Frequently Asked Questions on Products

Products eligible for the Marketplace must directly contribute to the Circular Economy's core areas: Water, Energy, or Materials/Nutrients. This includes both direct contributions through relevant products and indirect support, such as software designed to enhance Circular Economy practices.
Additionally, products must be "Market Ready", indicating they are at the TRL9 stage, having undergone comprehensive development. They have been applied under market conditions, demonstrating their readiness for broader deployment. This category also includes products that, despite being fully operational and prepared for deployment, might not have attained the same level of market readiness as others due to factors such as pending regulatory approvals, funding limitations, or strategic timing decisions.
Our definition of "Product" is broad and encompasses:
  • Software that facilitates Circular Economy efforts
  • Hardware, tools, or technology devices for the Circular Economy
  • Services that are part of a Circular Economy solution
  • Methodologies or processes that advance Circular Economy principles
For more information see the Terms and Conditions.

CE Technologies are considered to be established techniques, methods, and processes used for the production of goods or services supporting the circular economy in the domains Water, Energy and Materials. Below is an indicative list of key distinctions between technologies and products, noting that this compilation is not exhaustive:
  • Technologies serve as the foundation for products; in essence, products incorporate specific technologies.
  • Products are linked to an entity - either an individual or an organisation - that holds ownership, development, or creation rights. Technologies, by contrast, do not have a designated owner, developer, or creator.
  • Intellectual property rights, such as patents and copyrights, are applicable exclusively to products.
  • Products are the main entities that undergo commercial transactions, including sales, rentals, licenses, among others.
  • Typically, information about a product can be obtained directly from the owner, while insights into technologies are often sourced from academic or industry literature.

Only registered users are authorized to post information about their products or those belonging to their associated organisation. They must ensure that all product details remain current, as these entries will be actively promoted by the Marketplace.

To upload a product factsheet on the Marketplace, registered users should follow these steps:
  • Log in to the Marketplace. If you haven't registered yet, please complete the registration form. Registration is straightforward and complimentary.
  • Go to the new product page and complete the form. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory, but providing thorough and detailed information is recommended for better visibility.
Please remember, you can only upload information for products that you or your organisation own. Information related to Circular Economy technologies, as opposed to products, is not eligible for upload. For more insights into the distinctions between products and technologies within the Circular Economy, refer to this section.

Rating products allows registered users to highlight how relevant each product is to their specific interests. Users can assign ratings as follows:
  • mood Very relevant
  • sentiment_satisfied Relevant
  • sentiment_neutral Somehow relevant
  • sentiment_dissatisfied Not so relevant
  • mood_bad Not at all relevant
  • add_reaction Not rated yet
These ratings help tailor the Marketplace experience, enabling the system to showcase highly rated and similar products more prominently on each user's dashboard and personal listings. A user's ratings impact only their view and recommendations, not affecting the overall perception or visibility of the product to others. In the absence of ratings, the recommendation system may suggest products based on other criteria such as preferences for specific technologies, tags, and keywords, or at times, selections might be randomly generated.

Access to product information is provided free to all users. Registered users benefit from added features like personalized product recommendations that align with their interests and preferences. Currently, uploading product information incurs no fees. However, a nominal annual charge may be introduced in the future for the submission and promotion of product factsheets on the Marketplace, ensuring the continuation of high-quality service.

To ensure security, you're permitted to submit factsheets only for products owned by your organisation or one you're affiliated with. As the person responsible for the data, it's your duty to keep product information current. Nonetheless, you have the option to delegate this responsibility to other users via the product edit page, provided they're also affiliated with your organisation.

There are several reasons why your product might not be visible to the public:
  • Your application is still in the process of being approved, in which case you can check the status of your application on the product factsheet page.
  • Products developed or applied within an EU project that haven't achieved "Market Ready" status can only be accessed via the project's dedicated page. Once your product attains "Market Ready" status, you have the option to resubmit your factsheet to gain broader visibility.
  • You may have temporarily hidden your factsheet. To make it visible again, go to the factsheet edit page.