Climate-KIC is a community that was created to spread knowledge and promote innovation surrounding the climate change challenge, and to foster the development and creation of a low-carbon society.
It is a European initiative promoted by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).
Climate-KIC currently numbers over 150 international organisations from 13 European countries, including Italy. These include universities, research organisations, businesses, NGOs, regional and national administrations, innovation agencies, clusters and so on.
In Italy, Climate-KIC srl promotes the initiative in Emilia-Romagna and throughout the country, and coordinates the Italian organisations that join the community.
Climate-KIC has three main areas of activity: innovation support, training and education, and promotion of entrepreneurship.
With regard to startup support, Climate-KIC promotes three major programs that are coordinated by ASTER in Italy. These are: Climate-KIC Accelerator, ClimateLaunchpad and Greenhouse.
Climate-KIC Accelerator Italy
This program supports the development of innovative startups that focus on climate change issues. The beneficiaries have access to mentorship, consultancy, training and contributions. Projects can participate in the annual European Climate-KIC Venture Competition, which each year rewards the best startups supported by collocation centres and regional centres.
The program was implemented in 2011 by ASTER, which every year selects around 15 startups to access a full package of acceleration services.
The program is aimed at startups from all over the country and is organised into three successive phases that allow selected businesses and startup projects to:
- acquire basic knowledge and develop their startup business model,
- validate the business model through meetings with the first customers,
- develop the market and make themselves ready to meet investors.
Startups selected for all three phases access a 50.000 € acceleration services package of consultation and contributions, as well as selected startup opportunities in various nationwide Climate-KIC acceleration programs. For example, startups have access to masterclasses, networking events and overseas missions.
Tender notifications and paperwork are available on the dedicated page.
ClimateLaunchPad
ClimateLaunchpad is Climate-KIC's clean tech enterprise competition across 27 countries. In Italy, it is promoted by ASTER, who select the best business ideas from across the country.
The competition began in 2015 and has four steps:
1) selection of the best ideas at national level
2) national supervised training course
3) national finals
4) European finals
In 2016, the finals took place in Tallinn in Estonia.
More information is available on the dedicated page.
Greenhouse
Climate-KIC offers the Greenhouse pre-incubation programme to starting entrepreneurs who have a climate business idea and the motivation to make it happen.
You will find tailored workshops, a community of climate entrepreneurs, the support to further develop your idea and create or improve your business plan and you'll have access to a reimbursement of 2.500 € for the business idea validation.
The programme accept both students and professionals.
