The Fashion, Textiles, Technology, SME Research & Development Programme is a £2m programme from the Business of Fashion, Textiles and Technology Partnership that is aiming to establish approximately fifteen FTT R&D SME Support Programme Partnerships. The fund is part of the Creative Industries Cluster Programme, funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council and part of the Industrial Strategy.

The project is looking to support SMEs in the development of the next generation of products, services and experiences in the fashion, textiles and technology sectors – with sustainability at their core. SMEs with innovative concepts, or companies already working at the early stages of testing a prototype product or service in the market place are eligible to apply.

“We’re now at a point where the Government’s Industrial Strategy is looking at the circular economy, and people such as Greta Thunberg and Sir David Attenborough have flicked a switch on cultural attitudes to sustainability. This creates many challenges for an industry that is traditionally so wasteful, but it also means there’s tremendous opportunity for innovation in very real terms for the UK.”

Professor Jane Harris, Programme Director of BFTT

More information can be found in the downloadable PDFs in this section.

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