Expression of Interest for ClimAccelerator Organisers

The purpose of this Call for Expression of Interest is to find partners who can collaborate with us to run the ClimAccelerator programme across Europe and Asia. We are seeking experienced organizations that can help us scale the programme in these regions 

We are looking for organizations such as accelerators, incubators, innovation hubs, and other entities with expertise in supporting startups and a strong focus on climate innovation. Ideal partners should have a solid track record in managing similar programmes and a network of relevant stakeholders. 

Yes, organizstions are welcome to apply as a consortium. In such cases, the application should clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of each consortium member and demand owners and how they will collaborate/contribute to deliver the ClimAccelerator programme. 

Our mission is to establish unparalleled prominence by building the world’s foremost climate-focused accelerators. For this Expression of Interest round, we have selected three thematic areas for our partners: Agriculture, Blue Economy & Industrial Decarbonisation. Please see above for more information. 

Various organisations ask us about which countries they can include in their ClimAccelerator. 

For applicants in Asia, applicants must operate within one of the below countries: 

Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Laos, Nepal, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Australia, Indonesia, Hong Kong 

For applicants in Europe, applicants must operate within one of the below countries 

– The Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU) including their outermost regions. 

– Third countries associated to Horizon Europe here 

ClimAccelerator partners will be responsible for: 

• Integrate the ClimAccelerator branding in your materials-Specific templates & Guidelines are offered! 
• Use as much of the 3-stage model DNA as possible. Please see below for more information 
• Offer a standalone programme with a unique Name and Scope/Theme ( i.e. Rural Spain ClimAccelerator) 
• Timeline: ClimAccelerator organizers are expected to commence in the Q3/Q4 of this year 
• Start-ups: Support a minimum of 7 startups per programme/batch, to deliver climate-positive impact at scale. The startups must be incorporated & registered in your country 
• Climate Impact: Report clear climate impact calculations from all supported start-ups (Climate Impact Hypothesis) 
• Reporting: Share core data about the cohort & feedback about the programme! 

• Tailored Tools: Our open-sourced ‘Operating System’ provides everything you need to successfully run your own ClimAccelerator, including management tools, content, coaching and mentoring networks, and more. 
• Climate Impact: We’ve developed a Climate Impact Framework that presents climate impact indicators alongside financial key performance indicators, allowing start-ups to assess and validate their credibility and business potential. 
• Financial Support: No direct funding or grants, but we offer access to exclusive fundraising and investment opportunities and many ClimAccelerators are eligible for grant funding from external sponsors. 
• Global Network: Join the EIT Climate-KIC Community of 400+ organisations across the globe working to drive a net-zero carbon transition. 
• Narrative: Branding and communication materials for fundraising and positioning. Your accelerator becomes part of a bigger story powered by a globally recognised brand, in affiliation with the EU and EIT Climate-KIC. 

No, for this year, the ClimAccelerator does not provide financial support to partner organizations. However, selected partners will receive access to a range of resources, networking opportunities, and support from the ClimAccelerator team to effectively run the program. We are committed to ensuring that our partners have the necessary support to deliver a successful ClimAccelerator program. 

The ClimAccelerator will support startups that focus on innovative solutions to climate change. The startups need to be officially incorporated prior to the beginning of the programme. Additionally, EIT Climate-KIC and the partner will decide on specific selection criteria (such as Technology and Business Readiness Levels) based on the challenge and the needs of the programme, in each case separately.  

Excellence: Clarity and pertinence of the objectives, and the extent to which the proposed work is ambitious, and goes beyond the state of the art. 

Impact: Credibility of the pathways to achieve the expected outcomes and impacts 

Uniqueness: The specific added value of the programme 

Climate-KIC portfolio strategic fit: The evaluation of how well the proposed program aligns with and 

supports the strategic goals and objectives of the Climate-KIC portfolio 

Financial Sustainability: Capacity to cover expenses, allocate resources effectively, and demonstrate financial preparedness for sustainable implementation. 

Selected partners will be announced by end of September. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application. 

Branding: We do co-branding with both brands next to each other where we together decide on the name of the ClimAccelerator (further examples here: https://climaccelerator.climate-kic.org/programmemes/)  

 Climate Impact Framework: The CIF is a standardized method that your supported startups will utilize to create a hypothesis, forecast, and actually validate and document a calculation of their climate and social impact. This methodology is a proved tool that we have been using for many years now across all programmemes.  See further info here: https://impact-forecast.com  

Impact Data Criteria: The data will be calculated in the Climate Impact Framework and it takes place right after the Climate Impact Hypothesis. It is a mandatory process for all of the startups and the ClimAccelerator programmeme 

We have a dedicated funding team focused on raising larger funds to support our entrepreneurship programmes in various parts of the world. While many conversations are ongoing, we do not want to set expectations prematurely. Additionally, we are listed as partners in the fundraising proposals of our organizers, providing letters of recommendation, fundraising materials, and participating in some discussions. Depending on the proposal, we may be named as a knowledge partner or even a delivery partner! 

For this year, you may pay a strongly-encouraged-yet-voluntary revenue share as contribution to the license of our ClimAccelerator. 

To support Organisers around the world in running ClimAccelerators requires significant resources. EIT Climate-KIC is responsible for acquiring these resources and needs help from the community of ClimAccelerator Organisers . For this year, you may pay a strongly-encouraged-yet-voluntary revenue share as a contribution to the license of our ClimAccelerator.  

Yes, there are investors from angel investors/seed-stage to advanced stages active, very diverse! 

For more information, please contact Alexandros Nikopoulos at alexandros.nikopoulos@climate-kic.org or climaccelerator@climate-kic.org.  Our team will be happy to answer any questions and provide additional details about the ClimAccelerator programme and the Call for Expression of Interest.