Deadline: 18-Jul-22
Are you interested in reducing plastic consumption of a major player in the cosmetics industry via sustainable alternative solutions? L’Oréal Operations is offering the unique opportunity for creative entrepreneurs to help nurture your innovative solutions and concepts with first-class support, resources and most importantly, experiences that will push your business forward.
Open to established companies, startups, universities and technical centers or laboratories, the L’Oréal Operations – Beyond Plastic Challenge will enable you to make a fundamental and sustainable difference to a globally recognised group.
Since 15 years, L’Oréal has dedicated itself to reducing the environmental impact of its packaging. Agorize is working side by side with L’Oréal Operations to launch the Beyond Plastic Challenge. The goal is to search for innovators who can provide plastic free biomaterial solutions that enable plastic free packaging.
Themes
On registering to enter this challenge, you will be asked to submit an initial proposal. Here, they have detailed some themes and factors to consider:
- Opportunities: Is there the opportunity to drop your solution into existing cosmetic packaging, or is your solution to be a completely new development?
- New Performance: Will your solution integrate new performance characteristics such as hydro solubility, antimicrobial, or intelligent packaging?
- Environmental impacts: As environmental impacts must be considered; you must consider any relevant life cycle analysis and packaging end of life recommendations you would make (and share any available environmental data).
- Additional factors: Do you think that your proposition might require some extra materials to meet cosmetic specifications? Will other partners be required to complete the process?
- Processes: What process would be used to transform the chosen biomaterials into a packaging? If this is a new process, does it have the capacity to upscale to a commercial output?
Benefits
- The final, hosted in November 2022, will take place at the L’Oréal Operations headquarters in Clichy (Paris area), France. The Finalists will have the opportunity to pitch their proposition in front of experts, L’Oréal Operations Executive Committee, etc.
- L’Oréal Operations will cover the travel costs for the Finalists (hotel, meals, flight) within the limit of 2 people per solution selected for a period of 2 days. The Finalists will also be invited to a dinner with members of the L’Oréal Operations management committee.
- The incentives will be selected by l’Oréal Operations at its sole discretion at the end of the Challenge and from the list below:
- Invaluable Mentorship: Connect with industry experts from L’Oréal, a pioneer in beauty tech. You will get invaluable feedback and guidance to improve your solutions.
- Acceleration: Receive support from L’Oréal to develop your Proof of concept, which you can access to L’Oréal labs when applicable. You are one step closer to executing your brilliant idea.
- Know-How: Access to L’Oréal’s extensive industry knowledge about packaging, production, marketing, trend knowledge, etc. in the beauty industry.
- Masterclass: Supercharge your industry knowledge with privileged access to L’Oréal’s masterclass.
- Business Opportunities: L’Oréal Operations will accelerate your growth. Different kinds of partnerships are possible with L’Oréal Operations depending on the final stage selection.
Eligibility Criteria
- The L’Oréal Operations – Beyond Plastic Challenge is open to established companies, startups, universities and technical centers or laboratories.
- They must have the ability to process plastic free biomaterials into flexible or rigid packaging that can contain cosmetic products with a minimum Technology Readiness Level of 5 by 2025.
- This Challenge is open and offered solely to:
- Startup, Freelance, Research Institute, Business entity regardless of its business area. Participants may be required, with L’Oréal’s sole discretion, to provide proof of:
- company registration by submitting a registration certificate issued within the last three (3) months, or ongoing company registration, or any trade registry and proof ensuring the registration of the entity in the relevant country, and
- a valid professional insurance policy subscription.
- All the documents that may confirm the Participant’s eligibility may be required prior to awarding any prizes (e.g. identity document, registration certificate, etc.).
- This Challenge is not open to:
- Any natural person;
- Affiliates and representatives of L’Oréal and Agorize;
- Any legal person located in a country where the Challenge is not open (China; Russia; etc.).
- This Challenge is void in countries where it is prohibited or restricted by law.
Selection Criteria
- The selection process comes in two stages; the initial selection process will assess the initial registration proposition. From this, experts will judge the most suitable and viable solutions to take forward.
- Following a period of development of their solutions and submission of a final proposition, Finalists will be chosen to present their ideas to L’Oréal Operations experts at L’Oréal Operations’ headquarters in Clichy, France.
- A winner will be chosen from the Finalists at the event from the L’Oréal Operations panel of experts.
For more information, visit https://lorealoperations.agorize.com/en/challenges/beyond-plastic/pages/guidelines?lang=en