Applications are now open for the H&M Foundation Global Change Award 2020. The Global Change Award is an innovation challenge initiated by H&M Foundation, aiming to make fashion circular.

Do you see opportunities where others see problems? Do you want to join to reimagine the future of fashion, to protect the planet also our living conditions? Also, Do you have an innovation which is still in its early stage, but with the right funding. Along with coaching, could be scalable and make a real impact? This could be your ticket to launch your dream project, transform the fashion industry and help protect the planet.

Thematic Areas

For GCA 2020 there’s an extra eye looking for innovations within the below three themes. Further, all of them addressing the urgency for fashion to operate within the planetary boundaries:

• Consumer-Centric: innovations empowering consumers to be part of the solution. Also, creating a sustainable fashion future, ranging from how to increase a garment’s lifetime to nudging greener actions.
• Digital & Data: innovations using technology and data in creative ways that will make fashion smarter by significantly reducing the environmental impact of fashion.
• Circular Design: innovations spanning over the whole ecosystem of fashion across all touchpoints, from the garment design process and packaging to technical

Awards

• The five winners will share the One million Euro grant and maybe even more important than the money, they will embark on a one-year Innovation Accelerator Program taking them to Stockholm, New York and Hong Kong. In the accelerator, H&M Foundation, Accenture and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology support the winners in taking their ideas to the next level, with guidance on how to scale up quickly and maximize their impact on the industry.

Eligibility

• Innovation knows no national borders also they believe these early stage ideas can rest in anyone’s head anywhere on the planet, so in an effort to reach as many great minds as possible the challenge is open to any individual and groups of up to 4 people over 18 years of age anywhere in the world;
• It is also open for institutions, organizations and social business;
• Your entry has to be in English and that all communication including the Innovation Accelerator Program will be in English;
• The award is not open for solely commercial entities;
• To keep the integrity of the competition, employees of H&M group or any entities owned in full or in part by H&M, H&M Foundation, Accenture and KTH Innovation including hired consultants can’t apply;
• They are looking for new and early-stage ideas so you can’t apply with an already proven and existing innovation.