UK SBS - PS21190 - Recruitment of a Catalyst to Investigate Environmental Science Aspect of Building a Circular Fashion

***** THIS IS AN AWARD NOTICE, NOT A CALL FOR COMPETITION *****

This procurement is being concluded following a competitive quote exercise.

This Catalyst report is intended to inform the scoping of a cross-UKRI intervention (e.g. prospective research/innovation programme) in the area of Circular Fashion and Textiles, with a particular emphasis on understanding the potential contribution of the environmental sciences.

In order to appropriately scope, structure and deliver such a programme, the Catalyst report is intended to:

Objective 1: Understand the current state of UK environmental research capacity in the area of Circular Fashion and Textiles, to inform where strengths can be built upon and/or where gaps need further disciplinary capacity- and interdisciplinary community-building.

Objective 2: Understand the alignment of current research activity with industrial barriers and/or market failures in the area of Circular Fashion and Textiles, to inform where UKRI support could mitigate these and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable, circular paradigm.

Objective 3: Highlight the specific environmental research areas (and associated research and innovation questions) and types of intervention (e.g. research, training, infrastructure) that are needed, which in turn might shape prospective UKRI research programme(s) with a particular emphasis on potential environmental-science driven solutions.

Objective 4: Propose the overarching mechanism and logic model by which a prospective UKRI research programme in this area could deliver benefit to the UK, to inform a business case for investment.

Objective 5: Understand the longer-term trend assumptions that underpin the support for and development of a circular fashion and textile economy, to inform how the design of a prospective UKRI programme might anticipate/mitigate these.