Dr. Kim Poldner and team receive RVO grant for Regenerative Renaissance project

Endowed Professor Dr. Kim Poldner and her team have received a grant of €333,928 from the RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency) for their Regenerative Renaissance project. The project is a collaboration with renowned sustainable fashion brand Joline Jolink, Lente Land farmer Gemeenschapsboerderij T’Gagel and communications agency Mumster. The initiative is funded through the KIA-Circular Economy (KIA-CE) 2024 grant program.

The innovative Regenerative Renaissance project aims to revolutionize the Dutch fashion industry by transitioning from sustainable (aiming for less harm) to regenerative (actively creating positive impact) approaches. The project has been recognized for its ambitious goals in reducing environmental impact, fostering biodiversity, and promoting ecological restoration. By leveraging regenerative agricultural practices, biobased materials, and innovative business models, the project seeks to simultaneously create financial, social, and ecological value.

Key Highlights of the Project:

• Transforming the fashion industry: The project will establish a regenerative business model for Joline Jolink’s fashion farm, integrating practices like regenerative agriculture, compostable textiles, and local value chains.
• Community engagement: Through workshops, educational activities, and co-creation sessions, the project will strengthen connections between people, textiles, and the land.
• Innovative outcomes: The initiative will result in a capsule collection of biobased, fully compostable fashion items designed to enrich soil quality and reduce reliance on virgin raw materials.
• Broader impact: The findings and methodologies developed during the project will serve as a blueprint for other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the fashion industry, aligning with the European Green Deal and the Dutch Circular Textiles policy program.

Systemic change in the Fashion Industry

“This project is an exciting opportunity to redefine sustainability in fashion,” says Dr. Kim Poldner, Endowed Professor of Regional and Circular Economic Development and project lead at the University of Groningen. “By incorporating regenerative principles and engaging local communities, we aim to create a model that not only addresses current challenges but also sets the stage for systemic change in the fashion industry.”

The project is set to run from April 1, 2025, to March 30, 2027, with milestones including the development of compostable prototypes, the validation of new business models, and the launch of an innovative capsule collection.

The KIA-CE grant program

RVO’s Circular Economy grant program provides grants to consortia that are working on the development of circular products, processes or services that are ready for the Dutch market within 10 years’ time.  To be eligible for a KIA-CE grant, the project partners must collaborate on research into consumer behaviour, business or revenue models (or a combination thereof) and/or work together on the experimental technological development aimed at a new or greatly improved  circular product, service and/or process.

Questions? Please contact Kim Poldner.