eBay’s Circular Fashion Fund

Supports startups and small businesses building solutions that help fashion become more circular—extending product life, keeping materials in use, and reducing waste.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that every second, a truckload of clothing is burned or buried in landfill. Circular fashion flips the script, valuing clothes and keeping them in use for longer, with no hard stops. From responsible design and production to repair, resale, and regeneration, every item deserves a place in a circular system. That’s where eBay’s Circular Fashion Fund comes in.

eBay is looking for businesses between six months and six years old across the US, EU, UK, Australia, Canada, and Switzerland. Applicants should use circular ideas to solve real-world problems, and align with eBay’s fashion business. A drive to create a positive, lasting impact for people and planet is also a must.

What do winners receive?
- Eight finalists will receive a $50,000 grant. They’ll also receive targeted mentoring and workshops to help boost product development, marketing and industry partnerships.
- After this, all finalists will be invited to pitch to the global judging panel. One business will be awarded the Circular Fashion Fund Global Winner title and the opportunity to receive a $300,000 investment from eBay Ventures

Supports startups and small businesses building solutions that help fashion become more circular—extending product life, keeping materials in use, and reducing waste.

All eligible applications will be evaluated as follows:
- Does the applicant business leverage emerging technologies to create products or services that advance fashion’s circular economy, for example, by enabling durability, reuse, traceability, and reduction of waste?
- Does the applicant business have a unique value proposition that has game-changing advantages over alternatives?
- Is the applicant’s business model commercially viable and economically desirable?
- Does the applicant business not only address a commercial need but also solve a problem?
- Does the applicant business have an immediate and longer-term impact on people and the planet?
- Does the applicant business have a potential for strategic collaboration and alignment with eBay’s platform objectives and sustainability goals?
- Does the business’ application demonstrate care and thoroughness?
- Businesses selected for global assessment will additionally be reviewed against their team, traction of their business, and thesis.

To be considered for the Circular Fashion Fund, applicants should meet the following criteria:
- The applicant’s business should be based in Australia and registered with an Australian Business Number and can be a charity, or social enterprise as long as they have a registered Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) number as well as an ABN
- Applicants should be trading for a minimum of 6 months and a max of 6 years
- Please note that this is open to both eBay and non-eBay account holders.