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ClimateLaunchpad is the world’s largest green business ideas competition. Our mission is to unlock the world’s cleantech potential that addresses climate change. The competition creates a stage for those ideas. ClimateLaunchpad is part of the Entrepreneurship offerings of EIT Climate-KIC.
Your idea can be an innovation in renewable energy, a sustainable transition in the food chain, a mind shift in urban mobility or any other way to tackle climate change. As long as it’s in the cleantech domain: “a scientific innovation that uses existing technology to do more with fewer resources, and has a commercial driver.”
Even if your idea is still on the back of a napkin, you’re most welcome to join.
Your idea can be an innovation in renewable energy, a sustainable transition in the food chain, a mind shift in urban mobility or any other way to tackle climate change. As long as it’s in the cleantech domain: “a scientific innovation that uses existing technology to do more with fewer resources, and has a commercial driver.”
Even if your idea is still on the back of a napkin, you’re most welcome to join.
How it works
In 2022 the competition is open to participants based in the 62 countries listed on this page.
To enter the competition submit your idea or innovation that creates positive environmental impact. We’ll help you fast-track that idea into a business and bypass all possible pitfalls along the way. You’ll learn how to get your idea funded and launched.
Once you are selected to join ClimateLaunchpad, the Boot Camp and coaching sessions will help you develop your idea to a rock-solid plan. You will pitch this during your National Final and the Regional Finals. The winners of each Regional Final will go on to compete against the creme de la creme in the Global Grand Final.
To enter the competition submit your idea or innovation that creates positive environmental impact. We’ll help you fast-track that idea into a business and bypass all possible pitfalls along the way. You’ll learn how to get your idea funded and launched.
Once you are selected to join ClimateLaunchpad, the Boot Camp and coaching sessions will help you develop your idea to a rock-solid plan. You will pitch this during your National Final and the Regional Finals. The winners of each Regional Final will go on to compete against the creme de la creme in the Global Grand Final.
What can you win?
Prizes in the National and Regional Finals differ per country and region. Of course there will also be prizes for the Global Grand Final winners. The overall winner of the Global Grand Final receives € 10,000, the runner up gets € 5,000 and the idea that comes in third place wins € 2,500. That’s not all, the top 16 teams get direct access to the ClimateLaunchpad Accelerator which gives in-depth follow-on training after the competition.
The big prize? A bunch of new acquired skills & knowledge and networking opportunities to get your business thriving. And of course infinite glory. All prizewinners are responsible for any taxes, wire transfer costs and other possible costs related to receiving the prize.
The big prize? A bunch of new acquired skills & knowledge and networking opportunities to get your business thriving. And of course infinite glory. All prizewinners are responsible for any taxes, wire transfer costs and other possible costs related to receiving the prize.
Who can join ClimateLaunchpad?
Anyone with a promising cleantech idea who dreams of becoming an entrepreneur should join. You can be a new start-up, SME, researcher, student, public organisation, consultant, engineer, a combination of the above or something that doesn’t fit a job title. Don’t worry if you don’t have a business plan quite ready. We’ll help you strengthen your plan or teach you how to create one.
You can only apply to the national programme in your own country* and you can only enter if:
You have not yet started a business or your company has been incorporated for less than a year (definition: your legal entity does not exist for more than 1 year);
Your new venture has attracted less than € 200.000 in total funding (this includes all funding, like grants, government loans, angel and/or VC investments, etcetera)
You have not yet sold products, solutions or prototypes on commercial terms.
You cannot enter ClimateLaunchpad if you have:
Already been accepted into Climate-KIC Accelerator with this idea;
Already been accepted into ClimateLaunchpad (or the former CleanLaunchpad) in a previous year with the same idea.
*Check this page to see if ClimateLaunchpad runs in your country.
You can only apply to the national programme in your own country* and you can only enter if:
You have not yet started a business or your company has been incorporated for less than a year (definition: your legal entity does not exist for more than 1 year);
Your new venture has attracted less than € 200.000 in total funding (this includes all funding, like grants, government loans, angel and/or VC investments, etcetera)
You have not yet sold products, solutions or prototypes on commercial terms.
You cannot enter ClimateLaunchpad if you have:
Already been accepted into Climate-KIC Accelerator with this idea;
Already been accepted into ClimateLaunchpad (or the former CleanLaunchpad) in a previous year with the same idea.
*Check this page to see if ClimateLaunchpad runs in your country.
Programme timeline
Every country has their own Application Deadline and follows their own timeline for their Boot Camp and National Final, so please check our website for an overview of your country. In general, the timeline for ClimateLaunchpad 2022 is:
Applications open: March – June 2022
Boot Camps: May – Mid July 2022
National Finals: June – Mid August 2022
Regional Finals: September 2022
Global Grand Final: End of October / beginning of November
Applications open: March – June 2022
Boot Camps: May – Mid July 2022
National Finals: June – Mid August 2022
Regional Finals: September 2022
Global Grand Final: End of October / beginning of November