NEWS: Apply now – eBay Circular Fashion Fund enters its next round
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Fashion Council Germany
Berlin, February 9, 2026: Extending the lifespan of garments, reducing textile waste, and making a positive contribution to a more ecologically sound fashion industry – these are the overarching goals of the Circular Fashion Fund. As part of this initiative by eBay, an official partner of the Fashion Council Germany, more than 25 companies have received support through mentoring and funding since its inception in 2022.
The Circular Fashion Fund is now entering its fourth round – and this year it's bigger than ever: While previously fashion startups from the four markets of Germany, Great Britain, Australia, and the USA were invited to apply, in 2026 the competition will be expanded to include all EU countries as well as Canada and Switzerland. eBay is thus embarking on a global search for innovative concepts in the spirit of a sustainable circular economy.
Eight selected companies will each receive $50,000 in funding and targeted mentoring programs; one startup will also be named the Global Winner of the fund and will therefore have the option of an additional investment of $300,000 from eBay Ventures. This brings the total global funding for the program to $1.9 million by the end of 2026.
In the last edition, the Californian company Refiberd , which uses AI to identify fiber compositions and thus enables highly precise sorting for textile recycling, was named Global Winner. The German winner in the 2025 competition was the upcycling brand MOOT . This year, the expert jury, which reviews concepts and selects winners, includes Marianne Perkovic, Chairwoman of the Australian Fashion Council; Scott Lipinski, CEO of the Fashion Council Germany and Chairman of the European Fashion Alliance; Steven Kolb, CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America; and Sarika Bajaj, co-founder of last year's Global Winner, Refiberd.
Applications are accepted until March 8, 2026 at pages.ebay.com/circularfashionfund