About this opportunity
Pforzheim has been Germany’s gold, silver and jewellery capital for over two centuries, and the city still puts real money behind young design talent. Every year the City of Pforzheim, together with Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences and the Design Center Baden-Württemberg, selects three international designers for the Designers in Residence scholarship and hosts them for a three month creative sprint from 1 April to 30 June 2027.
The programme is deliberately broad. Jewellery, fashion, accessories, industrial design and communication design are all welcome, and interdisciplinary ways of working are encouraged rather than frowned upon. Residents get fully equipped workstations at EMMA Kreativzentrum Pforzheim, can also use the workshops at Pforzheim University if the project needs them, and finish the residency with their work shown in an exhibition at EMMA.
The support is practical and complete: a monthly allowance of EUR 1,000, free accommodation for the whole residency, reimbursement of travel to and from Pforzheim, and a grant to cover material costs. For a young designer who has a body of work ready to build but not the studio or the runway to make it, this is exactly the environment that changes a portfolio into a practice.
Applications must be submitted online through the EMMA job application portal by 2 November 2026, 23:59 CET. A jury of designers, curators and creative industry leaders, including the head of Pforzheim’s Creative Industries department, picks the three residents.
What you receive
- Monthly allowance of EUR 1,000 for each of the three scholarship holders
- Free accommodation in Pforzheim for the full three month residency
- Reimbursement of travel expenses to and from Pforzheim
- A grant to cover material costs incurred during the project
- Fully equipped workstations at EMMA Kreativzentrum Pforzheim, with optional access to Pforzheim University workshops
- A public exhibition of the results at EMMA Kreativzentrum at the end of the residency
- International exposure and connection to the Baden-Württemberg design scene
Who can apply
- Young designers working in jewellery, fashion, accessories, industrial design, communication design or other design disciplines
- Interdisciplinary working methods are explicitly welcome
- Open to international applicants
- The application must be written in English because the jury is international
- A project you can develop during the residency period from 1 April to 30 June 2027
Who should not apply
- Applications submitted outside the online job application portal are not accepted
- The programme does not publish additional age or experience limits beyond the focus on young designers
Documents to prepare
- Application submitted through the EMMA online job application portal, the only accepted route
- Portfolio or work samples supporting your design practice, as requested in the portal form
- A description of the project you intend to develop during the residency
- All supporting documents uploaded in PDF format, with a maximum total file size of 50 MB, compressed if larger
- Standard application details such as CV and contact information, as required by the portal
How to apply
- Read the full scholarship details on the official EMMA page at https://www.emma-pf.de/en/designers-in-residence/designers-in-residence-scholarship/, including the services covered and the residency dates.
- Prepare your project description and supporting work samples, written in English, since the jury is international.
- Submit your application online through the EMMA job application portal at https://veranstaltungen.emma-pf.de/en/events/designers-in-residence-2027, uploading your documents as PDFs of no more than 50 MB. Online submission is the only accepted route, and only one application per applicant is permitted.
- Watch for the confirmation email after successful submission, checking your spam folder as EMMA advises.
- Make sure everything is in before 2 November 2026, 23:59 CET. For questions, EMMA publishes the contact designers@emma-pf.de on the application page.
Selection process
- A jury for the 2027 cycle includes Almut Benkert, head of the City of Pforzheim Creative Industries department and director of EMMA, graphic designer and artist Anja Kaiser, and materials designer Seetal Solanki, founder of Material Origin.
- Three scholarship holders are selected from all applications.
- The residents work at EMMA from 1 April to 30 June 2027 and present their results in a closing exhibition.
Sources and verification
- Official source , Discovered by the opportunity automation module.
Questions applicants ask
Who can apply?
Young designers from any country working in jewellery, fashion, accessories, industrial or communication design, and other design disciplines. Interdisciplinary approaches are welcome.
What does the scholarship cover?
A monthly allowance of EUR 1,000, free accommodation for the residency, travel expense reimbursement, a grant for material costs, equipped workshop space at EMMA and optional use of Pforzheim University workshops.
When does the residency take place?
From 1 April to 30 June 2027, ending with an exhibition of the results at EMMA Kreativzentrum Pforzheim.
What is the deadline?
Applications close on 2 November 2026 at 23:59 CET and must be submitted online through the EMMA job application portal.
How many designers are selected?
Three scholarship holders are invited each year.
Important disclaimer
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