The Swarovski Foundation’s Creatives for Our Future programme, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, is now accepting applications from young creatives accelerating sustainable development.

From fashion, to art, to engineering, the programme has supported 21 sustainable innovation projects to date.

Successful candidates will secure a grant of €20,000 each, along with a training programme including one-on-one mentorship and industry networking opportunities.

The Creatives for Our Future programme, which seeks to identify and accelerate the next generation of creative leaders in sustainability, is now open for applications until 16th October 2024.

The programme is run by the Swarovski Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnership and offers winners mentorship from industry leaders and a €20,000 fund.

The programme is open to young creatives worldwide, aged 21 to 30, from a multitude of disciplines including fashion, design, art, architecture, and engineering.

Successful applicants should be working on an original project or product that uses the creative process to drive awareness, technology or solutions for sustainable development and drives progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals set out by the United Nations.

To date, the programme has supported 21 projects in innovative design, founded and initiated by young creatives, who have ground-breaking ideas for addressing the world’s sustainability and development challenges. The programme has enabled them to develop and scale their projects – either with funds to build on their research, or through mentorship and networking opportunities to unlock new directions.

Previous winners say the programme is crucial to their success:

Yara Mohamed Awad (Egypt)

Yara Mohamed Ewida, 28, is an architect seeking to minimize the built environment impact on the natural environment. Yara is committed to developing a form of symbiotic architecture that harmonizes humans and nature, particularly through the use of Biomaterials.

The funding from the Creatives for Our Future programme allowed her to create Bio-Rock tiles designed to support coral reef growth, fostering marine habitats and revitalizing underwater ecosystems.

Yara’s primary objective is to minimize the use of artificial toxic building materials that contribute to high carbon emissions, eliminate reliance on non-renewable energy sources, and instead promote the use of sustainable, natural resources that are environmentally friendly and contribute to mitigating climate change.

She says, “This programme offered me a transformative opportunity to truly broaden my perspective and delve into possible solutions to the architectural industry’s impact on the environment. Having the guidance of the Creatives for Our Future Advocate, Craig Robins, CEO of Dacra Development, as my mentor has been crucial to the development of the project, as well as the substantial financial support and the chance to present my work to prominent expertises and investors worldwide. Thanks to that experience, I am now one step closer to my dream of working and collaborating with environmental organizations worldwide to protect and boost marine biodiversity.”

Jakhya Rahman-Corey, Director of the Swarovski Foundation said: “Now in its fourth year, we are excited to open applications to the Swarovski Foundation Creatives for Our Future programme and nurture the next generation of inspiring talent.

“The Swarovski Foundation’s mission is to promote sustainable livelihoods through education to reduce inequality. With the Creatives for Our Future programme, we can harness this through young creative talent seeking to break innovative ground and spearhead new approaches and ideas in sustainable development.

“Having so far received more than 1500 applications from 92 countries, and supported 21 cohort members, it showcases that creativity has the power to solve global challenges and achieve sustainability goals. The Swarovski Foundation is looking forward to welcoming this year’s applications to turn their ideas into reality through access to education, resources, and a vital support network”.

Annemarie Hou, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships states: “We need young talents, from fashion to engineering, to use their creativity to tackle sustainable development challenges. With mentorship, industry connections, and funding, these young people are turning obstacles into opportunities and driving real progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Through the Creatives for Our Future programme, we are fostering the next generation of leaders.”

This year, six successful applicants will receive financial support of €20,000, along with an education programme in collaboration with top international institutions, tailored one-on-one mentorship, and industry networking opportunities to advance their innovation and career.

Entries for this year’s programme are open from the 3rd September 2024 until 16th October 2024 (1:59 am EEST) at www.sfcreatives.org. Successful applicants will be notified and announced publicly in April 2025 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

For more information, or for application submissions visit www.sfcreatives.org.