sustainable Tulip Award, established by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Hungary, recognizes outstanding Hungarian initiatives, products, services, and systemic innovations that contribute to a more sustainable, resource-efficient, and regenerative future through the application of circular economy principles. In 2026, we are seeking projects in the area of Circular Design that go beyond conventional “green” approaches and deliver genuinely circular solutions in the fields of material use, product design, business models, services, or systemic transformation. Applications will be evaluated by a distinguished jury of national and international experts. The award will be presented on 5 October 2026 during the gala dinner of the Circular Economy Hotspot Conference by Willem van Ee, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Hungary.

Eligibility

Applications are invited from companies registered in Hungary, startups, university research groups, design studios, civil society organizations, individual, municipal or institutional projects, and collaborative consortium initiatives involving any of the above.

What We Are Looking For

We welcome circular design projects in the form of products, services, technologies, digital solutions or business models that: reduce and make the use of raw materials more sustainable; extend product lifespans; promote reuse; repairability or remanufacturing; apply regenerative or system-based approaches; demonstrate measurable environmental and social impact.

Evaluation Criteria

The jury will assess applications based on circularity performance, systems thinking, innovation and design excellence, feasibility and scalability, environmental and social impact, transparency and measurable outcomes, and collaboration and ecosystem building. Additional consideration will be given to projects that demonstrate real world market or societal application, measurable results, a life cycle perspective, repairability and durability, and regenerative design principles.

Application Requirement

Applicants must complete the application form in either Hungarian or English and provide:
1. A description of the project and its circular approach.
2. An overview of its environmental and/or social impact.
3. Photographs, visual materials or prototype documentation, where available.
4. Relevant data, metrics or research findings.
5. Information on the project’s status and future plans.

Award Benefits

The winner will receive the Sustainable Tulip Award at a formal award ceremony, gain visibility through professional and public platforms, and access networking and collaboration opportunities during the Circular Economy Hotspot Conference.

Key dates

Application deadline:
7 September 2026

Shortlisted applicants notified:
25 September 2026

Award ceremony:
5 October 2026

Contact

The application form can be downloaded here in English and Hungarian.

For further information and submission of applications: BDP-EA@minbuza.nl

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