The Swarovski Foundation has opened applications for its Creatives For Our Future initiative, a partnership with the United Nations Office for Partnerships that seeks young innovators who are advancing sustainable development and shaping the next generation of creative leaders in this field.
Applicants must be between 21 and 30 years old and work in areas such as fashion, design, art, architecture, or engineering. The call is worldwide, inviting creators from any country to submit proposals that demonstrate originality and relevance.
Each selected participant receives a €20,000 award, a training programme, one-on-one mentorship, and industry networking opportunities. Funding is intended to develop projects that either raise awareness of environmental issues or deliver technological solutions that support sustainability goals.
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Since the programme’s launch in 2021, it has supported 27 projects founded by young creatives tackling a range of environmental and development challenges. Recipients have used the support to scale research, prototype designs, and expand professional contacts, thereby moving ideas closer to real-world impact.
“What started as an effort to address the barriers amplified by Covid-19 has evolved into a thriving community of innovators and changemakers,” said Maika Nakaoka, head of creativity at the foundation. Architect Mangesh Kurund, a 2025 grant recipient from India, highlighted his work on bio-integrated, bioreceptive materials for kinetic architectural facades.
The fifth cycle launches in the autumn of 2027. Applications close on 9 November 2026 via the programme’s website. Successful entrants will be announced publicly in April 2027 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
