re.store®: Turning textile waste into social value through circular textiles and inclusion

When sustainability meets social innovation, new futures emerge. In Portugal, one entrepreneurial project is proving that a circular economy can have both a human and environmental dimension. re.store®, an award-winning brand that gives new life to textile waste while creating fair employment for vulnerable social groups, is redefining how purpose-driven businesses grow.

Setting the scene: Who did you help and what were their needs?

Founded by Sílvia Correia, re.store® transforms textile offcuts leftovers and waste into new, high-quality products while integrating vulnerable communities into its production chain. To date, the brand has prevented 10 tonnes of textile waste from going to landfill and has channelled over €72,000 into social partnerships with local institutions. The result is a measurable positive impact — on People, on the Planet and on Communities.

Over time, AEP – Portuguese Business Association, a partner of the Enterprise Europe Network, had already been providing re.store® with hands-on support — from creating networking links to identifying partnership opportunities that could scale its impact.

Services provided

-       Sustainability

-       Single market

-       Scale-up support

What did you do to help them?

Impressed by the brand’s purpose-driven model and convinced of its European potential, AEP went a step further, encouraging re.store® to apply for the National Prize for Responsible and Inclusive Entrepreneurship 2025, under the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) – a challenge that soon turned into a remarkable first-place victory. The success took the brand to Copenhagen, Denmark, where Sílvia proudly represented Portugal among Europe’s most inspiring entrepreneurial initiatives.

The impact: What was the outcome of your help?

By empowering underrepresented groups, reducing waste and growing responsibly, re.store® embodies the type of entrepreneurship Europe needs: resilient, inclusive and sustainable.

Supported by AEP through the Enterprise Europe Network, re.store® continues to expand its partnerships and inspire other entrepreneurs to embrace circular principles and inclusive business models.

Quotes from EEN partners and the company

“As a Network partner, we’re so proud to help extraordinary businesses like re.store® connect to wider opportunities!” said Céu Filipe, EEN advisor at AEP and Chair of the Group of Experts Cultural and Creative Industries. “Their story shows that when innovation and inclusion go hand in hand, entrepreneurship becomes a true force for change.”

“This award is a collective recognition,” said founder and CEO Sílvia Correia. “It shows that it’s possible to create responsible economic value while combining sustainability and inclusion.”