Ready to
revolutionize fashion?

The Circular Fashion Fund supports startups and small businesses building solutions that help fashion become more circular—extending product life, keeping materials in use, and reducing waste. 

Eight finalists will receive a $50,000 grant. They’ll also receive targeted mentoring and workshops to help boost product development, marketing and industry partnerships.

After this, all finalists will be invited to pitch to the global judging panel. One business will be awarded the Circular Fashion Fund Global Winner title and the opportunity to receive a $300,000 investment from eBay Ventures (please see T&Cs).

• Applications open on Wednesday, January 14 and close on Sunday, March 8.
• 24 applicants will be shortlisted and notified by Friday, March 20.
• The regional panel sessions will take place Tuesday, March 31 (online).
• The global final judging panel will be in May (exact date TBC).

You can apply if you meet the eligibility criteria described in the T&Cs, below. These include:

• Applicants should be trading for a minimum of six months and a maximum of six years.
• Applicant’s company must be based in one of the following countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, within the European Union and Switzerland.
• Applicants can be a charity or a social enterprise as long as they have a registered charity number; 

If you’re unsure, apply anyway—if you’re shortlisted we may ask for documents to confirm eligibility. (Eligibility and verification are covered in the T&Cs.)

No. The fund is open to both eBay and non-eBay sellers.

The regional judging panel sessions will be online, while the global final will take place in person in New York.

Applicants will be reviewed by a judging panel of industry experts and eBay leadership. We’ll be looking for businesses that align strongly with the aims of the eBay Circular Fashion Fund and demonstrate the potential to deliver meaningful impact within circular fashion.

Assessment may consider factors such as:

• Evidence of innovation or differentiation in your product, service, or business model
• Alignment with circular fashion principles and relevance to eBay’s circular strategy
• Potential for sustainable commercial growth and scalability
• The environmental impact your business can achieve, such as waste or carbon reduction
• The clarity of your vision, team, and roadmap
• Openness to collaboration, learning, and feedback

Applications for the Circular Fashion Fund will be accepted from 12:00:01 AM Eastern Time (“ET”) on January 14, 2026 through 11:59:59 PM on March 8, 2026. All times are ET, regardless of where applicants are physically located.

Eligible applicants are those applicants who have a registered business that has been active for a minimum of six (6) months and a maximum of six (6) years. Applicant’s company must be based in one of the following countries:

• the United Kingdom and registered with Companies House (not sole trader) and can be a charity, social enterprise or registered company;
• the United States and created or organized in the United States or under Federal or State laws of the United States, but not a sole proprietorship;
• Australia and registered with an Australian Business Number. The applicant can be a charity, or social enterprise as long as they have a registered Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) number as well as an ABN;
• Switzerland and established, incorporated, registered, or otherwise recognized under one of Swiss laws (not a sole trader) and can be a charity or a social enterprise as long as they have a registered charity number;
• Canada and established, incorporated, registered, or otherwise recognized under Canadian federal or provincial law (e.g., as a corporation under the Canada Business Corporations Act or applicable provincial legislation but not a sole trader); or
• One of the European Union countries and established, incorporated, registered, or otherwise recognized under one of the European Union national laws (not a sole trader) and can be a charity or a social enterprise as long as they have a registered charity number.
   

Please note this is open to both eBay and non eBay sellers. For the avoidance of doubt, applicants are not required to be registered on the eBay site; however, applicant’s participation in the Circular Fashion Fund is subject to the terms of the eBay User Agreement and/or any policies that eBay may communicate.

Applications that fail to meet the Eligibility Criteria or otherwise comply with these Terms and Conditions or the eBay User Agreement and/or any policies that eBay may communicate will be deemed incomplete or ineligible and, at eBay’s sole discretion, may be disqualified. All eligible applications will be evaluated as follows:

• Does the applicant business leverage emerging technologies to create products or services that advance fashion’s circular economy, for example, by enabling durability, reuse, traceability, and reduction of waste?
• Does the applicant business have a unique value proposition that has game-changing advantages over alternatives?
• Is the applicant’s business model commercially viable and economically desirable?
• Does the applicant business not only address a commercial need but also solve a problem?
• Does the applicant business have an immediate and longer-term impact on people and the planet?
• Does the applicant business have a potential for strategic collaboration and alignment with eBay’s platform objectives and sustainability goals?
• Does the business’ application demonstrate care and thoroughness?
• Businesses selected for global assessment will additionally be reviewed against their team, traction of their business, and thesis.

Application closing date: 11:59:59 PM ET on March 8, 2026. Applicants will be informed if they have been shortlisted on or around March 20, 2026. A panel of qualified judges, determined by eBay, will shortlist twenty-four (24) applicants in total:

• Twelve (12) applicants with companies that are organized under the laws of the United
  States, Canada, or Australia (“Group A”); and

• Twelve (12) applicants with companies that are organized under the laws ofa registered
  company in Europe, the UK, or Switzerland (“Group B”).

  (collectively, the “Selected Applicants”).
   

The Selected Applicants will be invited to pitch their business thesis to a judging panel that will take place online consisting of industry experts and eBay leadership on 31 March 2026.

Of the Selected Applicants, four (4) from Group A and four (4) from Group B will be deemed finalists (“Finalist” or collectively “Finalists”). Each Finalist will receive a one-time prize from eBay in the amount of USD$50,000 (“Prize”). Each Finalist will be paid the Prize in U.S. dollars. The payout date is not set and will be determined by eBay at its sole discretion. The Prize consists of a prize awarded as recognition of merit and as an incentive in the interest of the community, to support the development of innovative solutions in the fashion sector. The Prize is not a loan.
 

The Finalists will also receive one (1) month's access to mentoring and workshops co-developed by eBay and industry experts. Please note eBay reserves the right to shorten or lengthen the Finalists’ access to workshops and the mentoring programme as it sees fit.
 

The Finalists shall be responsible for calculating and paying any taxes owing by their businesses in connection with their receipt of the Prize. Under these Terms & Conditions, the Prize paid by eBay is exclusive of VAT or other taxes of the country where eBay is established, and inclusive of any foreign VAT or similar taxes, except where applicable law requires the paying eBay entity to withhold and remit taxes, which shall be deducted from the Prize and are separate from the Winner’s own tax obligation.

Each Prize is subject to applicable laws and tax regulations and will be subject to the completion of a due diligence inquiry of each Finalist by eBay to eBay’s sole satisfaction. In order to receive the Prize, the Finalists must submit additional information and documentation upon eBay’s request. Finalists undertake, at all times, to use the Prize provided by eBay in compliance with all applicable laws and tax regulations.

The Finalists will then compete before a global judging panel. One global winner (“Global Winner”) will be selected and given the opportunity to receive an investment from eBay Ventures Inc. (subject to the Global Winner’s agreement to additional terms as set forth below) in the amount of USD$300,000 (“Global Prize”) payable in U.S. dollars exclusive of VAT or other taxes of the country where eBay is established, and inclusive of any foreign VAT or similar taxes, except where applicable law requires the paying eBay entity to withhold and remit taxes, which shall be deducted from the Global Prize and are separate from the Global Winner’s own tax obligation. For the avoidance of doubt, any investment is subject to additional eligibility requirements and further terms and conditions, which will be communicated to the Global Winner following selection.

The Global Prize is subject to applicable laws and tax regulations, including, for U.S., federal, state, and local laws, and for competitions outside of the U.S., the laws of the country in which the competition takes place. Receipt of the Global Prize by the Global Winner will be subject to the completion of a due diligence inquiry into the Global Winner by eBay Ventures Inc. to eBay’s sole satisfaction. The Global Winner must submit further information or documentation upon eBay Ventures Inc.’s request to qualify for the Global Prize. The Global Winner undertakes, at all times, to use the funds provided by eBay in compliance with all applicable laws and tax regulations.

Receipt of the Global Prize by the Global Winner will be dependent on eBay Ventures Inc. and the Global Winner mutually agreeing to additional terms as set forth by eBay Ventures Inc.

• eBay makes no representations or warranties of any kind regarding any product or service provided by any third party in connection with the Circular Fashion Fund.
• eBay shall not be liable, in contract or tort (including negligence) or the breach of statutory duty or in any other way, for the loss or damage, howsoever arising, suffered by the applicant resulting directly or indirectly from entry to this Circular Fashion Fund. Nothing in these terms shall limit eBay's liability for death or personal injury resulting from negligence or fraud, or for any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded under applicable law.
• eBay will not be responsible for any third party's performance or failure to perform any services related to any promotion, or for any costs, damages, accident, delay, injury, loss, expense, or inconvenience that may arise in connection with the use of the Circular Fashion Fund, provided that nothing shall limit eBay's liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence.
• eBay does not accept, and is not responsible for, any lost or delayed entries. eBay reminds applicants of the nature and limitations of the Internet. eBay is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunctions of any communications network, online system or computer hardware or software that may affect entry to the Circular Fashion Fund.
• Although eBay will use reasonable efforts to ensure that all information relating to the Circular Fashion Fund is accurate, eBay is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunctions of any communications network, online system or computer hardware or software failure that may affect eBay's operation of the Circular Fashion Fund or the eBay site, including without limitation the accuracy of any promotional material for the Circular Fashion Fund.

Any applicant personal data will be processed in accordance with the eBay User Privacy Notice (available at: https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behaviour-policies/user-privacy-notice-privacy-policy?id=4260 ). 

Such personal data may be used in connection with determining the Finalists and Global Winner of the Circular Fashion Fund, and/or to contact you regarding potential opportunities to be involved in eBay’s specialised onboarding and growth programme for high-value businesses. eBay may share your personal data, including but not limited to your name and email address, to its eBay Group Companies and other third parties as necessary to perform its obligations under these Terms and Conditions.

For the purposes of applicable data protection laws, the data controller of personal data submitted in connection with an entry to the Circular Fashion Fund will be the eBay Group Company as described under the eBay User Privacy Notice.

Further information about the controllership, including contact details and information on how personal data is processed and how participants may exercise their rights, is set out in the eBay User Privacy Notice. You may contact eBay’s Data Protection Officer by submitting a web form at the eBay Privacy Centre.

• Any attempt to manipulate the Circular Fashion Fund process is prohibited and will result in exclusion from participation.
• eBay reserves the right to suspend, change or cancel the Circular Fashion Fund at any time, in the event of circumstances arising which, in eBay's opinion, make it necessary for it to do so.
• eBay reserves the right to add additional terms and conditions to the Circular Fashion Fund process.
• All decisions made by eBay are final and binding and are not subject to any appeal or contest.
• eBay reserves the right to verify applicant’s eligibility for the Circular Fashion Fund. eBay may request further information which may include (without limitation) copies of incorporation documents, identification documents and information relating to beneficial owners or directors. The method eBay uses to verify information shall be at eBay’s sole discretion and may include electronic methods of verification. If and where requested, the applicant must provide such information within a specified period communicated by eBay, otherwise eBay may disqualify the application in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. Any personal information that is provided shall be processed in accordance with the eBay User Privacy Notice (available at: https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/member-behaviour-policies/user-privacy-notice-privacy-policy?id=4260). Failure to comply with such requests may result in disqualification as determined by eBay.
• eBay may also disqualify any applicant who does not act in accordance with these Terms and Conditions (or is acting in a way which contravenes the spirit and intention of these Terms and Conditions) or eBay's User Agreement, and/or any policies that eBay may
  communicate.
• Any eBay Group Company may rely upon or enforce any provision of these Terms and Conditions relating to it for its benefit with the agreement of eBay. “eBay Group Company”, for the purposes of these terms and conditions, shall mean an entity that now or in the future, directly or indirectly, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with eBay Inc. For purposes of the foregoing, “control” shall mean the ownership of more than 50% of the (i) voting power to elect the directors of the company or (ii) ownership interest in said entity.
• These Terms and Conditions, and participation in the Circular Fashion Fund by submission of an application or otherwise, shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there by any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
• These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, except to the extent inconsistent with or preempted by federal law, the laws of the State of Delaware. Each party irrevocably agrees to the exclusive jurisdiction of the State of Delaware courts over any claim or matter arising under these Terms and Conditions.
• Unless the context otherwise requires, words in the singular in these Terms and Conditions shall include the plural and in the plural include the singular.

The Circular Fashion Fund is organised by eBay Inc. (“eBay”), who may carry out this fund through its local subsidiaries and/or third parties, and whose address is 2025 Hamilton Ave., San Jose, CA 95125 USA.
 

Last updated: 6 January 2026