STAND Up! GROWING INNOVATION PROGRAM /

Scaling Eco-Innovative Solutions in the Textile & Fashion Industry

Berytech is sourcing young innovators and entrepreneurs in the clothing industry who want to grow their ideas or startups into scalable eco-friendly textile and fashion ventures. If you are working on a project that can make the clothing industry more circular and environment friendly, apply now to benefit from advanced business support, financing opportunities, and regional networking to develop and expand your business across the Mediterranean within ten months.

The Growing Innovation Program in Brief

Berytech is calling for innovators and entrepreneurs in the fashion, clothing and textile sectors to apply for the STAND Up! Growing Innovation Program, funded by the EU under the ENICBCMED Programme, and turn their solutions into scalable environment friendly businesses contributing to the growth of innovation & circular business opportunities in the textile, clothing and fashion industry.

From Lebanon, 40 entrepreneurs/startups will be selected to join the program. Throughout the 10-month program, Berytech will build the capacities of its participants, giving them access to advanced business support, financing opportunities, technical assistance, soft-landing vouchers and regional business networking to grow their projects into textile or fashion ventures and expand them across the Mediterranean.

The program will run in 5 Mediterranean countries – Egypt, Italy, Lebanon, Spain, and Tunisia, building a powerful network of entrepreneurs, eco-innovators, experts and partners in the textile and fashion industry.

Business Support

Access to business and technical support tailored to the needs of ventures in the textile, clothing and fashion industry

Financing Opportunities

Access to investment readiness trainings and matchmaking with investors and funding opportunities 

Mediterranean access to markets

Access to regional market opportunities and support through soft landing vouchers in 5 Mediterranean countries  

Circular Regional Network

Access to the STAND Up! Mediterranean network of green partners and investors 

Berytech Network

Access to Berytech’s network of entrepreneurs, professionals, media, funding companies and international partners 

The objective is to transition to an environmentally and socially responsible circular model in the textile sector by supporting entrepreneurs and eco-innovative ventures to seize the business opportunities and employment generated by the green revolution in the region.

Who Can Apply?

The call is addressed to young independent innovators and entrepreneurs, students from fashion, textile and design universities working on innovative business projects, small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), industries and organizations working on spin-off projects, from the textile and fashion sectors.

Target and Stage

Young independent innovators and entrepreneurs at the idea stage (with at least a research study) or early stage projects in the textile, clothing and fashion industries
University students/alumni working on eco-innovative business projects in the textile, clothing and fashion industries
SME, industries, and organizations working on developing and launching new sustainable projects inside their organization in the form of spin-offs in the textile, clothing and fashion industries

Industry and Offering

Projects should offer products, services, designs, business models, or technologies leading to sustainable and environmentally friendly innovations in the textile, clothing and fashion industries
The project should include innovation, economic viability and potential scalability

Environmental and Social Value

Projects should be compliant with the environment and should create a sustainable impact on the circular economy and society

Commitment

A minimum of 2 members per team, experts in their project field, must be committed to implementing the project as an independent venture. Preference for youth and women members
The founder should hold a Lebanese Nationality and wish to implement the project in Lebanon

The Program's Timeline & Support Stages

The program starts in April 2021 and ends in September 2023. Below is the timeline and the description of the different support stages.

Outreach & Selection

February – March 2021

Selecting 40 entrepreneurs in Lebanon in the textile, fashion and clothing industries.

Capacity Building

April – June 2021

The selected startups went through a 2-month capacity building program tailored to support them in developing their green business models, access to finance and market strategies.

Jury Day | Selection of 4 Projects

July 2021

Entrepreneurs pitched in front of a selected jury that selected 4 projects who will continue in the next incubation phase. 
The pitching teams were screened based on their value proposition, their innovation, the applicability of their technology, their green business model and scalability potential, their environmental and social impacts, their implementation capacity, and finally on their pitch effectiveness.

Incubation Support

September 2021 – April 2022

The 4 selected teams benefitted from a 7-month incubation support from Berytech and got in-depth technical and business support. The 7-month incubation period will revolve around: 

Defining a business growth roadmap for the teams and supporting them in the implementation
Facilitating linkages with experts, investors, and professionals – giving the teams access to support programs, market and funding opportunities through Berytech and its partners’ networks

Access to Finance

March 2022 – March 2023

10 ventures were selected and benefitted from investment readiness training support and matchmaking opportunities with regional investors and funding programs.

6 ventures competed during an investment competition to showcase their products and meet with financiers and investors.

Access to Markets

March 2022 – June 2023

6 ventures were selected  based on specific criteria to benefit from:

Soft-landing vouchers in Spain, Italy, France and Algeria to explore growth opportunities and access to business partnerships and collaboration deals to expand their operations
Marketing services vouchers, allowing them to develop their digital visibility and branding. These services are provided by a Lebanese marketing agency to all STAND Up! startups

Open Innovation

November 2022 – August 2023

4 Eco-Innovation vouchers of EUR 20,000 each are provided for 4 early and growth stage ventures in the clothing and textile sector to undertake technical assistance and test and develop their ideas and solutions. Solutions are selected following the identification of 4 challenges that 4 textile and fashion industry companies are currently facing

February – July 2023

2 challenges were identified, and the startups started implementing their solutions

March – August 2023

2 new challenges will be identified
The call for applicants for entrepreneurs to apply will be launched
2 vouchers for EUR 20,000 will be disbursed

National Policy paper

February – July 2023

A consultant will develop a national policy paper to set sustainable textile manufacturing and clothing industry. The goal is to guide and influence policy and sector governance changes in support of circular entrepreneurs.

This project is simultaneously implemented in 2 partner countries: Egypt and Tunisia.

Virtual Community of Practice for IP

April – May 2023

Institutions, business service providers, SMEs and entrepreneurs are invited to connect and find information, training, advice, and best practice guidelines regarding IPR through an online community.

IPR Voucher

May – September 2023

In order to support innovative ventures in the textile and fashion sectors to protect their IPR, 8 vouchers will be provided as financial support for EUR 5,000 each, covering the process of protecting intellectual property, e.g. lawyer’s fees or expert advice.

APPLY TO THE PROGRAM

Please be as detailed and explicit as possible, and if you need assistance please email tala.saleh@berytech.org

Need more info?

If you have any questions about the STAND Up! Project, please email elise.sfeir@berytech.org, and she will get back to you.