London, UK – Fashion District has announced the launch of the Manufacturing Futures Innovation Challenge 2026, designed to address pressing industry issues and support emerging businesses. The Challenge is looking for applications from start-ups, SMES and innovators who are developing technological and sustainable solutions capable of tackling the complex challenges facing fashion manufacturing.
The Challenge encourages ideas across a wide range of areas, including:
- Materials innovation
- Digital solutions
- Manufacturing processes
- Waste management
- Supply chain and logistics
- Transparency and traceability
- Circular economy
- End-of-use solutions
Supported by London College of Fashion, UAL, Fashion District also welcomes interdisciplinary innovations from other sectors that could be applied to fashion manufacturing, creating new connections between engineers, technologists, fashion creatives and manufacturers.
Successful applicants will have the chance to participate in business development days with industry experts and pitch to the panel of judges. The winners will receive a package of prizes designed to develop their innovations, including a cash prize of £15,000 for the winner and £5,000 each for two runners-up; a year-long desk membership at The Trampery workspace in Fish Island Village; membership to UKFT with access to events, webinars, networking opportunities, and market insights;six hours of legal advice from Bates Wells; and a full day of branding and communications guidance from creative agency Westbrook.
This year’s judging panel includes:
- Adam Mansell, CEO of UKFT
- Georgia Parker, Innovation Director, Fashion for Good
- Lauren Bartley, Chief Sustainability Officer, GANNI
- Philly Grogan, Sustainability Manager, Nobody’s Child
- Matthew Drinkwater, Head of Fashion Innovation Agency, UAL: London College of Fashion
Helen Lax, Director of Fashion District, comments: “Manufacturing Futures 2026 is about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in fashion production. By supporting startups and SMEs, we aim to bring sustainable, scalable solutions to the forefront of the industry and unlock the next generation of innovators tackling environmental issues.”
Winners from the previous Innovation Challenges include FIBE, a material science startup developing the world’s first textile fibres out of potato harvest waste; Lone Design Club, a platform where independent brands and conscious shoppers meet; Fab Materials, a textiles-to-board startup turning end of life textiles into feedstock for the fibreboard industry, and Nanoloom, engineers of advanced materials from graphene, offering strength, elasticity and biodegradability.
Applications for the challenge close at 10am on 11th March 2026. For more information and to apply, visit: https://www.fashion-district.co.uk/competition/manufacturing-futures-2026/
ABOUT FASHION DISTRICT
Fashion District at London College of Fashion, UAL, is a global hub for fashion innovation and sustainability in East London. It connects fashion, technology, business, and education to support the growth of the fashion industry and provides affordable space, business support, innovation, and investment networks.
ABOUT ADAM MANSELL | CEO, UKFT
Adam is the CEO of UKFT. Having joined the industry 25 years ago, he has worked across a wide number of trade bodies, representing all aspects of the fashion and textile supply chain. Additionally, Adam is Chair of the Future Fashion Factory, Board Member at the University of Leeds’ School of Design Industrial Advisory Board, and Vice President of Ginetex, the international care labelling organisation, as well as holding positions at CAPITB Trust, Textiles 2030 and the Institute for Positive Fashion.
ABOUT GEORGIA PARKER | INNOVATION DIRECTOR, FASHION FOR GOOD
Georgia Parker leads the Validation Team at Fashion for Good, where her team oversees scouting, intelligence, and supply-chain-wide pilots. Their work is focused on addressing industry knowledge gaps and validating the performance and impact of innovations to ensure they are viable for global brands. Georgia and her team specialize in managing the complex, multi-stakeholder workstreams required to prove the potential of sustainable technologies.
ABOUT LAUREN BARTLEY | SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATION MANAGER, GANNI
Lauren Bartley is Chief Sustainability Officer at contemporary fashion house, GANNI, where she leads the company’s global sustainability and innovation strategy, spanning climate, materials innovation, circularity and social impact. Since 2018, she has been instrumental in embedding sustainability into GANNI’s commercial, creative and operational decision-making, positioning the brand as a leader in responsible fashion.
ABOUT PHILLY GROGAN | SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER, NOBODY’S CHILD
Philly heads up Sustainability at Nobody’s Child, overseeing the London-based label’s delivery on topics including circularity, supply chain, and preferred materials. Originally from a design background, a longstanding curiosity of the impact of materials directs her work and she finds great enjoyment developing solutions to mitigate the industry’s environmental and social impact through innovative, alternative, and regenerative processes.
ABOUT MATTHEW DRINKWATER | HEAD OF FASHION INNOVATION AGENCY, UAL: LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION
Matthew is a world-renowned expert in emerging technologies and their application to the creative industries. A specialist in immersive technologies (XR/MR/AR/VR), he and his team are building pathways for a truly digitised world. Named as a ‘fashion-tech trailblazer’ by Draper’s and a ‘pioneer and a visionary’ by Wired, Matthew has delivered ground-breaking experiences and a stunning range of projects that have captured the imagination of both the fashion and technology industries.
ABOUT HELEN LAX , DIRECTOR OF FASHION DISTRICT
Helen launched the Fashion District in east London in 2018, backed by London College of Fashion, UAL and the Mayor of London. The Fashion District collaborates with fashion, technology, business and education to support the growth of the fashion industry and create a global hub for fashion tech. Working with partners from the private and public sector, she provides access to innovation networks, workspace, business support, investment opportunities and skills programmes.
