Stand Up! Project

Sustainable Textile Action for Networking and Development of circular economy business ventures in the Mediterranean.

SEKEM Development Foundation is a partner of STAND Up! Sustainable Textile Action for Networking and Development of circular economy business ventures in the Mediterranean, an EU-funded project under the ENI CBC Med program.

Project description

The STAND Up! project addresses the need for the transition to an environmentally and socially responsible circular model in the textile sector, a traditional key industry in the Mediterranean with an undoubtful cross-border nature. The project intends to support textile entrepreneurs and eco-innovative ventures in 5 participating countries and help them seize the business opportunities and employment that the green evolution will inevitably generate in the region. STAND Up! goal is ambitious and so is its scope with many actions to be undertaken in training, financial grants, market stimulation, technology transfer, Intellectual Property Rights protection, etc. As a result, the SMEs of the sector will be more competitive and, at an aggregate level, the value chain will be strengthened, and new cross-border linkages established.

Objective

The STAND Up! project aims to enhance scalable, replicable, and inclusive circular economy ventures in the Mediterranean by developing an ecosystem of business support, innovation, and technology transfer that will lead to sustainable job creation for youth and women.

Expected results

STAND Up! will lead to an increase in the income of existing green SMEs as well as the creation of new sustainable textile enterprises. This will generate a natural demand for new jobs that will be met by high skilled people.

Besides this direct and indirect impact, the stimulation of innovation and sector aggregation will minimize negative environmental impact along the garment lifecycle and smooth the region’s transition towards sustainable consumption and production in the textile and clothing industry. All in all, the project will mark a significant step-change in each region’s ability to harness the power of eco-innovation and entrepreneurialism in the textile (Italy and Spain) and clothing (Lebanon, Tunisia, and Egypt) sectors.

Beneficiaries

  • 400 ideation-stage ventures will be supported to help them create future employment opportunities.
  • 20 early and growth stage ventures to maintain stable employment and create, at least, two new direct jobs each.

Partners involved

  • Catalan Waste Agency – SCP/RAC (Lead partner, ES)
  • Textile Industry Confederation, TEXFOR (ES)
  • Berytech Foundation (LE)
  • SEKEM Development Foundation (EG)
  • Textile Technical Centre (TU)
  • Prato Textile Museum Foundation (IT)
  • Tunis International Center for Environmental Technologies (TU)

The project In Numbers

  • Total budget: Euro 3.693.986,68
  • EU contribution: Euro 3.324.588,68 (90% of the total budget)
  • The main source of funding: European Union (ENI CBC Med program)

Activity period: 30 months (July 2020 – December 2022)

Link to project’s website: www.enicbcmed.eu/projects/stand-up