Global Fashion Agenda and PDS Ventures open Trailblazer Programme 2026 applications

Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) and PDS Ventures have opened applications for the 2026 Trailblazer Programme. The aim is simple and clear: to find young and fast-growing companies in fashion that are ready to scale solutions across the supply chain, and to give them the capital, exposure, and guidance they need to grow.

What kind of solutions the programme supports

Applicants are invited to present solutions that touch any part of the fashion value chain while addressing at least one of three focus areas.

Working With Nature
Solutions that respect and restore natural systems. This can include regenerative farming for fibres, biodiversity-friendly raw material sourcing, or nature-based materials and processes from farm to finished product.

Closed-Loop Pathways
Business models and technologies that keep fibres and products in circulation. Examples include textile recycling, repair and resale systems, rental models, and materials that are easier to reuse, recycle, or safely return to nature.

Tech-Powered Transformation
Digital and hardware tools that give better visibility and control over supply chains. This includes tracking materials, measuring environmental impact, improving efficiency, and supporting more accurate decision making on sourcing and production.

Leadership and governance for the 2026 edition

The 2026 programme will be chaired by Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer at Kering. She is responsible for setting Kering’s sustainability strategy and targets and for rolling out good practices across the group and its brands.

As Chair, Daveu will select the overall winner from the finalists, based on impact potential, scalability, and business strength.

The expert jury for 2026 brings together voices from across the fashion and climate ecosystem:

• Robert van de Kerkhof, CEO and Founder, PEPPER-i2
• Yael Gairola, Non-Executive Director, PDS Limited, and Senior Advisor, PDS Ventures
• Jason Berns, Head of Sustainability and Product Innovation, Ralph Lauren
• Pascal Brun, VP Sustainability and D&I, Zalando
• Katrin Ley, Managing Director, Fashion for Good
• Dr Yuly Fuentes Medel, Program Director for Textiles, MIT Climate Grand Challenges

This mix of investment, brand, platform, and research expertise is designed to give applicants honest and practical feedback, not only visibility.

How the selection process works

Once applications close, GFA and PDS Ventures will first review all submissions and identify eighteen promising solutions. These eighteen are then passed to the jury.

From this group, nine innovators will be invited into the Trailblazer Programme experience. These nine receive:

• One-to-one mentorship
• Support to refine their investor story and pitch
• Feedback from the jury on both impact and commercial strategy

This support is meant to help founders strengthen their business model, not just polish their presentation.

Investment, partnership, and support

One finalist will be selected as the overall winner. That company will receive an investment package of up to USD 200,000 from PDS Ventures.

PDS Ventures plans to invest between USD 50,000 and USD 200,000 in the winning company. The exact amount will depend on the company’s stage and status and will follow PDS Ventures’ internal procedures.

Beyond capital, the winner will gain access to commercial and operational support from PDS Limited’s global supply chain network. This includes links to Positive Materials, a PDS Group subsidiary that focuses on low-impact textile innovation and acts as a strategic research partner. Through Positive Materials, early-stage start-ups can connect with mills, manufacturers, and brands to test and scale new materials and processes in real production settings.

Visibility at Global Fashion Summit

All nine finalists will present their solutions during GFA’s Global Fashion Summit – Copenhagen Edition 2026. The final winner will be announced on stage at the Summit.

Each finalist will also receive exhibition space in the Innovation Forum. This gives direct access to brand decision-makers, potential partners, and investors who are actively looking for solutions they can adopt or support.

Previous winners show what success looks like

Earlier winners show the type of impact the programme is looking for.

• Refiberd (2025 winner)
  Refiberd applied under the “Closed-Loop Pathways” focus area. Its system uses hyperspectral imaging and artificial intelligence to identify textile compositions with high precision. This helps sort textile waste more accurately, making recycling more effective. It also supports authenticity checks for resale and strengthens traceability across the supply chain.
• EVERBLOOM (2024 winner)
  The first winner, EVERBLOOM, developed a circular approach that turns protein-rich waste streams into high quality bioplastics and fibres. The materials aim to match the performance of natural fibres while avoiding many of the impacts linked to conventional resource-intensive fibres.

Both examples show how strong science and clear business thinking can come together to solve specific, long-standing bottlenecks in fashion.

A programme with growing global reach

Interest in the Trailblazer Programme has grown quickly.

The 2025 cycle received more than 200 applications from 44 countries across six continents. That is roughly double the number of applications from the previous year, which signals growing trust in the programme as a serious platform for scaling solutions, not just an award badge.

Who should apply and when

The call is open to companies working anywhere along the fashion value chain, from raw materials and manufacturing to retail, logistics, and end-of-life systems. Both early-stage and more mature ventures are welcome, as long as they can demonstrate real-world traction and a clear plan to scale impact.

Applicants should be ready to show:

• A clear link to at least one of the three focus areas
• Evidence of testing or deployment beyond a pure concept
• A realistic business model and route to market

Applications are open now and will close on 28 November 2025.

Innovators can apply to participate in the programme now: https://gfasurveys.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8kmSVxWvwftGgxo
And view criteria: https://globalfashionagenda.org/about-gfa-academy/trailblazer-programme/