01

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

Since 2009, the "UTİB International R&D Project Market Summit in the Türkiye Textile and Ready-to-Wear Sector" has been organized to support and showcase one of Türkiye's most significant export industries—textiles and ready-to-wear—and to promote export earnings. In 2019, the event underwent a significant transformation, becoming a design competition under the name "TechXtile Challenge."

The 6th TechXtile Challenge Design Competition is a textile-focused design competition organized by the Uludağ Textile Exporters’ Association (UTİB), coordinated by the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM), and supported by the Ministry of Trade of Türkiye.

02

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

The rise of countries with advanced technologies in the global arena is rooted in innovations driven by entrepreneurial talent and the willingness to take risks. Entrepreneurship plays a critical role in developing the technologies necessary for growth, fostering innovation, and stimulating economic progress. Public administration, industrial firms, R&D centers, and universities share significant responsibilities in advancing and promoting these two crucial factors.

Türkiye has been investing heavily in innovation and entrepreneurship, demonstrating a commitment to closing the gap with technologically advanced nations. Supporting entrepreneurs by helping them develop their ideas, products, and services is essential to achieving this goal.

In this context, TECHXTILE CHALLENGE aims to enable participation from individuals and teams engaged in the textile sector who allocate budgets for R&D and innovation, collaborate in technological fields, and develop ideas and products. Participants will benefit from training and mentorship opportunities, enhancing their skills and capacities.

Individuals or teams meeting the following criteria can apply to the TECHXTILE CHALLENGE:

  • Türkiye citizens or foreign nationals aged 18 or older.
  • Graduates, academicians, public or private sector employees, aspiring entrepreneurs, innovative teams, start-up owners or founders.

Student

Graduates

Researcher

Academicians

Public or private sector employees

Aspiring entrepreneurs

Innovative teams

Owners or founders of start-ups

03

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
  • The competition targets sector professionals, academicians, R&D personnel, technopark employees, designers, entrepreneurs, freelancers, and other interested participants. Anyone aged 18 or older can apply individually or as part of a team. For team applications, one member must be designated as the team leader.
  • Projects submitted to the competition must ensure sustainability within the textile sector for the respective country or region. The project must be original and innovative. In the event of claims regarding the design’s originality or ownership by third parties, the responsibility lies solely with the participant.
  • There is no limit to the number of project submissions per participant. A participant may enter multiple projects, provided each is distinct and focuses on the textile sector. However, only one project can win an award per competition year.
  • For team applications, one individual must be reported as the primary team/project leader responsible for correspondence with UTİB. Team leaders will also bear joint and several liability to UTİB. If team members are not currently enrolled in an educational institution, a graduation diploma or student certificate is not required but must be replaced with a signed written declaration.
  • Participants must comply with the directive issued by the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM) dated 12.03.2024, numbered 24-689. According to this directive, participants who have received a monetary prize in any design competition organized by our Exporters’ Associations are not allowed to participate in other design competitions in the same year.

04

CATEGORIES

The competition consists of two categories: Level-Up (Idea Stage Entrepreneur Category) and Scale-Up (Product & Service Development Entrepreneur Category). Applications must be submitted under the relevant category.

Level-Up

Idea Stage Entrepreneur Category
(Individual or Team Entrepreneurs, Academicians, Aspiring Entrepreneurs)

This category is designed for entrepreneurs whose ventures are still at the idea stage, working to develop a product or service that meets the fundamental expectations of users or customers. The purpose of this category is to support the transformation of innovative and commercialization-potential business ideas into tangible products.

Scale-Up

Product & Service Development Entrepreneur Category
(Individual or Team Entrepreneurs, Start-Up Companies, Academicians)

This category is for entrepreneurs who have moved beyond the idea stage and developed a product or service with commercialization and scaling potential. The key requirement is that applicants must have already established their ventures before applying to the program. The purpose of this category is to support early-stage ventures with high potential by assisting their product-market fit discovery processes and expanding their networks, ultimately helping them achieve market success.

APPLY NOW

05

EVALUATION
PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT

Evaluation Committee

  • A jury comprising experts with experience in technological entrepreneurship, industrialists, consultants, Technology Transfer Office (TTO) managers, and technopark executives or specialists will conduct the preliminary assessments. All applications will undergo the same evaluation process under their respective categories.
  • Participants must submit their applications through the Project Upload page on http://www.techxtile.net/. Following the submission, all applicants will be invited to training sessions.
  • Projects that pass the preliminary assessment will be announced on the website. Successful projects will gain access to training sessions provided by the program coordinators. Contestants who complete the training will present their projects to the Evaluation Committee, which consists of investors, R&D and design center managers, textile industry employers, and TTO and technopark managers.
  • Once the committee has finalized their evaluations, the finalists will be announced on the competition website. Participants are advised to follow updates closely on the website.
  • In February 2025, during the planned award ceremony, finalists will present their projects to a new panel of jurors for the final evaluation.
FINAL ASSESSMENT

Final Jury

  • After the Evaluation Committee selects the finalists, these participants will have the opportunity to further refine their business models with mentorship support. They will then present their projects to the final jury during the 6th TechXtile Challenge Award Ceremony.
  • From these presentations, three winners from each category will be selected, making a total of six award-winning projects, which will be announced at the Award Ceremony. Additionally, one project will receive the Bahar Korçan Sustainability Special Award, and another will be honored with the Women Entrepreneur Special Award.

Participants must ensure that all documents are properly prepared, and the signature process is completed by adhering to the following definitions:

  • Lead Project Manager: A founding team member authorized during the application process and responsible for managing communication throughout the competition. (Signature Required)
  • Project Manager: Represents both founding and non-founding partners as well as other stakeholders of the project. (Signature Required)

06

COMPETITION SCHEDULE
  • Commencement of Applications

    November 1, 2024

  • Project Deadline

    January 13, 2025

  • General Entrepreneurship Training for All Participants - 1 (Zoom)

    January 16, 2025

  • General Entrepreneurship Training for All Participants - 2 (Zoom)

    January 21, 2025

  • Announcement of the Qualifiers on the Website

    January 31, 2025

  • Pitching Training (Zoom) for Qualifying Competitors

    February 6, 2025

  • Determination of Semi-Final Projects by the Evaluation Board

    February 22, 2025

  • Ongoing Mentorship Process for Finalists (Zoom)

    February 26, 2025

  • Presentation Development Training Before Advanced Pitching

    April 2, 2025

  • Advanced Pitching and Award Ceremony

    April 18, 2025

07

SCOPE AND THEME OF THE COMPETITION

The rise of countries with advanced technologies is driven by the implementation of necessary technologies through innovation, which depends on entrepreneurial skills and the willingness to take risks. Entrepreneurship plays a critical role in fostering innovative processes, which in turn stimulate economic growth. Public institutions, industrial firms, R&D centers, and universities bear significant responsibility for developing and promoting these two crucial factors.

Türkiye recognizes the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship and has made significant investments in this field across all institutions. Supporting entrepreneurs' innovative ideas, products, and services is essential for closing the gap with technologically advanced nations.

In line with this vision, the 6th TECHXTILE CHALLENGE DESIGN COMPETITION aims to enable participation from individuals and teams working in the textile sector who focus on developing ideas and products in technological fields or areas where companies allocate budgets for R&D, seek collaborations, and innovate. Participants will benefit from training and mentorship opportunities to enhance their skills.

The competition is open to students, graduates, researchers, academicians, public or private sector employees, aspiring entrepreneurs, innovative teams, and start-up owners or founders who are citizens of Türkiye and aged 18 or older. Participation can be individual or team-based.

SUSTAINABILITY is the central theme of the competition. Projects are expected to focus on the following areas within the textile sector:

  • Digitalization, Information, Communication, and Software Technologies
  • Advanced Materials
  • Process and Production Technologies
  • Environment and Sustainability
  • Technical Textiles
  • Localization and Nationalization
  • New Areas, Products, and Technologies in the Context of the Pandemic (COVID-19 and Beyond)
  • Technologies, Raw Materials, and Products for Earthquake Response

For team applications, it is essential to include individuals knowledgeable about these technologies.

08

SUCCESS STORIES

  • ILTEMA - Smart Heating Fabric

  • Turkish entrepreneurs produce bioplastic from olive pits.


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