Article 1 : Organisation
The Contest is organised by the following Companie, which are hereinafter referred to as "the Organisers":
- Messe Frankfurt France, SAS which head office is located at 1, avenue de Flandre, 75019 Paris, registered to Paris RCS under n° 440 810 513
Article 2 : Goals
AVANTEX, the international trade fair of inovation for an advanced and sustainable fashion, offer Fashion Tech startups a unique opportunity to increase their commercial development: the Avantex Fashion Pitch.
The Competition is aimed at startups and entrepreneurs with innovative projects in the fashion and textile sector.
The Competition will allow the winner, in particular, and knowing that the rewards may evolve according to the partnerships established from one edition to another, to participate as an exhibitor in the edition of the AVANTEX show which follows that of the Competition.
To compete, startups must fill the form through the website.
Article 3 : Participants
The Contest, which is free of charge and without obligation to purchase, is open to all promoters of innovative projects in the fields of textile clothing and fashion, which fall within one of the following categories:
1- Services
Innovations in the fashion sector selected on the basis of three criteria:
- the ingenuity of the project;
- the socio-environmental impact in the sector;
- the economic potential.
2- Textile & soft materials
Innovative textiles and flexible materials selected on the basis of three criteria:
- stylistic interest;
- ecological performance;
- the level of innovation and expertise invested in the product.
3- Fashion Design
All innovative fashion products (clothing or accessories) chosen with regard to the four following criteria:
- stylistic interest;
- ecological performance;
- the new inventiveness and expertise invested in the product;
- the degree of innovation that the product presents.
Participation is limited to one project per individual participant or per team, in the case of a project presented by a team.
Article 4 : Contest conduct
1st step:
To participate in the Contest, projects must apply by completing the online form
Selection criteria :
The criteria set out in Article 2 and also:
- the adequacy with the positioning of the competition (eliminatory criterion)
- clarity, readability of the concept
- the potential impact of the project from an ecological and/or social point of view
- the inventiveness of the value proposition
- the relevance, the ingenuity of the business model
- the usefulness of the project in regards to a problem related to fashion
- the potential for development, membership of a large market
- the team
- project history
It is recommended to take care of the presentation downloaded at the end of the form, intended to accurately describe the project and to allow the selection committee members to be informed as fully as possible about the characteristics of each candidate project. By default, the executive summary or pitch-deck sent is considered as confidential and addressed to the preselection committee members only.
The projects registered on the Platform and all data communicated by the participants are accessible to all the selection committee members of the edition concerned by the application.
At the time of application, candidates must ensure that they are available on the day of the final.
The deadline for the september 2025 edition, is JULY 15 at midnight.
At the end of this first stage, the organisers will draw up the list of candidates selected for the 2nd stage.
Depending on the number of relevant applications, the 5 to 10 registered projects will be selected.
The results of the selection of the 1st stage will be announced within one week of the deadline.
2nd step:
The project leaders selected at the end of the 1st stage must present their project in the form of a pitch of a maximum duration of 5 minutes during the final of the Avantex Fashion Pitch organised in the Agora of the shows in September 2025 at the Bourget Exhibition Center.
Participants absent from this presentation session will be disqualified.
At the end of the presentations before a jury composed of recognized professionals from the fashion and entrepreneurship sector, the project with the best average will receive the contest prize.
The results will be announced at the end of the jury's deliberations during an awards ceremony followed by a cocktail event in the VIP area of the show.
Article 5 : Endowment of the Contest prize
The winner of the Contest prize will receive the following awards to help him/her further develop his/her project:
The big winner in all categories receives:
- a quote in the partner media of the shows (Fashion United, Textile Journal and/or Fashion Network)
- a highlighting of the project on the Trend Forum of the next edition of the shows
- a startup booth (4sqm) reduction of €1,500 on a bigger stand at the next Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris trade fairs
- a financial allocation for the prize (subject to approval by the management of the fairs depending on the available budget)
Depending on the number of participating projects:
The first prizes in each category receive:
- A quote in the partner media of the shows
- A highlight of the project on the Trend Forum of the next edition of the shows
Article 6 : Participants' personal data use
The information provided by the participants is recorded and used by the Organisers for their participation in the Contest.
In accordance with the provisions of Law No. 78-17 of 6 January 1978 and subsequent laws relating to data processing, files and freedoms, persons whose personal data are collected have the right to access, rectify, delete and object.
This right must be exercised with the Organisers, at their addresses mentioned in article 1 above.
Article 7 : Binding nature of these rules
Participation in the Contest implies the irrevocable and unreserved acceptance of these rules.
Failure to comply with the conditions of participation set out in these rules will result in the cancellation of the participation.
Article 8 : Intellectual property
The reproduction or exploitation of all or part of the Contest rules and elements is strictly prohibited.
All logos, trademarks and other distinctive signs, as well as all texts, images and videos reproduced on Avantex Fashion Pitch website, social networks and on the sites to which it allows access via hypertext links are the exclusive property of their owners and are protected by the provisions of the Intellectual Property Code.
Any unauthorized reproduction of the elements protected by the Intellectual Property Code constitutes an infringement punishable by criminal penalties.
Article 9 : Liability
The Organisers retain the right to extend, shorten, modify or cancel the Contest at any time, in particular in the event of force majeure, without any compensation being claimed by the participants.
The Organisers cannot be held liable in the event of events of a force majeure nature that partially or totally deprive participants of the opportunity to participate in the Contest.
Article 10 : Legal disputes
These rules are subject to French law.
The Organisers retain the right to resolve any difficulties that may arise in the interpretation or application of these rules.
No objection formulated more than one month after the date of designation of the winner of the Contest prize will be accepted.
In the event of a dispute, only the courts of Paris shall have jurisdiction.