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Global Cleantech
Innovation Programme

Empowering cleantech innovators and building enabling entrepreneurship ecosystems for a greener future.

GCIP at a glance

Who we are

Global Cleantech Innovation Programme promotes innovation and entrepreneurship in emerging markets and developing economies to address climate and environmental challenges. GCIP supports start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with innovative cleantech ideas in establishing and upscaling robust business models. GCIP also strengthens entrepreneurship ecosystems and facilitates partnerships and networking between private and public actors to ensure the long-term sustainability of its interventions.

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GCIP is unique in that it fosters a systemic approach by combining direct support to start-ups with ecosystem building, which leads to a multiple value creation and ensures an extremely wide impact.

Olga Rataj

GCIP GLOBAL PROGRAMME MANAGER

At the Global Environment Facility, we recognize the central role of cleantech SMEs in delivering game changing solution. By promoting cleantech innovation, entrepreneurship development and long-term ecosystem sustainability, GCIP has the potential to contribute to the critical systemic transformation needed to accelerate climate action.

Filippo Berardi

GEF, SENIOR CLIMATE CHANGE SPECIALIST

The programme creates a platform for linking South African entrepreneurs, especially youth and women, with local and global investors, business and commercial partners, potentially resulting in the commercialisation of new products and services and ultimately, job creation.

Senisha Mooshamy

HEAD OF GCIP SOUTH-AFRICA

You and us

What are you expecting from GCIP?

NETWORK

Join the global community of cleantech experts.

Build empowering entrepreneurship ecosystems

It takes more than ideas to develop and deploy cleantech innovations. They also require favorable conditions to thrive. Very often innovators encounter barriers, such as institutional and policy obstacles or a lack of business training opportunities.

GCIP fosters conducive and inclusive national innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems in partner countries to create enabling conditions for cleantech entrepreneurship. GCIP experts and executing partners design capacity-building tools, policy recommendations and strategies to build institutional capacities of government agencies focused on SME development and innovation.

GCIP enables knowledge creation and exchange to promote synergies within and across ecosystems. We also work closely with national industry associations and share our expertise to help them expand membership, better communicate industry needs to policymakers, advocate for greater women's engagement and strengthen their positions.

We designed GCIP to systematically support cleantech innovation and entrepreneurship in emerging markets and developing economies. By leveraging UNIDO’s thought leadership in industrial development and a network of partners, GCIP provides tailored support to each partner country, which allows for smart resource allocation and sustainability of our interventions. GCIP policy support and capacity building uniquely place our programme among others because of its normative component and ecosystem approach.

SCALE-UP

Let your ideas make the difference.

Let your innovative cleantech ideas make a difference

Bring your innovative solutions and enthusiasm, and we will match them with our expertise in cleantech entrepreneurship development. At GCIP, we nurture early-stage start-up teams and SMEs developing cleantech innovations through a comprehensive end-to-end solution of progressive business acceleration services. GCIP equips start-ups and SMEs with the necessary skills to develop and validate robust business models.

By leveraging our network of financing partners, we connect high-potential entrepreneurs to investors and help them pilot their solutions in collaboration with the private sector. Our previous GCIP accelerators have already supported over 1,000 cleantech enterprises. We designed our programme to support cleantech innovation and entrepreneurship specifically in emerging and developing economies.

Our team attaches great importance to inclusivity and diversity in each of our partner countries – we make sure that our acceleration and upscaling offerings are accessible to everyone. GCIP has well-established expertise in the cleantech sector and understands industry-specific requirements and persistent problems. GCIP experts and mentors tailor their services to meet the individual needs of cleantech entrepreneurs.

INNOVATIONS

Get exclusive access to real high-impact solutions.

Gain exclusive access to high-impact cleantech solutions

Investment facilitation is an essential element for the success of GCIP. By utilizing our network of reliable financing partners nationally and globally, we connect high-impact innovators and their ideas to investors to make the green future a reality. Through collaboration with GCIP, investors gain exclusive access to credible cleantech solutions with potential. GCIP builds investment-ready and scalable cleantech innovations, mentored and selected for economic viability, environmental sustainability, social and gender-specific impact.

GCIP also helps start-ups and SMEs pilot their solutions in collaboration with the private sector, including international corporations. Early-stage entrepreneurs have promising market opportunities to develop cleantech innovations in partnership with large corporations. Such collaborations can then help corporations ensure their sustainability targets and commitments. With the knowledge and expertise acquired through GCIP, corporations can also incubate promising start-ups themselves and co-pilot projects.

Previous GCIP accelerators have helped and trained more than 1,000 enterprises in raising millions of dollars in funding, entering regional and global markets as well as joining large cleantech networks. Help GCIP alumni realize their potential. Join our network of investors and financing partners today to empower the innovators of tomorrow!

BUSINESSES

Build a long-lasting entrepeneurship ecosystem.

Help us build a better future

GCIP produces investment-ready and scalable cleantech solutions, selected, coached and mentored for economic viability, environmental sustainability, social and gender-specific impact. At GCIP, we strive to address climate challenges and deliver other environmental and socio-economic co-benefits, including job creation, gender and youth mainstreaming and economic growth. We make this a reality by harnessing the catalytic transformative potential of innovation and entrepreneurship.

We are open to new partner countries and constantly explore further sponsorship opportunities. For countries funding the programme, GCIP helps to contribute to targets set in their national policies and aligned with the Paris Agreement, both environmental and international development-related. For the private sector, in turn, collaboration with GCIP and its SMEs can be a source of innovative solutions and part of value chains in the globally interlinked economies.

With the help of additional funding and collaborations, GCIP has the potential for further expansion and upscaling as the largest cleantech innovation and entrepreneurship acceleration and support programme globally.

Are you looking for new impactful sponsorship opportunities to make a real change and position yourself among thought leaders and advocates of cleantech innovation and entrepreneurship? By sponsoring GCIP, you not only contribute to a greener and better future but also get access to unique marketing and networking opportunities.

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GCIP Country Partners

Call for Applications

National calls for application
in GCIP countries

National Selection

Screening & selection of national semi-finalists

National Academies First mentoring session for national semi-finalists

Mentoring & Training

Second mentoring session for national semi-finalists

National Judging

Selection of national programme finalist

Award Ceremony

Announcement of winners and
national award events

GCIP Global Forum

Selection of GCIP Global finalists
and award ceremony

GCIP Roadmap

Swipe to discover the stages

GCIP in a nutshell

Our focus, summarized

Innovating

Bringing transformative solutions to market for a greener future

Mentoring

Providing top-level expertise and tailored business training

Upscaling

Unleashing the full potential of cleantech innovators

Networking

Connecting innovators to investment and collaboration opportunities

Partnering

Leveraging the international network of UNIDO partners

Empowering

Enabling ventures to make a difference and become successful