Prada and UNESCO join forces to restore our link to the oceans
Faced with the urgency of climate change and the degradation of marine ecosystems, the Prada group is changing course: it’s no longer just a question of raising awareness, but of taking action. In partnership with UNESCO, the Italian fashion house is creating an unprecedented international fund designed to reconcile mankind with the ocean.
Sea Beyond: towards a new cultural diplomacy for the oceans
Announced with great fanfare at the United Nations Ocean 2025 Conference in Nice, the Sea Beyond Fund marks a strategic evolution in the Prada Group’s CSR commitment. The project aims to restore the relationship between man and the sea, too long reduced to a simple logic of exploitation or extraction.
This multi-partner fund aims to act on several fronts:
- Education and transmission to all audiences
- Support for oceanic culture: exhibitions, stories, intangible heritage
- Promoting young maritime professionals
- Political representation of ocean issues on a global scale
A funding model based on calls for projects
Initially endowed with 2 million euros financed by Prada, the fund is designed to attract other partners from January 2026: public institutions, private companies, universities and associations.
Supported projects will be selected on the basis of a call for proposals, and evaluated by an independent scientific committee to ensure a rigorous, cross-disciplinary approach. The first call for proposals is expected by the end of 2025, and will be available on the official UNESCO website.
Ultimately, the aim is to create a collective lever for transformation, by encouraging concrete artistic, educational and scientific initiatives.
From words to deeds: Prada structures its action
This announcement is a continuation of the work begun by Prada since 2019 with the Sea Beyond program, developed in partnership with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).
Last April, the group inaugurated the Sea Beyond Ocean Literacy Centre in Venice, a facility dedicated entirely to raising awareness and promoting scientific understanding of marine issues. This educational and cultural approach is now supported by an international financial instrument, a strong signal from a luxury brand often perceived as being on the bangs of environmental concerns.
A strategy of meaning and image
The Prada group’s sales exceeded 5.4 billion euros in 2024 (+18%), confirming its commercial momentum. This fund could also strengthen the group’s cultural legitimacy, enabling it to exist in the field of sustainability beyond collections and communication campaigns.
It’s not just a question of “buying” meaning, but of co-constructing a more intelligent relationship with the planet, involving experts, young people, artists and teachers.
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