About the CleanTech Challenge

The CleanTech Challenge is a business plan competition that helps students from across the globe form teams and develop their clean technology business ideas through a 3-stage competition that runs from November through to April. Participants receive guidance, feedback and mentorship from industry professionals throughout the Challenge. 10 finalist teams compete in live "Boot Camp" finals in London for £10,000 in cash.

London Business School (LBS) and University College London (UCL) have hosted the Challenge since 2009 when it was set up by Tim Barnes of UCL and Dr Jeff Skinner of LBS. Previous winners include team Sunuru from Holland’s University of Delf, whose idea for ‘Urban Solar Panels’- solar panels specifically engineered to be easily integrated into an urban environment- has now flourished into a working young business. Other winning concepts have included wind turbines specially designed for low-speed winds, solar powered bicycle networks, an aerosol control technology that significantly reduces particulate emissions from diesel engines and an innovative idea to improve the efficiency of solar cells through the use of nanostructures.

What is CleanTech?

CleanTech represents a diverse range of products, services, and processes, including but extending well beyond renewable energy. We define it as "any business that has a significant and positive environmental impact." This includes business ideas that reduce:

• CO2 emissions
• Air, water or food pollution
• Destruction or consumption of natural resources
• Energy consumption
• Example sectors include:
• Renewable energy
• Waste and water management
• Energy demand
• Materials

A good list of sectors can be found at http://www.cleantech.com/what-is-cleantech/

How to apply

The 2014 CleanTech Challenge will kick off with a networking event in November 2013. Submission of Phase 1 initial ideas will be available from early 2014. Sign up to our newsletter for updates.

In the meantime, take a look at the competition outline, judging criteria and rules to check that you are eligible and for further information. If you have any questions, do please feel free to contact us.
We look forward to the CleanTech Challenge 2014 and to receiving your ideas!

National Coordinator

Tia Kansara is responsible for corporate sponsorship at the CleanTech Challenge and is the director of Kansara Hackney Ltd, a sustainable lifestyle consultancy. She is the global ambassador of the Sandbox network, a 950+ community of change makers and is completing her PhD at UCL Energy Institute on sustainable cities.

Contact:

Tia Kansara

Kansara Hackney Ltd

St Peters House

Windmill St

Macclesfield

SK11 7HS

[email protected]