Written by ClimateLaunchpad has opened applications for the 2026 edition of its green business ideas competition, offering early-stage climate innovators the opportunity to compete for a fully funded trip to the Global Grand Final in Singapore.
Recognised as the world’s largest green business ideas competition, ClimateLaunchpad is designed for entrepreneurs at the idea or concept stage. Applicants do not need a formal business plan to participate. Early-stage ideas are welcome, and the programme is completely free.
The initiative is designed to support first-time founders and climate innovators by providing structured guidance on building, testing, and refining a climate venture within a global support network.
Who Can Apply
The competition is open to anyone with a promising cleantech or climate innovation idea. Applicants may be aspiring entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, researchers, students, engineers, consultants, public organisations, or individuals without a formal job title.
However, participants must apply in their own country and meet the following criteria:
- Applicants must not have started a business, or their company must have been incorporated for less than two years.
- The venture must have attracted less than 200,000 euros in total funding, including grants, loans, angel investment, or venture capital. In addition, the idea must not have generated commercial sales of products, solutions, or prototypes.
- Applicants are not eligible if they have previously been accepted into the Climate-KIC Accelerator programme with the same idea or have participated in ClimateLaunchpad or CleanLaunchpad in a previous year with the same concept.
Competition Themes
For 2026, the competition focuses on climate-driven innovation across the following themes: Adaptation and Resilience, Blue Economy, Circular Economies, Clean Energy, Food Systems, Sustainable Mobility, Urban Solutions, and The Next Big Thing.
What Participants Can Expect
- All applicants receive free access to an online climate-entrepreneurship mini-course covering climate fundamentals, systems thinking, and developing an entrepreneurial mindset.
- Selected teams advance to a virtual boot camp where they receive live training from expert coaches to strengthen their business models and pitching skills. Participants then move into a follow-up coaching phase leading to the National Finals.
- Top teams from each country progress to Regional Finals, competing against leading start-ups across Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
- The top two teams per region advance to the Global Grand Final.
Global Grand Final in Singapore
The ClimateLaunchpad 2026 Global Grand Final will take place in Singapore. National Final winners and top regional teams will gather to pitch their solutions on the global stage.
Prize benefits include return travel for one representative from the nearest capital city to Singapore, two nights of hostel accommodation, access to official networking events, a ticket to attend the Global Grand Final, and a booth at the innovators fair to showcase products or services. Selected finalists will also have the opportunity to pitch live as part of the global top eight competing for cash prizes before an international jury.
The programme does not charge participation fees, does not take equity, and allows founders to retain full ownership of their ideas and intellectual property.
For young African entrepreneurs and climate innovators looking to turn early-stage ideas into scalable green ventures, ClimateLaunchpad offers structured training, international exposure, and access to a global innovation ecosystem.
For more information and to apply, visit the official website: https://climatelaunchpad.org/