Want to launch a game-changing business in Brussels in electronics, construction, mobility, foodtech, greentech, cleantech, textiles or logistics? In just 4 months, test and validate your idea or prototype, shape your offer and get ready to launch your business!
Co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Brussels-Capital Region, our BEARTH incubator provides free support to entrepreneurs developing solutions for more sustainable and circular industries and services that use resources responsibly and reduce their environmental impact.
NEW: For this second edition, BEARTH is also open to anyone interested in joining one of the selected projects or developing a business idea proposed by the programme.
The 2026 call for projects will be published soon. Want to stay updated? Fill in the contact form.
Who is this programme for?
This programme is for you if you are:
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Eligibility criteria
To be eligible, your project must meet the following criteria:
- be based, or plan to base at least part of its operations, in the Brussels-Capital Region;
- still be at the concept or early development stage (idea, prototype, MVP, beta version);
- have a clear circular dimension.
PLEASE NOTE: projects in the following categories are not eligible: craft businesses, physical retail and consulting.
Why? Because we are looking for scalable projects, meaning solutions that can grow and/or be produced at least in small batches. If your project involves physical retail, sustainable crafts or sustainability consulting, hub.brussels can support you in other ways (see FAQ).
How to apply
For this second edition, BEARTH is also open to people who don’t have a specific business idea yet but would like to join a project or develop an idea proposed by the programme. There are therefore two application forms:
What does BEARTH involve?
Over 4 months, you’ll build the foundations of your future business. The programme is built around 3 key stages:
1. Selection stage
Submit your application or join an existing project or one proposed by the programme at a matchmaking event.
If you’re shortlisted, you’ll have the opportunity to pitch your project to a panel of experts.
2. Group and individual coaching
Selected? Congratulations! You’ll take part in 4 months of weekly group coaching sessions led by industry experts, covering topics such as your business model, strategy and pitch. You’ll also receive individual coaching tailored to your project.
3. Develop your first prototype
Launching a project is a real challenge. That’s why we help you develop your first digital prototype. By the end of the BEARTH programme, you’ll have an MVP (minimum viable product) ready to put to the test.
What you’ll gain
By the end of the programme, you will have:
- validated your market and built a solid business model
- developed a product or service that meets a real need
- tested your value proposition with your first users or customers
- developed your first prototype using AI tools
- strengthened your ability to win over partners, customers and investors
The programme will be delivered in English. Weekly group workshops will take place during the day on weekdays, outside the school holidays of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
After completing the programme, you’ll be able to apply to the Greenlab accelerator to take your project to the next stage.
The programme will be held in English. Weekly group workshops will take place on weekdays, in the evenings, and outside of school holidays, to facilitate your launch into entrepreneurship alongside another main activity.
At the end of the programme, you’ll be able to apply to the Greenlab accelerator to bring your project to life.
BEARTH success stories
Discover all our success stories here!
Now’s the time to get started!
Any questions?
Send them to Julie & Louise at bearth@hub.brussels.
Any questions?
The call for applications will open soon.
Fill in this form to receive an email notification when the next call for applications opens.
Need more information? Join one of our online information sessions! The dates will be announced soon, and you will be able to register on this page.
Any questions? Contact us at bearth@hub.brussels.
FAQ
BEARTH is for anyone drawn to entrepreneurship, who already has an idea in circular industry or production support services, but doesn’t know how to take the first step. The programme is open to anyone ready to commit to an entrepreneurial journey in Brussels — physical presence is required, as is the intention to start a business in the Brussels-Capital Region if the project comes to fruition.
By industrial production, we mean activities involving the manufacturing, transformation or maintenance of physical goods, with a focus on optimising resources, repair, reuse and waste reduction.
Industrial production therefore includes all activities that process physical goods, such as:
- producing raw materials (basic components),
- treating them (cleaning, coating, chemical or thermal treatment, maintenance, repair, etc.),
- or transforming them (assembling, shaping, cutting, sewing, printing, packaging, etc.).
These activities can be linked to a service as part of what is known as the functional economy (e.g. replacing product ownership with use, such as renting).
Services are accepted only if they directly support circular production
(e.g. logistics for recycled materials, shared equipment, technologies for production optimisation, etc.).
In addition, for projects to be considered circular, they must fit within one of the four business models mentioned above.
The group sessions are delivered in English.
One-on-one coaching can take place in English or French.
The programme – both group and individual coaching – will take place primarily at the hub.brussels offices (110 Chaussée de Charleroi, 1060 Saint-Gilles).
Some events will also be hosted at Greenbizz (Rue Dieudonné Lefèvre 17, 1020 Brussels).
The entire program is free of charge! However, we ask that you honor your commitment to participate in all group and individual coaching sessions until the end of the program.
You do not need to be Belgian.
However, you must live in Belgium, and your physical presence is required to attend the weekly group sessions in Brussels.
No, the programme is 100% in-person, to facilitate meaningful exchange and networking.
That said, ad hoc arrangements may be made to hold individual coaching sessions online, subject to your coach’s approval.
Absolutely! The programme takes place on weekday evenings, from 6 to 9 PM, making it compatible with other daytime activities.
No, the programme is 100% in-person, to facilitate meaningful exchange and networking.
That said, ad hoc arrangements may be made to hold individual coaching sessions online, subject to your coach’s approval.
Yes, it’s possible to apply as co-founders.
However, to ensure smooth follow-up of learning and project development, we ask you to designate one lead contact who will follow the programme in full.
You’re developing a project around a commerce platform, repair café, zero-waste grocery, or second-hand shop…
While these initiatives are sustainable, they are not eligible for BEARTH.
Why? Because they do not directly contribute to local, industrial circular production.
BEARTH is strictly reserved for projects that generate or support industrial circular production based in Brussels.
A digital solution is only eligible if it enables or supports a circular production process — for example:
a workshop co-working marketplace,
a recycling tracking platform,
a tool-sharing system.
If this is not the case, then your project does not fall within the scope of BEARTH.
Do you have a project in industrial production or support services that follows a circular and sustainable logic? Is your project innovative? Are you looking to develop it in Brussels and give it the means to scale?
Then BEARTH is the ideal launchpad to structure, test and launch your entrepreneurial project in circular industry and services in Brussels.
Absolutely not! Our team provides you with dedicated coaching tailored to your needs, at every stage of your incubation journey. You’ll be part of a supportive community of experts and entrepreneurs who share their experiences and lift each other up.
Because we’re the only incubator in Brussels fully dedicated to circular production and related services. We welcome a wide range of sectors (textiles, furniture, electronics, construction, mobility…), except for the agri-food industry.
At BEARTH, you receive hands-on support to prototype, test and iterate quickly — with access to tools, workshops and expert guidance. Less theory, more impact!
You also have access to the network and events of hub.brussels and its circular economy cluster circlemade, which brings together entrepreneurs from the sector! Events, networking, group and individual coaching—you won’t be alone in this adventure!
BEARTH is the first step in your entrepreneurial journey in circular production and support services in Brussels. Our incubation program allows you to structure your idea, test its feasibility, and create an initial prototype. Together with our experts, you lay the solid foundations for a viable project and then have the opportunity to join the Greenlab accelerator, subject to selection, to ensure its concrete deployment.
Thank you to the BEARTH partners:
BEARTH is an initiative by hub.brussels, supported by ERDF and the Brussels-Capital Region. It is part of a complete support offer for circular entrepreneurs:
- Incubation through BEARTH
- Acceleration via Greenlab
- Networking via circlemade.brussels