Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.

The NEB Academy | Fashion Shift call supports the transformation of the European fashion industry by funding collaborative consortia that develop and scale circular, regenerative and responsible business models grounded in the New European Bauhaus values of sustainability, inclusion and beauty.

Projects should build on existing businesses, pilots, initiatives or proven concepts that are ready to be developed, deployed or scaled through meaningful collaboration. Activities may focus on different parts of the fashion value chain, including design, material sourcing, production, distribution and end-of-life management, and should generate measurable environmental, social, societal and market impact.

The call aims to bridge the gap between creative vision and market reality, supporting a more sovereign European fashion ecosystem moving beyond fast fashion through shared responsibility, innovation and cross-sector collaboration.

The maximum EIT funding allocated to this call is up to €3.500.000 with a maximum of €500.000 per project selected.

EIT Culture & Creativity financial support may reimburse up to 100% of the total eligible project costs. Costs already funded by other EU programmes or sources cannot be reimbursed, in order to avoid double funding.

The indicative number of projects to be funded is 5 projects.

The total project duration is up to 16 months and must include all phases of the project. The total project duration must align with these specifications to ensure that all deliverables and KPIs are met within the timeframe: starting from January 2027 and ending no later than May 2028.

• Culture
• Environment and Climate Change
• Industry
• New Entrepreneurship
• Processing
• Research, Technological Development and Innovation
• Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness

• Associations
• Businesses
• Educational Institutions
• Legal Entities
• Legal Entities under Public Law
• Local Authorities
• Private Bodies
• Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
• Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

This call is open to legal entities established in countries eligible under Horizon Europe at the closure time of the call. Third countries associated to Horizon Europe must already be formally associated at the closure time of the call

Proposals may be submitted by consortia including a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 6 independent legal entities, established in at least 2 different eligible countries, including at least:

• An independent fashion brand (SME under the EU definition operating for a minimum of 3 years), For the purposes of this call, an independent fashion brand is understood as a business with creative and strategic decisionmaking held within the founding or leadership team, and without majority ownership (more than 50%), direct or indirect, by a fashion conglomerate, large retail group, or vertically integrated brand house. Minority investment is permitted, provided it does not result in loss of independent decision-making authority. This call is specifically designed for independent Fashion SMEs as consortium partners and does not target subsidiaries, spin-offs, or newly established entities operating under the strategic or financial control of a fashion conglomerate, large retail group, or vertically integrated brand house.
• A research institution (e.g. HEI, research institute)
• A public authority or innovation/industry cluster(An entity providing systemic reach, policy linkage, or sectoral convening capacity relevant to the fashion and creative industries, acting as intermediaries connecting creative businesses to public or institutional resources).
• One value-chain partner in the fashion value chain. (An organisation whose core activities sit within the fashion, textile, or apparel value chain, or that is actively developing capabilities to do so, including but not limited to raw material extraction or farming, fibre and textile production, material or textile supply, design, sourcing, manufacturing, branding and marketing, logistics, packaging, import and export, distribution, retail, circular economy services (including repair, rental, resale, and consumer take-back programmes), waste processing or recycling, certification, or technology and innovation transfer)

Each project participant must have the financial and operational capacity to implement its assigned project activities, cover the share of eligible costs not reimbursed by EIT Culture & Creativity, and manage any cash-flow needs between payment instalments. Upon request during validation or contracting, each project participant must provide supporting documents demonstrating its financial capacity, including published annual accounts, annual turnover or operating budget, number of employees/FTEs, proof of own resources, parent organisation support, financial guarantees or equivalent evidence.

EIT Community RIS Hub Cyprus

Dr. Styliani Petroudi
EIT Community Officer Cyprus 

Contact email: cyprus@eitcommunity.eu

EIT Culture & Creativity Contact Form: https://eit-culture-creativity.eu/contact

• Funding & Tenders
• EIT Culture & Creativity Strategic Agenda 2024 - 2027
• NEBA Website
• Guide for Applicants