Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP) has announced it has opened applications for its 2017 clean technology competition. Held simultaneously in seven countries, including Pakistan, the competition is the largest of its kind in the world. The deadline to register for the competition is May 27, 2017.
The competition aims to promote startups and SMEs investing in clean technologies, thus helping to overcome economic and energy-related challenges in an environment-friendly way. There are various categories for the participant firms to compete in, including Renewable energy, Energy efficiency, and Green Building. To register for the competition, you can begin by creating an account here.
The competition will enable participants to pitch in their innovative ideas relating to clean forms of technology. Five winners will be selected from Pakistan that will be awarded prizes worth USD 15,000 to 20,000. The winners will also participate in the annual Cleantech Week to be held later in the US, where they will be able to connect with potential investors, partners, and customers.
Pakistani startups have a history of faring well in the competition. For example, in the 2016 global competition, a Pakistani startup, ‘The Green Team’ won the award in the ‘Waste to Energy’ category. The startup had come up with the idea of using industrial waste material to build ‘clay stoves’ which could be burned for energy without harmful emissions of carbon.
Apart from giving cleantech startups financial grants and the opportunity to showcase their ideas, GCIP provides them with mentoring and training, and helps them reduce their risk levels. According to GCIP website, each country receives funds worth USD 1 million to USD 2 million from the Global Environment Facility.
GCIP is a joint initiative of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). It has also partnered with CleanTech Open that runs the world’s largest accelerator for cleantech startups. Founded in 2005, the CleanTech Open has worked with over 1,000 companies in the US alone.
Source: MIT Technology Review
Picture credit: Syncsort
