Frequently Asked Questions
We open for applications on August 29, 2018, 07:00 GMT and close again October 17, 2018, 23:00 GMT.
The last day to apply is October 17, 2018, 23:00 GMT.
Anyone who applies within the first half of the application period will automatically have the chance of winning our Early Bird competition. Apply between August 29, 2018 (07:00 GMT) – September 21, 2018 (23:00 GMT) for your chance to be an Early Bird!
The Early Bird winner will be invited to join the five winners of the Global Change Award in one of the trips which is part of their one-year Innovation Accelerator. The trip offers exclusive industry insight as well as opportunities to network and learn more about circularity and the fashion value chain.
Applying as an Early Bird does not affect your chances of winning the Global Change Award.
The Early Bird winner is crowned based on the general Global Change Award criteria (Read more below under “What are the criteria?”). Note that applying as an Early Bird and winning the study trip does not affect your chances of winning the Global Change Award. See Terms & Conditions for full details.
The winner of the Early Bird competition will be announced in May 2019.
See the Terms & Conditions. Some common questions are answered below.
No, participating is free of charge.
Yes, you can save and update your application right up until you click the button Submit. After you clicked Submit edits are no longer available.
No, only one entry per person is allowed. See more in Terms & Conditions.
Yes, but remember that you must own all rights connected to the idea.
The winners will be presented in April 2019. Read more about the process of selecting the winners below.
The H&M Foundation together with KTH and Accenture will screen all entries and shortlist 20. The 20 shortlisted entries are interviewed by H&M Foundation before 15 are selected finalists. The 15 finalists are provided to the international expert panel who picks the five winners. Winners are formally approved by the H&M Foundation board.
H&M Foundation always contacts the five winners by telephone.
- Share a grant of €1 million to develop their ideas.
- Access to the one year long tailor-made Innovation Accelerator Program, provided by H&M Foundation, Accenture and KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. The accelerator includes immersion weeks in Stockholm, New York and Hong Kong.
- Global recognition and validation.
We expect you to develop your idea according to the plan submitted with the entry in order to make fashion circular. We also expect you to take active part in the one-year Innovation Accelerator Program.
H&M Foundation will require each winner to submit a short report on progress and use of funds after 6 months and after 12 months. See more details in Terms & Conditions.
Innovation knows no national borders and we 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.
Please note that your entry has to be in English and that all communication including the Innovation Accelerator Program will be in English.
Global Change 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.
We are looking for new and early stage ideas so you can’t apply with an already proven and existing innovation.
It is at this earliest stage where the H&M Foundation can provide the much needed resources, access and skills and thereby make the biggest difference. We are certain there are a vast number of great ideas out there but access to capital, know-how and support is scarce and many great ideas never get to see the light of day. The H&M Foundation wants to find these ideas and give them the support needed to make a difference.
We want to find tomorrow’s game-changers – innovations that have the potential to shift the fashion industry from its linear approach to a circular one, to protect the planet and our living conditions. This means changing the way garments are currently designed and produced, shipped, bought, used and recycled by adding disruptive technology, processes, or new business models.
This year we keep an extra eye on digital innovations, as they can make significant impact on efficiency, planning and resource use – from producing raw materials to a garment’s end of life. Digitalization has the potential to disrupt at the root and reinvent how things are done. And – if the innovation involves an extra layer of social value – we like it even more.
Examples of innovations suitable for Global Change Award:
- Innovations with digital technologies applied, such as connectivity, robotics, artificial intelligence, data, internet of things, machine learning etc. across the value chain, including consumers and garments to make fashion circular.
- Innovations related to waste, how resources can be recovered and turned into material, products or services – or how waste can be eliminated in the first place.
- Innovations supporting a climate positive fashion industry, for example creating clothes, services and manufacturing processes that are not only neutral but actually good for the environment, helping to restore and regenerate the environment when being used.
Learn more about circular fashion.
The evaluation will be based on the following criteria:
- the Entry’s potential to make fashion circular and thereby protect the planet and lead to improved living conditions for people;
- impact and scalability
- is it economically sustainable
- is it novel
- how well suited is the team to make it happen
- would winning the grant make a difference
Check Terms & Conditions for full details.
The Expert Panel is presented here.
Their role is to provide expertise to identify and help select the winners of the Global Change Award. The members of the Expert Panel are chosen for their extensive knowledge in the areas of entrepreneurship, sustainability, innovation and fashion.
No. All members of the Expert Panel are doing this pro bono and are not getting paid.
No and nor will H&M group.
The H&M Foundations role is to provide that critical boost to the innovators at the earliest stages were its most needed. Different innovations need different support and it wouldn’t be wise to limit or force an innovation into a certain partnership. The mission is to support the development of the innovation and to help it stand on its own.
It’s up to the winners to decide who to partner with. Different innovations need different support and it wouldn’t be wise to limit or force an innovation into a certain partnership. Also, the H&M Foundation initiates this competition to make the entire fashion industry circular – not just H&M group.
The Terms & Conditions and Privacy Notice explains this in detail but to keep it simple: do not send us critical unprotected details. Instead, focus on the bigger picture in your application. All entrants understand that the H&M Foundation may use any information submitted for the sole purpose of promoting the competition and the participants. And remember, we want you to succeed and we want you to own the IP.
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