STAND Up! has selected in Spain the 4 textile and fashion start-ups that will receive the services from soft-landing vouchers, after the evaluation done by Medwaves, the UNEP/MAP Regional  Activity Centre for SCP.  The Spanish Leading Partner has identified these entrepreneurs, from which the vast majority are female: ZER ERA (Ane Castro and Núria Costa), Infinite Athletics (François Devy), Bäloop (Laura González), Newex (Alejandro Martínez)

The start-ups they founded will have access to a transnational mobility scheme, with the aim of providing their eco-sustainable and circular enterprises with the possibility to access markets in the Mediterranean region. The 4 vouchers are valued up to 4,000€ each, which will give them the chance to explore new business and networking opportunities to connect with local industry players. Besides, they will have the chance to meet stakeholders from the region and participate in events and trade fairs.

• ZER ERA: It was born as a project that introduces innovation through different digital manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing with the aim of creating sustainable fashion. The products are made with techniques that offer zero waste production, also made with recycled or biodegradable materials.
• Infinite Athletics: This start-up is the first 100% circular sportswear brand for the world of tennis (for starters). They solve one of the biggest problems of the textile industry, which is its linearity. They offer the first sports garments made by recycling the remains of racket strings. It also eliminates logistical problems by implementing a sustainable ecosystem, with clubs and federations.
• Bäloop: It creates a 100% recycled material offering a sustainable alternative to virgin plastic. At the end of its life cycle, waste is managed and reintroduced into the value chain guaranteeing the circularity of the process. Bäloop has been able to create the so-called ‘B-One’, their first product consisting of the manufacture of rigid notebook covers.
• Newex: This start-up has developed the first 100% sustainable and specialized suit for canyoning made in Spain. With a highly specialized local production model and very high growth and scalability potential, they eliminate highly polluting neoprene and change it for a derivative of vegetable rubber from natural and sustainable origin, reducing up to 100% of greenhouses gases in raw material production.

The soft-landing voucher schemes will cover flight expenses, material expenses - such as digital services to help ventures boost their visibility or marketing strategy-, per diem expenses covering food, accommodation and transportation and concierge expenses hosting organization’s expertise to support ventures’ growth and conference attendance.

More about the soft-landing voucher scheme opportunity

The selected entrepreneurs will be able to choose the territory where to implement the soft-landing activity and access the local market with their business. The eligible territories where the soft-landing activity should be applied are located in the ENI CBC Med cooperation area.

This activity aims at accelerating job creation and stimulate connection between Southern and Northern Mediterranean through the selection of 20 ventures in total in the 5 project partners, which are: Egypt, Italy, Lebanon, Spain and Tunisia.

STAND Up! is an EU-funded project under the ENI CBC Med Programme which intends to support textile entrepreneurs and eco-innovative ventures in the Mediterranean and help them seize business opportunities that the green evolution will generate.