The Fashion, Textiles and Technology Institute in London is partnering with the British Council to support new ideas for the future of sustainable textiles, clothing and related technology.

The pilot programme will encourage international cooperation to re-evaluate the industry’s relationship with climate change, the environment and the need for “radical transparency” and social responsibility.

The New Landscapes: Fashion, Textiles and Technology (FTT) Catalyst R&D Grant Scheme, worth about £100,000 in total, will provide five collaborative grants of up to £6,000 in cash and up to £14,000 in in-kind support.

It is seeking proposals that:

  • Respond to the Covid-19 pandemic by generating new opportunities for international collaboration and sharing best practice around sustainable design and production.
  • Grow global networks to enable the development of practice, experimentation and testing of sustainable design and production solutions that inspire positive environmental change.
  • Support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to exchange methods of designing and producing in a more sustainable and socially engaged way.
  • Support young designers to become advocates for sustainable, ethical and socially engaged fashion, textiles and related technologies.

The call is open to all SMEs, designers and design entrepreneurs from the UK and Official Development Assistance (ODA) countries such as Bangladesh. Click here for a list of ODA countries.

Applications must be a partnership between at least one UK applicant and a maximum of two co-applicants based in one or more ODA countries.

The lead applicant must be based in the UK and have been in business for at least three years.

Applicants must provide evidence of true collaboration, knowledge exchange and mutual benefit for all partners (including ODA countries) in their application.

Applicants must demonstrate the ability to deliver the project activity between January 2022 and April 2022, including a provisional plan for in-person and/or online delivery due to Covid-19.

Successful applicants will also host a public event presenting their findings in 2022.

Click here for the application form.

The deadline to submit proposals is 17 October at 23:59.

The Fashion, Textiles and Technology Institute is part of the University of the Arts London and aims to deliver sustainable innovation across the entire fashion and textiles value chain.

arts.ac.uk/ual-fashion-textiles-and-technology-institute