[pageLogInLogOut]

#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

Global Change Award 2026: Nominations now open

On 1 September, the H&M Foundation launched the nomination round for the Global Change Award 2026. The international innovation challenge is looking for early-stage ideas that can drive the textile and fashion industry towards circularity and climate neutrality.
GCA is on the hunt for early-stage ideas across four areas; responsible production, mindful consumption, sustainable materials and processes and wildcards – bold, unexpected ideas that no one has thought of yet, but that could spark real transformation © 2025 H&M Foundation
GCA is on the hunt for early-stage ideas across four areas; responsible production, mindful consumption, sustainable materials and processes and wildcards – bold, unexpected ideas that no one has thought of yet, but that could spark real transformation © 2025 H&M Foundation


Entries are sought in four areas: responsible production, mindful consumption, sustainable materials and processes, and so-called wildcards – unconventional, unexpected approaches with real transformation potential. “The changemaker is the heart of the Global Change Award,” stresses Annie Lindmark, Programme Director Innovation at the H&M Foundation. Equally important as the idea are the commitment and capacity of the people behind it.

For the second time, the process is nomination-based: universities, NGOs, foundations and partners such as Ashoka, Textile Exchange, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and The Mills Fabrica help uncover talent that might otherwise go unseen. Applications are open until 6 October.

With the Global Change Award, the H&M Foundation aims to support early-stage innovation that helps the industry cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half every decade – in line with the Carbon Law – while ensuring a just and inclusive transition for both people and planet.

Apply through The Mills Fabrica:

https://www.themillsfabrica.com/events/global-change-award-2026/


More News from H&M Group

#Sustainability

Pioneering open-source framework shows how early innovation drives a just and net-zero fashion future

The non-profit H&M Foundation, in collaboration with Accenture, has unveiled From Signals to Systems Change, an insight report calling on the fashion industry to rethink its role in transformation. At its core is the Reimagined System Map, a pioneering open-source framework that visualises how early-stage innovation could drive a just and net-zero textile future.

#Sustainability

H&M Foundation funds pioneering initiative to build the factories of the future

The H&M Foundation is committing SEK 53 million (approx. EUR 5 million) towards Future Forward Factories, a five-year initiative led by Fashion for Good, to address fashion’s most polluting stage: tier 2 textile processing.

#Sustainability

Ten bold ideas to decarbonise fashion: Meet the winners of Global Change Award 2025

The H&M Foundation has revealed the ten winners of the Global Change Award 2025 – spotlighting groundbreaking ideas aimed at decarbonising the fashion industry in a just way. Each winner will receive a €200,000 grant and take part in the yearlong GCA Changemaker Programme – one of the few programmes of its kind focused on early-stage fashion innovation. Designed to accelerate the industry’s journey toward net-zero, the programme offers a mix of innovation support, systems thinking and personal growth.

#Recycling / Circular Economy

H&M Foundation launches new round of Global Change Award with a mission to accelerate innovation for a net-zero textile industry by 2050

The H&M Foundation today announces a significant shift in its overall strategic direction, with a new mission of promoting just and fair climate solutions for the textile industry, with the innovation challenge Global Change Award (GCA) being the first initiative to reflect this shift.

More News on Textiles & Apparel / Garment

#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

Connecting the ASEAN textile sector: sustainability, trends, and technology take centre stage at this week’s VIATT 2026

Opening this week Thursday, the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles, and Textile Technologies (VIATT) is set to welcome visitors from ASEAN’s dynamic textile market and beyond. From 26 to 28 February, VIATT 2026 – the fair’s third editions – will reinforce its strategic proposition with an integrated showcase of the three core sectors of the entire textile value chain. Beyond new sourcing opportunities in Apparel Fabrics & Fashion, Home & Contract Textiles, and Technical Textiles & Technologies, the fair will present an expanded fringe programme.

#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

Global Standard strengthens presence in Southeast Asia at VIATT 2026

Global Standard will participate in the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) 2026, organized by Messe Frankfurt, the first textile trade show in the APAC region this year. Global Standard will host a booth and Felica Shi will lead a seminar on Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The trade fair will take place from February 26 to 28, 2026, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

VIATT 2026 to debut German Pavilion, strengthening European participation alongside key Asian textile hubs

Vietnam’s textile and garment sector continues to be a major contributor to the country’s economic growth, with export revenues expected to reach USD 46 billion in 2025, a 5.6% increase from 2024 . From 26 – 28 February, the Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel, Textiles and Textile Technologies (VIATT) is set to contribute to economic growth opportunities by accelerating digital transformation and green transition across the entire textile value chain. The upcoming edition will respond to the rising demand for advanced technologies and sustainable materials with the introduction of the German Pavilion, alongside strong exhibitor participation from key Asian sectors, as well as several high-profile fringe events.

#Sustainability

Ying McGuire becomes new CEO of Cascale

Cascale today announced the appointment of Ying McGuire as Chief Executive Officer, effective June 1, 2026.

Latest News

#Associations

European Business Coalition welcomes provisional application of EU–Mercosur Agreement and calls for Swift and full implementation

With the European Commission’s decision to provisionally apply the EU–Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement, a process spanning more than 25 years now moves decisively into its implementation phase.

#Recycled_Fibers

Selenis to double capacity in Portugal by Q3 2027 - Accelerating the Global transition to circular and low-carbon polyesters

Selenis, a global leader in high-performance specialty polyesters and part of the IMG Group, has announced a transformational expansion of its industrial headquarters in Portalegre, Portugal. This strategic investment is set to double the site’s production capacity by the third quarter of 2027, significantly accelerating the industrial scale-up of bio-based, medical-grade, and circular co-polyesters.

#Technical Textiles

Independent testing confirms no detectable PFAS in Milliken firefighter turnout gear fabrics

Independent laboratory testing has confirmed that Milliken fabrics used in the manufacturing of firefighter turnout gear contain no detectable PFAS, based on third-party analysis conducted by Forever Analytical, an independent laboratory specializing in screening products and environmental samples for the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

#Home Textiles

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles returns in August as global sourcing hub and trend barometer for home textiles industry

Following the conclusion of Heimtextil last month, the flagship fair in Messe Frankfurt’s global home and contract textiles portfolio, Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition will return 18 – 20 August 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Building on the momentum generated in Frankfurt, the Shanghai fair will reinforce its position as the foremost home and contract textile platform in Asia – successfully bridging the gap between East and West, and connecting global product trends, supply-chain shifts, and buyer demand in one marketplace.

TOP