The development of the benchmark began in September 2024 and is following a phased approach to test, refine, and publish the tool.
- January 2025: First draft of the wet-processing tool created by experts from BluWin, Colour Connections, and Elevate Textiles.
- July 2025: First draft of the dry-processing tool developed by experts from Made2Flow, Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Rieter, University of Leeds, and The Idea Smith.
- April–December 2025: Testing of both wet- and dry-processing tools with approximately 500 facilities through online and on-site pilots.
- April– August 2025: Ongoing consultations of the methodology and benchmark calculator with the Technical Review Committee.
- November 2025: Public consultation of the benchmark tool draft v0.9.
The outcomes of the pilot and stakeholder consultations will inform the formal publication of the benchmark methodology and full tool release in early 2026.