The Competition

About EUSIC 2020

The European Social Innovation Competition, launched in memory of Diogo Vasconcelos, is a Competition run by the European Commission across all European countries and it is now in its eighth year. The 2020 Competition is titled Reimagine Fashion – changing behaviours for sustainable fashion. We are looking for ideas that seek to improve the environmental and social impact of the European fashion market through the development of new products, services and processes, and innovative business models.

We are looking for ideas from one or more of the fields listed below and we encourage solutions that address several of these areas through a systems perspective:

Solutions for sustainable
use and consumption

Change consumption patterns and behaviours regarding the linear use of ‘fast’ fashion
Extend the life cycle of fashion products
Reduce the use and consumption of fashion and textiles through innovative business models in favour of reuse, upcycling and sharing
Make sustainable and fair fashion more broadly accessible
Stimulate socially inclusive processes throughout the fashion value chain

Solutions for
sustainable production

Net zero waste and climate neutral fashion and textiles production
Closed loop fashion and textiles systems
Sourcing of alternative, sustainable feedstock
Innovative techniques that build on traditional or local crafts for socially sustainable products
Innovations that reduce the environmental footprint of the fashion market

Solutions for improving
the end of life stage

Environmentally and socially respectful ways of recycling textiles, while maintaining their value
Reuse of textile by-products before they become waste

What the competition offers

One-to-one

dedicated mentoring by locally-based coaches

Access

to an online pool of experts from across Europe

Exclusive webinars

covering topics about social innovation

A residential training academy

for three days, including group workshops, discussion panels, guest

Ongoing

peer support and networking with fellow entrants

Online promotion

on the competition’s website, social media channels, newsletter and press releases as well as by the European Commission

Press support

from Media and Communications experts, including a media asset kit

50,000 Euro cash prize

up for grabs for the winning idea

Ongoing recognition

as an Alumni of the competition and access to the Alumni Network

An opportunity to win

a further 50,000 Euro cash prize the following year as part of the 2020 Impact Prize

What you will learn (click & scroll to the right)

One

Achieving impact

Theory of Change
Social innovation as a movement

Two

Launching your idea

Prototyping
Business models

Three

Telling your story

Communications strategy
Elevator pitch

See here for more information about previous editions of the competition.

For further informaton or questions please contact us on: info@socialinnovationprize.eu