The call will select four start-ups from the textile and fashion industry. Each voucher is valued at €4,500 to help entrepreneurs expand their businesses in the Mediterranean.

MedWaves (former SCP/RAC), Lead Partner of the STAND Up! Project, financed by the European Union through the ENI CBC MED program, launches a call for soft-landing vouchers for early and growth stage start-ups in the textile and clothing sector that will offer them the opportunity to grow their businesses, access international markets in the Mediterranean region, establish an overseas sales presence and explore business opportunities and partnerships.

To this end, MedWaves invites eco-innovative start-ups from the textile and clothing sector, scalable and in the initial and/or growth phase, to participate in the call for the applications for soft-landing vouchers that will offer them the opportunity to access international markets, establish a sales presence abroad or take advantage of global partnership opportunities in the selected country through:

• Connection with actors of the local industry and with relevant actors of the region.
• Obtaining a better understanding of international markets, trends and opportunities.
• Learning processes to scale your business and knowledge of available resources.
• Creation of partnerships and a base of potential clients.
• Testing your solution in a new market.
• Decrease in barriers to knowledge about foreign ecosystems.

Eligibility criteria

A total of 4 Spanish start-ups will be selected by MedWaves and will benefit from the soft-landing vouchers. Each voucher will have a value of 4.500 euros, directly reedemable in services designed to help start-ups expand their business in a foreign market. Concretely, the selected start-ups will be matched with a hosting organization or will attend conferences that will help them with entering new oversees market and with expanding.

The call is open for textile and fashion start-ups that meet the following criteria:

• Registered and located in Spain.
• In the initial and/or growth phase in the textile and clothing sector.
• The objective of accessing an international market is clear.
• It has scalability potential, is innovative and economically viable.
• Has market potential and has a product/service on the market.
• It has a clear social and environmental impact.
• It has a unique value proposition and a clear revenue generation model.
• Availability to travel is required.

Priority will be given to start-ups led by young people (up to 35 years old) and women with no age limit. (50% of the start-ups selected in this call will meet this requirement).

Also, the availability to travel is an essential requirement to participate in this call.

Registrations:

Start-ups interested in participating and that meet the indicated selection criteria must fill out the following registration form to formally register for the call: https://forms.gle/fsin5uvYBAFc82yb9 

The call opens on February 21, 2022 and closes on March 31, 2022.

Eligible Countries:

The selected start-ups will be able to choose the foreign territory/country in which they wish to expand and gain access through the use of the voucher.

The territories/countries eligible to carry out the activity and make use of the bonus are those that are included in the ENI CBC MED cooperation area.

Priority will be given to start-ups that wish to develop the activity in the countries involved in the STAND Up! (Italy, Egypt, Lebanon and Tunisia).

Services offered by the Voucher:

Each voucher has a value of 4,500 euros, directly redeemable in services designed to help entrepreneurs expand their business in a foreign market (located in the Mediterranean region).

The services directly covered by the bonus are the following:

• Flights: Covers the expenses on flights of the entrepreneurs to the selected countries.
• Per diems: Covers the food, transportation and lodging expenses of the entrepreneurs for a specific number of days.
• Materials: Covers marketing and digital communication services for entrepreneurs.
• External advice: Covers advisory services from a local organization for the development of start-ups and attendance at conferences/fairs that are of interest to start-ups.

Activity calendar:

• February 21 – March 31, 2022: Period for publication of the call and reception of applications.
• April 2022: Selection of start-ups and identification and contracting of services for each start-up.
• May 2022 – April 2023: Implementation of the activity “Access to international markets” (Soft-landing).

Contact

Rubén Escobar

Communications officer, STAND Up! – MedWaves

rescobar@scprac.org