Cleantech Innovation Competition

The Cleantech Innovation Competition is a joint initiative by the Embassy of Switzerland-Nairobi, SICPA and KCIC. The purpose of the competition is to support early-stage businesses in the cleantech sector that focus on solving environmental problems. The Cleantech Innovation Competition is an initiative aimed at providing a platform for higher education students in Kenya to showcase their innovative cleantech ideas and technologies that can be used to address local environmental issues. The competition is in line with the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs). Through strategic partnerships, KCIC will work to influence the creation of enabling legal and regulatory frameworks for clean tech businesses as well as the mainstreaming of the green growth and climate change agenda into the Kenyan economy. KCIC is engaged in five sectors: water; renewable energy and energy efficiency (RE & EE); agriculture; commercial forestry and waste management. By focusing on these sectors, KCIC (and its clients) will directly and indirectly contribute to the achievement of SDG 1 (no poverty); SDG 2 (no hunger); SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), and SDG 13 (climate action). Others are SDG 15 (life on land); SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production). The Kenya Climate Innovation Center, which is the implementing partner, is placing a call for applications to enrol cleantech technologies and related business ideas into the competition. The competition will address key challenges that hinder cleantech technologies and related innovative business ideas from tapping into the immense potential in the cleantech sector. The applications can be submitted online through the KCIC website. The call for applications will run from 10 th July 2026 to 10 th August 2026. Thereafter, evaluation of theapplications will be done and responses to the applicants will be communicated by KCIC by 15 th September 2026.

1. The applicant must be a university student in Kenya. 2. The application must be in the ideation stage 3. The application must clearly demonstrate how it addresses an environmental problem

The following criteria and scoring system will be used for evaluation of the eligible applications for this call. a) Scalability – does the innovation show clear and compelling mission to grow a sustainable and commercially viable business b) Climate Impact – The extent to which the proposed business/product/technology has an impact on climate mitigation OR climate adaptation OR environmental benefits. c) Job Creation - The potential of the proposed business/product/technology towards job creation. d) Progress to date – has the applicant taken key steps to move the idea forward? e) Innovation - is the business innovative in the way it addresses an identified problem in the market / has a unique business model?

I. All Applications must be submitted online through the Kenya Climate Innovation Center website Application portal II. The Applicants must complete an application form by answering a series of mandatory questions III. Personal information supplied in the application form such as names, addresses and date of birth should be verifiable, and the applicant is solely responsible for informing KCIC of changes in current contact methods indicated in their application. IV. The Applicant must provide current correspondence address, email and telephone numbers and inform of any changes during the review and onboarding process. V. Upon submission of the application form, an email will be sent to the Applicant or via the preferred contact method indicated in their application. VI. Once submitted, applications cannot be altered or amended. VII. Review of applications will commence immediately after client applications have been received in our system. Shortlisting of applicants will take place following the close of the Application Window.

The applications will be screened for eligibility as outlined below: a) Vetting All the potential projects that will respond to the call for proposal shall go through a vetting process which will see the qualified ones recruited into the competition. The criteria for selection and scoring system is clearly defined and documented below to ensure that there is an established, standardized, transparent and objective process. b) Selection and Onboarding of participants It is only after the vetting, selection and acceptance of the selected cleantech projects that shall be referred to as “participants” of the competition. The participants shall constitute those that will be taken through the pitching and communication training.  A scoring system will be used to provide each application with a score between 1 and 35 (35 being most successful). An application must score a minimum of 25 or 70% to be considered under the cleantech innovation competition.   Applications will be ranked on scores from top to bottom and all applicants will receive an official response on their application determining whether they were successful or not.  Applicants will be contacted via email regarding their application.

The following criteria and scoring system will be used for evaluation of the eligible applications for this call. a) Scalability – does the innovation show clear and compelling mission to grow a sustainable and commercially viable business b) Climate Impact – The extent to which the proposed business/product/technology has an impact on climate mitigation OR climate adaptation OR environmental benefits. c) Job Creation - The potential of the proposed business/product/technology towards job creation. d) Progress to date – has the applicant taken key steps to move the idea forward? e) Innovation - is the business innovative in the way it addresses an identified problem in the market / has a unique business model?

The following definitions shall apply: “Applicant” means an individual, group or project that submits their application information in the Kenya Climate Innovation Center application portal for review and possible selection into the Cleantech Innovation Competition. “Application” means the online entry form completed and submitted for the competition on the Kenya Climate Innovation Center Website. “Application Window” means the period commencing from 10 th July 2026 to 10 th August 2026 when Applications can be submitted. “Competition” refers to the Cleantech Innovation Competition “Participant/successful applicants” An applicant who is successfully onboarded in the Cleantech Innovation competition “Climate technologies/Climate Smart Innovations/cleantech solutions” means solutions used to address climate change “Climate Angle” means how the idea contributes to mitigation or adaptation to climate change, and/or have a positive impact on the natural environment, including biodiversity. This should contribute to social, economic and environmental resilience to climate related disruption and disaster Applicants’ innovations and enterprises contribute to the following; Mitigation: reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere or absorption of GHGs from the atmosphere. Adaptation: seeks to adjust natural and human environments to the likely disruption and damage that will result from the effects of climate change and focuses on measures which increase the resilience of vulnerable sectors, such as agriculture, water supply and infrastructure. Resilience: have the capacity of social, economic and environmental systems to effectively respond to climate related disruption or disaster. Thus, improving the ability of assets and systems that reduces risk, avoids maladaptation, unlocks development and creates inclusive benefits against the increasing prevalence and severity of climate- related stresses and shocks.

Kenya Climate Innovation Center and its competition affiliates reserves the right to cancel or amend all or any part of the Rules without notice. Any changes to the Rules will be posted on the Kenya Climate Innovation Center website. It is the responsibility of Successful Applicants to keep themselves informed as to any changes to the Rules. Kenya Climate Innovation Center shall not be liable for any loss suffered by a Successful Applicant due to any changes to the Rules, including failure to complete some or all tasks under the competition due to such change.  If for any reason the competition is not capable of running as planned for reasons including but not limited to tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, force majeure events or any other causes beyond the control of the Kenya Climate Innovation Center and its funding partners which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this program, Kenya Climate Innovation Center reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition and disqualify any Successful Applicant.  Kenya Climate Innovation Center shall not be liable for any loss arising from modification, suspension, or cancellation of the competition.

Kenya Climate Innovation Center is completely against fraud, bribery, corruption, unethical conduct and abuse of power or authority. Kenya Climate Innovation Center does not ask for money for applications or proposals. If approached for money or other favours, or if you have any suspicions of attempted fraud, bribery, corruption, unethical conduct and abuse of power or authority please report immediately and provide as much detail as possible with any reports. Likewise, if any fraud, bribery, corruption, unethical conduct and abuse of power or authority during the call process is discovered, Kenya Climate Innovation Center reserves the right to terminate the cooperation with the individual or project in question. Report to the Internal Auditor through any of the channels below:  Email: kcic.transparency@kenyacic.org  Toll Free Line: 0800 721 211  Report on KCIC Website: https://www.kenyacic.org/whistle-blow/  Postal Address  Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Climate Innovation Center, P.O Box 49162 - 00100, Nairobi. 48 Mokoyeti Road, West, Off-Langata road.