Green business competition opens applications

The seventh edition of the global green business ideas competition Climate Launchpad has opened.

The programme, supported by EIT Climate-KIC and TU Delft, and run locally by the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre, helps aspiring entrepreneurs grow their cleantech ideas into global businesses.

The ClimateLaunchpad formula has proven time and time again to be the key to climate positive business success. Applications for promising innovation in adaptation, renewable energy, food and agriculture, water, transportation, industrial technology, or any other way to tackle climate change.

An intensive digital Boot Camp in June will be followed by intensive Coaching Sessions in the latter part of the month to prepare participants for their National Finals in the first week of July.

The top-3 business ideas will then get the opportunity to pitch their ideas at the Africa Regional Final in September, with the top teams advancing to the Global Grand Final in October 2021.

“Since Ghana joined this amazing programme 2 years ago, our performance has been nothing short of remarkable, with at least one of our businesses making it to the global finals and regional semi-final in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

The ClimateLaunchpad competition equips entrepreneurs not only with skills required for their green businesses to thrive, but also with the vision, relationships, and values they need to succeed on the local & global markets.

We encourage anyone with an idea or startup to grab this opportunity.” said Ahuma Adodoadji, National Lead, ClimateLaunchpad Ghana.

He added that ” Despite the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to successfully transform this highly impactful program to a completely virtual one in 2020, and we are confident that this year’s will be bigger and better than the previous years.”

Aside the cash prizes up for grabs by the top 3 global winners, ClimateLaunchpad supports the most promising cleantech ideas with business training and skills development to get their businesses thriving. The start-ups also benefit from networking opportunities which sets them up to move forward to create climate impact, and the world’s top 10 ideas gain access to join Climate-KIC’s prestigious accelerator programme.

About EIT Climate-KIC

EIT Climate-KIC is the EU’s climate innovation initiative, working to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon and resilient world by enabling systems transformation. Headquartered in Amsterdam, it operates from 13 hubs across Europe and is active in 39 countries. EIT Climate-KIC was established in 2010 and is predominately funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.

As a Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC), it brings together more than 400 partners from business, academia, the public and non-profit sectors to create networks of expertise, through which innovative products, services and systems are developed, brought to market and scaled-up for impact.

About the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

The EIT is an independent body of the European Union set up in 2008 to spur innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe to overcome some of its greatest challenges. It brings together leading higher education institutions, research labs and companies to form dynamic cross-border partnerships – Knowledge and Innovation Communities, KICs – that develop innovative products and services, start new companies, and train a new generation of entrepreneurs.

About Ghana Climate Innovation Centre

Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC) is a pioneering business incubator with a unique focus on developing sustainable enterprises and climate-responsive SME ventures and entrepreneurs. The Centre is an Institute of Ashesi University. Our mission is to develop and support an exceptional set of ethical, transformational entrepreneurs and ventures who are pioneering innovation and adaptive or mitigating solutions for economic resilience and climate action.