Cleantech ForEst Fixing Climate Change
Pioneers into Practice program aims at creating innovation, business and new practices to build a low carbon society. The program trains hundreds of innovation experts from 20 countries each year through practical experience.
The experts acquire the skills to initiate change in a systematic way. According to Kadri Kaarna, projects lead at Cleantech ForEst, the program has very high practical value. Every third participant in Estonia has changed their professional career as a result of the program. "Last year a startup called MUUT was created by the foreign experts, who came to Estonia through the program. The team participated in the EdTech Hackathon and ended up winning it," Kaarna added.
ClimateLaunchpad is the world’s largest green business idea competition aiming at growing cleantech ideas into sustainable businesses. It is already an established program, organised for several years in Estonia, but the ongoing crisis caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus gives new impetus to the competition, says Erki Ani, the CEO of Cleantech ForEst.
Due to a web-based program, 100,000 startups will be trained over the next decade. Ani is especially looking forward to the upcoming season, because of the many challenges posed by the crisis. „The crisis always brings brilliant new solutions to the market, also in the field of cleantech,“ he added.
Pioneers into Practice lasts from May to November. Experts, who enter the program, will go through e-learning, workshops, coaching, group project challenges and a 4-6 week placement with a € 2,000 grant. Applications are open until 23. April.
ClimateLaunchpad provides a 3-month mentorship program for pre-seed green startups or teams with an idea. The program kicks off with an intensive Boot Camp, which is followed up by coaching sessions. After the local finals the best teams continue to a worldwide competition with hundreds of other green business ideas with a grand prize of € 10,000. Applications are open until 25. April.
Cleantech ForEst is a cleantech business support organization founded in 2016. The NGO has funded 23 startups and supported 41 young sustainability experts, who focus on tackling climate change, like Reverse Resources and Roofit Solar Energy.
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