UE: Open Your Mind call 2019-2020

This is a product competition open to young fashion designer interested in the textile, clothing, leather, and footwear sector (TCLF).

The European Commission with the support of representatives of the Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Leather industries, the European Commission represented by EASME (European Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises) and DG GROW (Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs) are organising a Product Competition addressed to students and youngsters in the European Union, who are interested in growing their knowledge about the textile, clothing, leather and footwear sectors (TCLF) according to the following rules.

Participants must be nationals from Italy, Romania, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Greece, France, and Belgium. 

The call collects two different guidelines based on the age of partecipants:

from 14-18 years old

 Goals and theme: this competition is a creative and challenging activity open to students attending High Schools, VETs and Universities in order to reach the young people interested in these areas of work. The competition has the role of developing the creative skills of students to make them worthwhile in the context of activities related to TCLF values and themes. The aim of the competition is to enhance and reinforce, among students, the interest in these sectors, with the goal of improving the potential enrolment and continuation of education within the same area of work.

Topics of the products: participants will be asked to develop a product, to present it online and later in person, only in case their proposal will be selected for the finals of the competition. The products that will be ideated and produced for the competition must comply with one of the following industries: Textile; Clothing; Footwear; Leather.

Partecipants: Each team shall be composed of a maximum of four members, but individual participation is also accepted. Each team should indicate one representative person for their registration and related communication.

Jury and selection criteria: Only one product will be selected and awarded during a price-giving ceremony. Participants will be asked to develop the concept of a product, present it online and, later, in person. This will be evaluated by a jury according to three criteria: innovation, quality and sustainability. 

from 19 to 29 years old

Goals and theme: this competition is a creative and challenging activity open to University students and job seekers who are interested in these areas of work. The competition has the role of developing the creative skills of youngsters to make them worthwhile in the context of activities related to TCLF values and themes. The aim of the competition is to enhance and reinforce, among students and jobseekers, the interest in these sectors, with the goal of improving the potential enrolment and continuation of education within the same area of work.

Topics of the products: participants will be asked to develop a product, to present it online and later in person, only in case their proposal will be selected for the finals of the competition. The products that will be ideated and produced for the competition must comply with one of the following industries: Textile; Clothing; Footwear; Leather.

Partecipants: Each team shall be composed of a maximum of four members, but individual participation is also accepted. Each team should indicate one representative person for their registration and related communication.

Jury and selection criteria: Only one product will be selected and awarded during a price-giving ceremony. Participants will be asked to develop the concept of a product, present it online and, later, in person. This will be evaluated by a jury according to three criteria: innovation, quality and sustainability.

A certificate for winners’ participation to the Best Product Competition is foreseen.

The award will consist of a return trip to Brussels, the accreditation to the award ceremony and a visit to the European Commission’s Headquarters.

The winner(s) will be also awarded with a tablet. In cases where a team will win, one tablet per person will be granted.

The competition starts on 26 November 2019, and registrations will be open until 16 January 2020.

Exact date of the awarding ceremony will be announced through the website and communicated directly to winners. A provisional date is to be in the beginning of March 2020.

To be able to take part in the competition, the interested person (in case of a team, it will be the representative team member), will have to fill in a registration form on the website openyourmind-tclf.eu.