Skip to main content
APPLICATIONS FOR MANUFACTURING FUTURES NOW OPEN - FIND OUT MORE AND APPLY HERE. | GET YOUR TICKET TO EVO FASHION: TECH TALKS HERE.

RETAIL FUTURES: FASHION DISTRICT INNOVATION CHALLENGE PRIZE 2019

Calling all businesses trying to transform retail as we know it!

The Fashion District, in collaboration with the Fashion Innovation Agency, is pleased to announce that “Retail Futures” will be theme of this year’s Fashion District Innovation Challenge Prize, sponsored by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.

The annual Fashion District Innovation Challenge Prize is designed to find solutions to current industry issues, giving fashion and retail-tech start-ups & SMEs the chance to win cash prizes, business advice, and pitch their idea to a panel of leading industry experts as the industry’s next big innovation.

Sponsored by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, this year’s challenge welcomes applications from fashion tech start-ups and SME’s who believe that their business has the potential to revolutionise any part of the retail supply chain and change the way we shop in the future. These could include robotics and automation, artificial intelligence solutions, internet-of-things, augmented/virtual reality, technologies that converge digital and physical shopping or enhance customer experience.

Applications open 30th July, closing on 30th September 2019. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend a one-day event on Tuesday, 22nd October 2019 where industry professionals will act as ‘critical friends’ to support and challenge their proposition, and provide constructive feedback. The challenge culminates in a pitch event to a panel of industry experts on the evening of Tuesday, 5th November.

We will be hosting a launch event on 30th July, 2019, 6.00 – 8.30pm at Workable, the new shared workspace located at International Quarter London (IQL) in Stratford, boasting exceptional views across the Olympic Park and the London skyline.

Be the first to find about the challenge and how you can win a £15,000 cash prize, business advice and pitch to retailers Farfetch, John Lewis & Partners, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and investment firm True.

During the evening, you will also hear about other exciting opportunities happening across the Fashion District, including how to get investment from the London Fashion Fund, and mentoring from the DeFINE project.

Hear about the London Fashion Fund, supported by the Mayor of London, which will be offering investments of £30,000 – £90,000 to scale the businesses of London’s emerging fashion talent. Learn how to apply for a new eight month bespoke mentoring programme through DeFINE (Defining a Fashion-Innovation Network for Europe). Starting in September 2019 the mentoring programme, will help your business develop a new prototype, proof of concept and explore the route to market.

Find out about London’s new Sustainable Fashion Accelerator from the Trampery. The programme comes ahead of the official launch for The Trampery Fish Island Village, London’s new campus for fashion, innovation and sustainability launching this Autumn, as part of the Fashion District.

RSVP on Eventbrite and contact hello@fashion-district.co.uk for more information.