STAND Up! Textile Eco-Innovation Challenge

SKAFF Challenge: Upcycling fabric waste & old stocks

Develop innovative and sustainable products by repurposing textile waste.

About SKAFF

SKAFF is a leader in Lebanon in the field of decorative fabrics. Founded in 1965 by Georges Skaff, the family owned and run business has evolved to include a full range of home decoration products, including textiles, wallpaper, furniture, and home accessories. SKAFF has grown as a result of a passion that has been passed on from generation to generation.

Why the challenge is launched

Since the fashion for fabrics is always changing around the world, SKAFF, as a fabric store, found itself with a large stock of fabrics that are no longer in style. In addition, SKAFF is launching this challenge in an effort to reduce fabric waste, conserve resources, and reduce energy and water use, by increasing the lifespan of the fabric, and fostering innovation and creativity as it strives to become a more circular and sustainable firm. SKAFF is open to any idea or solution that has a positive influence on the environment and human well-being.

SKAFF is looking to collaborate with a Lebanese startup/ venture/ entrepreneur to develop new products coming from textile waste. The fabric waste is made up of cutting waste, fabric samples, bulky catalogs, old stock, and around 120 kg of waste every week, which is equal to around 5,760 kg of waste per year.

SKAFF will be offering the winning startup access to its workshop with upholstery/sewing tools and knitting machines, access to the warehouse and any other space available in the headquarters in Mkalles, as well as the chance to open a Pop-up Store there to sell the startup’s products!

How to participate in the challenge

If you are a Lebanese early and growth stage venture in the textile and clothing sector or a Lebanese independent entrepreneur offering a potential innovative solution to the challenge, head to The Switchers’ Open-Eco Innovation Platform, create an account, and ‘Submit a new idea’.

Make sure to include the following in the description of your solution:

What is the solution you are proposing?
How is it solving the challenge in question?
Why is it innovative?
How is it sustainable?
How your venture/innovation can be beneficial to the company in question?
Prove the feasibility of your solution.
How are you planning to spend the voucher of €20,000, noting that the budget can be spent on technical assistance and external expertise?

Feel free to attach any document that can give us a clearer idea about the innovative solution and how you are planning to implement it.

Why you should apply

Voucher of €20,000 for the selected solution to develop and implement the solution and to be spent on technical assistance and external expertise.
Access to the company’s experience, know-how, expertise, and networks.
Visibility services.
Support in positioning the startups in the market (brand awareness).
Involvement with the prestigious brand, a stable financial standing network of connections and a developed product ecosystem.
The possibility to exhibit your products in a pop-up store in SKAFF headquarters.
A chance to connect with SKAFF’s network.

Applications are closed.

Apply now and benefit from €20,000 to implement your innovative solution!

Head to The Switchers' Open-Eco Innovation Platform, create an account, and start your application. The solution will be developed and implemented between May and August 2023

Get to know the context of this challenge

The challenge is launched by SKAFF in collaboration with   Berytech  in the framework of the  STAND Up! Project,  an  ENICBC Med  funded project that aims to enhance scalable, replicable, and inclusive circular economy ventures in the Mediterranean by developing an ecosystem of business support, innovation, and technology transfer leading to sustainable job creation for youth and women and the agreements between innovators/academy and entrepreneurs/SMEs by means of the available platforms. 