FAQ Global Change Award
Apply at globalchangeaward.com. Global Change Award 2018 is open between 13 September and 31 October 2017, by midnight CET.
Deadline is 31 October 2017 (at midnight CET).
The Early Bird opportunity close on 6 October 2017 (midnight CET).
More info under “What is the Early Bird competition?” below.
If you submit your entry before 6 October you have the chance to join the GCA innovation accelerator in New York or Shanghai.
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. The trip takes place in 2018, exact dates and content of the trip to be decided by H&M Foundation. See Terms & Conditions for full details.
The winner of the Early Bird competition will be announced in conjunction to the award ceremony in March 2018. The winner of the Early Bird competition is not required to travel to the ceremony in Stockholm.
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. Submission deadline midnight CET 31 October 2017.
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 to the public on globalchangeaward.com for the online vote on March 12–16. The result of the online vote and the winners will also be presented during the Grand Award Ceremony in Stockholm on 20 March 2018. Read more about the process of Selecting the winners below.
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Send us an email at support@globalchangeaward.com and we will help you to submit your entry.
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 5 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 will be in English.
GCA is not open for solely commercial entities. In order to keep the integrity of the competition, employees of H&M 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 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 Foundation wants to find these ideas and give them the support needed to make a difference.
We are looking for tomorrow’s game changers and Global Change Award 2018 has three categories open for applications:
- Digitalization – Apply digital technologies 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.
- Waste – Recover resources and value lost in material, energy and information waste by turning it into materials, products or services. Or simply eliminate waste in the first place.
- Climate positive – Create 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.
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.
To provide expertise to identify and help select the winners of the Global Change Award 2018. They are chosen for their extensive knowledge in the areas of entrepreneurship, sustainability, innovation and fashion.
To provide expertise to identify and help select the winners of the Global Change Award 2018. They are chosen for their extensive knowledge in the areas of entrepreneurship, sustainability, innovation and fashion.
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. Winner are formally approved by the H&M Foundation board.
H&M foundation will contact the five winners by telephone in January 2018.
- Share a grant of €1 million to develop their ideas.
- Access to the one year long tailor-made innovation accelerator, provided by H&M Foundation, Accenture and KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. The accelerator includes immersion weeks in Stockholm, New York and Shanghai.
- Global recognition and validation.
The public is invited to distribute the entire grant between the five winning ideas in an online vote.
Neither H&M Foundation nor H&M takes any ownership or IP rights in the winning entries.
See more in the Terms & Conditions
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 Innovation Accelerator.
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.
No and nor will the company H&M.
The 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 themselves 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.
The Terms & Conditions 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.
Personal data submitted for the Global Change Award will be handled according to our Privacy Policy.
On 12 March 2018 the five winners of Global Change Award 2018 will be presented on globalchangeaward.com. The public is by that invited to distribute the grant between the five winners.
On 12–16 March 2018 at globalchangeaward.com
On 20 March 2018, during the grand award ceremony in Stockholm.
