L’Oréal Groupe Sustainable Innovation Accelerator Programme 2025 for SMEs

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Applications are open for L’Oréal Groupe Sustainable Innovation Accelerator Programme. L’Oréal Groupe, the world’s leading beauty company, paves the way for a more sustainable future in seeking, advancing and scaling pioneering solutions through a Sustainable Innovation Accelerator programme

Building on its long-standing culture of innovation L’Oréal partners with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)’s Canopy innovation experts to scout, identify, pilot, and scale breakthrough technologies addressing critical solution gaps within the industry in support of its sustainability transformation.

L’Oréal has partnered with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)’s innovation team to scout, identify, pilot, and scale disruptive solutions within the beauty industry. CISL’s extensive network of over 40,000 senior leaders and experts driving impact and deep knowledge in sustainable business models and solutions, will provide pivotal support to selected applicants through an up to 12-month cohort-based programme, facilitating pilot projects and scaling of innovative solutions within the L’Oréal ecosystem.

L’Oréal Sustainable Innovation Accelerator Benefits

Successful applicants will join an up to 12-month programme that includes:

A 12-week group acceleration support delivered by CISL innovation team, focused on pilot readiness.
Up to 12 hours of 1:1 mentoring and coaching from global sustainability, innovation and industry leaders.
In-person or virtual peer-learning sessions.
The potential opportunity to co-develop pilot projects with L’Oréal*, including, if applicable, the potential opportunity for commercial agreement or investment.
Leveraging CISL’s sustainability expertise and L’Oréal’s leading cosmetics industry position.

Eligibility Criteria

The program is seeking deployment-ready sustainability innovation from startups, scaleups, SMEs and established companies from around the world, at TRL 7 or higher, that align with one or more of the seven key innovation areas outlined below:

Sustainable and inclusive business models
Low-carbon, climate-smart technologies
Water resilience solutions
Nature-based solutions
Alternative ingredients and materials
Eliminating fossil plastic use and plastic waste
Circularity and resource management

Application Timeline:

Applications: Opens 23 June and closes 30 September 2025.
Cohort selection: November 2025
Tailored acceleration and mentoring: Starts November 2025 – closes February 2026
Execution of pilots, if applicable: Starts February 2026 (expected 6 to 9 months)