APPLICATION FORM: SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION ACCELERATOR
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.
We are 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 areas1 outlined below:
- Low carbon, climate-smart technologies
- Water resilience solutions
- Nature-based solutions
- Alternative ingredients and materials
- Eliminating fossil plastic use & plastic waste
- Circularity and resource management
- Sustainable & inclusive business models
Targeted Technology Readiness Level (TRL):
- Ideal TRL: 7 to 9
- Consideration for TRL 5-6 if significant potential is identified
Key Dates
- Applications: Opens 23 June 2025 & closes 30 September 2025
- Cohort Selection: November 2025
- Tailored acceleration & mentoring: Starts November 2025- closes February 2026
- Execution of pilots, if applicable2: Starts February 2026 (expected 6 to 9 months)
The estimated time to complete this application is 1.5 - 2 hours.
On applying, you will be given a unique application code, which will be used to anonymise your application in the review process by our panel.
How CISL uses your personal data
The University of Cambridge will store your personal information to liaise with you as a consequence of your interest in our work, and (with your consent) keep you up to date with University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) news and let you know of future programmes and events.
By completing this form you are agreeing that you are happy to be contacted by us about the Sustainable Accelerator Programme. We do not share your personal information with any third parties outside the University of Cambridge and L’Oréal or parties responsible for delivering all or part of a group, initiative, or event, except with your explicit permission. At times, personal data may be sent, including internationally, via email and other platforms for the purposes of efficiency.
For further information on the use of your personal data, see
https://www.information-compliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/data-protection/general-data.
How L’Oréal uses your personal data
By submitting this form, I agree that personal data collected directly through this application form, such as name(s), surname(s), phone number, email address, position and title, image and/or video, may be used in the context of the processing of my application for the Sustainable Innovation Accelerator, by L’Oréal SA whose head office is located at 14 rue Royale 75008 PARIS.
The processing is carried out based on your consent for the purpose(s) of evaluating and processing your application. Failure to provide this data will make it impossible to manage your application.
Your personal data is kept for 5 years from the moment of the collection and is only accessed by concerned L’Oréal employees and sub-contractors such as Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership on a need-to-know basis to be able to do their job. Your personal data may be transferred to other L’Oréal entities for evaluating and processing of your application. Any such transfer is framed in accordance to with applicable law. If you have any questions or concerns about how we process and use your personal data, or would like to exercise any of your rights (right of access, modification and deletion of your personal data, or limitation of processing) you can do so at any time, by contacting our Data Protection Officer at dpo@loreal.com.
If you are not satisfied with the way in which L’Oréal S.A. processes your personal data, you can submit a complaint to the competent data protection authority, the CNIL.
For more information, please see our link to our Privacy Policies:
L'Oréal Groupe :Privacy Policy for our Business Partners
L'Oréal Groupe: Privacy Policy for Consumers
If you have any questions regarding completing the application, please email accelerator@cisl.cam.ac.uk.
1 Challenges may evolve and do not constitute binding commitment
2 Participation in the programme does not guarantee future collaboration
L’Oréal's Sustainable Innovation Accelerator
APPLICATION FORM: SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION ACCELERATOR
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.
We are 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 areas1 outlined below:
- Low carbon, climate-smart technologies
- Water resilience solutions
- Nature-based solutions
- Alternative ingredients and materials
- Eliminating fossil plastic use & plastic waste
- Circularity and resource management
- Sustainable & inclusive business models
Targeted Technology Readiness Level (TRL):
- Ideal TRL: 7 to 9
- Consideration for TRL 5-6 if significant potential is identified
Key Dates
- Applications: Opens 23 June 2025 & closes 30 September 2025
- Cohort Selection: November 2025
- Tailored acceleration & mentoring: Starts November 2025- closes February 2026
- Execution of pilots, if applicable2: Starts February 2026 (expected 6 to 9 months)
The estimated time to complete this application is 1.5 - 2 hours.
On applying, you will be given a unique application code, which will be used to anonymise your application in the review process by our panel.
How CISL uses your personal data
The University of Cambridge will store your personal information to liaise with you as a consequence of your interest in our work, and (with your consent) keep you up to date with University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) news and let you know of future programmes and events.
By completing this form you are agreeing that you are happy to be contacted by us about the Sustainable Accelerator Programme. We do not share your personal information with any third parties outside the University of Cambridge and L’Oréal or parties responsible for delivering all or part of a group, initiative, or event, except with your explicit permission. At times, personal data may be sent, including internationally, via email and other platforms for the purposes of efficiency.
For further information on the use of your personal data, see
https://www.information-compliance.admin.cam.ac.uk/data-protection/general-data.
How L’Oréal uses your personal data
By submitting this form, I agree that personal data collected directly through this application form, such as name(s), surname(s), phone number, email address, position and title, image and/or video, may be used in the context of the processing of my application for the Sustainable Innovation Accelerator, by L’Oréal SA whose head office is located at 14 rue Royale 75008 PARIS.
The processing is carried out based on your consent for the purpose(s) of evaluating and processing your application. Failure to provide this data will make it impossible to manage your application.
Your personal data is kept for 5 years from the moment of the collection and is only accessed by concerned L’Oréal employees and sub-contractors such as Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership on a need-to-know basis to be able to do their job. Your personal data may be transferred to other L’Oréal entities for evaluating and processing of your application. Any such transfer is framed in accordance to with applicable law. If you have any questions or concerns about how we process and use your personal data, or would like to exercise any of your rights (right of access, modification and deletion of your personal data, or limitation of processing) you can do so at any time, by contacting our Data Protection Officer at dpo@loreal.com.
If you are not satisfied with the way in which L’Oréal S.A. processes your personal data, you can submit a complaint to the competent data protection authority, the CNIL.
For more information, please see our link to our Privacy Policies:
L'Oréal Groupe :Privacy Policy for our Business Partners
L'Oréal Groupe: Privacy Policy for Consumers
If you have any questions regarding completing the application, please email accelerator@cisl.cam.ac.uk.
1 Challenges may evolve and do not constitute binding commitment
2 Participation in the programme does not guarantee future collaboration