Swarovski Foundation Creatives for Our Future Programme

The programme is open to creatives worldwide, aged 21 to 30, from across disciplines including fashion, design, art, architecture, technology, and engineering. Applicants should be working on an owned project or product that uses the creative medium to accelerate awareness, technology or solutions for sustainable development and drive progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations.

Funding Information

• Six successful applicants will secure a financial grant of €20,000 each and an announcement trip to New York, paired with a unique education programme which includes one-on-one mentorship, a series of online masterclasses and industry networking opportunities.

Eligibility Criteria

• The programme is only for creative individuals, aged 21 to 30, at the time of application and by the application deadline.
• The programme is open to residents and nationalities of all countries. However, due to the requirement to travel to the United States as part of the programme, applicants must be able to abide by the United States entry requirements including but not limited to visa entry and full COVID-19 vaccination. Successful applicants will be required to have a valid passport.
• Applicants must be the sole legal and beneficial owners of all intellectual property in any projects or products the subject of their entries. Projects proposed by co-founders or staff applying on behalf of a company are invalid.
• Applicant exemptions are employees of the Swarovski Foundation, and Swarovski Group, any of its subsidiaries, agents or any other business involved with the administration of this programme, or members of the households of such employees.
• Creative categories that are NOT supported as part of the Creatives for Our Future programme include Performing Arts (music, dance, theatre, and other artistic activities performed for an audience) and literature (creative writing and journalism such as novels, stories, poems, screenplays, essays, and song lyrics).
• The Creatives for Our Future programme is not aimed at financing university costs or end-of-degree projects.
• They welcome projects at different stages of development – from new ideas to market-ready enterprises:
  • For early-stage ideas, they will look for a compelling long-term vision and a convincing proof of concept.
  • For more developed stage projects, they will look at how the programme will help sustainable development.
• Applicants must have a bank account in their name to receive the grant of 20,000 euros. They will not be able to make the grant payment to a bank account in someone else’s name due to the governance.
• Applicants are not allowed to submit more than one application. All multiple entries will be invalid.
• All valid submissions will be evaluated based on 6 key criteria:
  • Design and Creativity: Design and creativity are more than a medium of aesthetics and desirability they want to see how the applicants use design and creativity for their innovations originally and unusually.
  • Innovation: Is the innovation new, original, and solution-led? Or is it a game-changer for an existing system or idea?
  • Potential, Feasibility and Scalability: They will see if the applicant demonstrates exemplary potential to use the creative process to drive sustainable development, and if the applicant has a long-term vision for their initiative.
  • Impact: They are looking for innovative solutions that generate a positive social, environmental, and cultural impact.
  • Sustainable Development: Does the applicant’s concept reflect an alignment or potential to align with the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Funding Transparency: How does the applicant intend to use the grant? Is the applicant’s intention for use of the grant responsible and in alignment with the programme’s objectives to further sustainable development through creativity?

For more information, visit Swarovski Foundation.