Support within the CirTex Community
Through the Circular Textiles (CirTex) Innovation Community, funding is available for research and technology transfer projects that contribute to the circular economy in the textile sector—so-called community projects.
Our goal is to guide you through the entire process—from generating ideas to submitting a funding application.
The BMFTR’s DATIpilot funding program is designed to significantly simplify the path from project idea to funding. CirTex sees itself as a testing ground where new ideas are tried out, collaborations are initiated, and innovative approaches are supported on the path to securing funding.
Development and Submission of Project Ideas
We have deliberately made our application process simpler than that of many other funding programs.
The process can generally be broken down into seven steps:
We regularly host so-called community workshops, which take place online. In these workshops, you’ll present your project idea and develop it further together with the participants and the CirTex team, gather feedback, or even find suitable project partners. You can find more information about the CirTex community and the workshops under the “Community” tab.
Project ideas can be submitted in various formats—such as a pitch presentation, project outline, form, video, or even a creative contribution (e.g., a song or visualization).
However, we provide a PowerPoint presentation that you can use for your submission (and also for your presentation at the community workshop). If you choose not to use this template, please be sure to follow the structure outlined in it. You can find the file in our download section.
Project outlines may generally be submitted at any time.
However, please note the following deadlines:
- For a project duration of two years: Submission by October 31, 2025, at the latest
- For a project duration of one year: Submission by October 31, 2026, at the latest
- All projects must be completed by October 31, 2028, at the latest.
Please submit your project proposal via email (cirtex@tha.de). We would be happy to have a non-binding discussion with you beforehand. Contact
Selection Criteria and Priorities
The selection criteria catalog (see the Downloads section), which is updated regularly, provides guidance for selecting project ideas.
Particular attention is paid to ensuring that the projects have the greatest possible impact across the four key areas of focus:
Science & Technology | Business & Economy
Politics & Governance | Society & Behavior
This means: We explicitly support not only technological innovations but also social innovations!
- For more information on the selection process, see the chart above or the freely accessible governance concept (see the Downloads section) of the Circular Textiles innovation community.
- An overview of possible funding formats can also be found in the download section.
Selection Committee and Approval Process
The CirTex Management Board evaluates the submitted project ideas. It assesses whether the content qualifies for funding.
The Management Board consists of the following individuals:
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Schlichter, Spokesperson for the Circular Textiles Innovation Community, Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg
- Thomas Böschen, TEXAID Deutschland GmbH
- Johannes Diebel, Forschungskuratorium Textil e. V.
- Rolf Heimann, apsus GmbH – The Institute for Applied Sustainability
A fair and transparent selection process is important to us. Therefore, after the CirTex Management Board has evaluated your project, you will receive written feedback on the content. If you have any questions, we are available for a feedback meeting.
If a project idea is evaluated positively by the management team, a funding application can then be submitted to the project management agency of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR).
The project management agency will then review the application’s formal eligibility for funding.
Consulting Services
