Frequently asked questions

Q. What is the XLabs program for?

Individuals and business teams who are looking to build their capability and take full advantage of the circular economy opportunity. It doesn’t really matter what discipline or department you work in, we cater for all levels of expertise. You might be a Sustainability Director, a Designer, an Engineer, an Entrepreneur, or work in Marketing. Making the shift from linear to circular can benefit all areas of your business from procurement, supply chains, innovation, meeting new customer needs and designing closed-loop systems for waste streams. You are welcome to join as an individual but as previous XLabs participants have discovered - your impact will be exponential if you bring a team! Join us and start your journey today.

Q. What are the dates for XLabs and when do I need to sign up by?

LEARN: OPEN October 2021 and will be on-going LIVE: 9-5pm, 4th - 8th April 2022 in Tāmaki Makarau. COACH: April 2022 (6x 90min engagements over the following six months).To join LIVE and COACH requires a team of between 3-6 people from within your business to have completed the LEARN program. All dates are subject to change.

Q. How long will the LEARN course take?

This depends on you and your team. Modules 1-2 consist of reading materials and short exercises. These can be completed in a few hours and will provide you with a grounding in the theory and to start thinking about what shifts you can make. Module three is where it all comes together. If you are working as a team or individual we suggest you set aside a between 2-4 90min power sessions to complete each exercise or even 1-2 days. Planning ahead of these sessions is key, making sure everyone has done the pre-reading etc. You will then need a bit more time to research and validate your insights with your wider business. The more engagement with these exercises from your stakeholders, the better you can understand what the key focus areas and shifts you can make to become circular.

Q. Can I do XLabs as an individual?

Yes, you are able to complete our online programme XLabs LEARN as an individual – however it has been designed to work best for teams and businesses to collaborate, share and receive feedback, ideate solutions to the challenges they face. You can continue on to do the FULL PROGRAM by registering a team of between 3-6 people from within your business – this includes joining us, other businesses and experts at an in-person design sprint and receiving ongoing coaching support for your circular solution. If you are attending the full program, your team will all need to have completed the LEARN online course prior to the design sprint.

Q. Who should I have in my team?

We recommend that you bring a range of people from across your business who are motivated to make a change. Where possible, it would help to have the key decision makers and those with valuable knowledge of your wider system. If you attend LIVE you will get 4x guest passes to bring key stakeholders, external partners and funders into the sessions as well. Your team will be supported by a range of experts, bringing diversity of thinking to your problem-solving.

Q. Does my whole team need to complete LEARN to apply for LIVE?

Yes, each member of your core team – between 3-6 people need to complete the LEARN program in order to attend the XLabs LIVE design sprint and receive ongoing circular economy coaching support.

Q. What outcomes can I expect on this program?

The circular economy is the new narrative for innovation and progress that has been identified to be worth up to $4.5 trillion dollars globally and up to $8.8 billion in Tāmaki Makaurau alone.

Our XLabs program will enable you to -

  • Level up your knowledge of the circular economy with real-world practitioners, building your capability as individuals and teams to solve the challenges facing businesses right now.
  • Address the extractive practices of the linear economy, designing out waste and ideating new solutions for your business that unlock new value for people and the planet.
  • Connect with like-minded people who are on the same journey through our dedicated community platform.
  • Develop your action plan to accelerate your progress towards a circular economy.
  • Apply to be part of XLabs LIVE - our in-person circular design sprint*

*Course completion of the LEARN program is required to progress into the LIVE design sprint in Tāmaki Makaurau. A select number of places are available in LIVE and requires approval by Circularity and Partners.

Q. Can I purchase XLabs on behalf of someone else or my entire team?

If you are purchasing just LEARN at this stage, you can choose the number of participants at checkout.  If you’re taking up our offer of the “Full Package” of LEARN+LIVE you are securing a place for a team of up to 6 people across the entire XLabs Programme. Once registered we will email you with confirmation and a request to reply with the names and contact details for each of your team members. After that we will grant access to LEARN for each team member and they will receive their own confirmation as well.

Q. When do I have to complete LEARN by?

Our LEARN course is self-paced and is available to access for three months from the date of purchase. If you’re participating in XLabs LIVE, you’ll need to complete LEARN before then. We recommend you set aside with your team to collaborate with each other to get the most out of it, and this can be done however you wish - small bites each week, or larger working sessions.

Q. My business is keen to sign up - how do we get started?

Before 31st October- We are releasing 12x early-bird packages of LEARN+LIVE+COACH for teams of up to 6 people. When purchasing the full Package you are securing spots for a team, of up to 6 people, in all three XLabs programme streams. You don’t have to have everyone in the team “ready to roll” at the time of purchase, and can add members during the LEARN phase. We recommend completing LEARN as a group to get the most from the experience, but understand this can be tricky. Each team member must have completed LEARN by 31 Dec, however, to qualify for LIVE. All three programs are included and specifically designed to help make your ambition to become a reality.

After 31st October - The remaining eight places will be selected from teams who complete the LEARN program before the 31st October. Please let us know in your final Module (5) that your businesses would like to apply for LIVE and we will review your course workbook + roadmap.

Q. Can you invoice us?

Yes. We will invoice you upon approval of your registration. Email us at xlabs@circularity.co.nz to get this process underway.

Q. I have the ambition but not the cash, can I still join the program? Do you have a 'Pay what you can' policy?

We have the opportunity to offer a few places at a discounted rate to achieve the outcomes we seek. Email us at xlabs@circularity.co.nz with the subject line REQUEST A SPOT, letting us know what audacious challenge you would like to tackle.

Q. What is the XLabs refund policy?

This program is non-refundable. If you are not satisfied with the program while completing it we encourage you to connect with us directly - there are lots of ways we can ensure your experience is positive and the outcomes you seek are delivered.

Q. What happens if we change alert levels during LIVE?

If we are unable to meet in person due to COVID-19 we will either move the date to another week when we can gather or alternatively we will go ahead using online digital tools. Please see our terms and conditions for what XLabs LIVE will look like under each COVID-19 traffic light level.

Q. How do we qualify for LIVE?

Three steps -

  1. Purchase the Package of LEARN + LIVE for up to six people now.
  2. All team members complete the LEARN PROGRAM
  3. Circularity and Partners review the LEARN Assessment and provide approval for a place in LIVE or suggest further consideration for challenges and solutions to explore to qualify for LIVE.