
CEIBIC CleanTech Challenge
Program Overview
Clean Energy Innovation and Business Incubation Centre presents its first Edition of CleanTech Challenge.
Electricity is the fastest-growing source of final energy demand, and over the next 25 years its growth is set to outpace energy consumption as a whole. The rapid rollout of renewable sources such as wind and solar PV puts electricity at the forefront of clean-energy transitions, providing access to the nearly 800 million currently deprived and helping to cut air pollution and meet climate goals.
We are looking for innovators and entrepreneurs with transformative technologies that have the potential to bring about deep and irreversible social, economic, and environmental impact.
Applications open for CEIBIC CleanTech Challenge
Focus Areas
Innovations across the entire energy lifecycle from generation to consumption for a broad range of sectors and use cases such as
- Smart appliances
- Clean Cooking
- Lighting
- Roof-top solar
- Standalone systems
- Waste heat recovery
- Low-carbon technologies
- Cogen
- Efficiency
- Carbon capture
- Electric vehicles
- Clean Efficient engines
- EV infrastructure
- Battery tech
- Renewables
- Grids & Micro-grids
- Battery
- IoT
- Cyber security
- Edge of grid technologies and storage
- Hydrogen storage
- Metering
- Billing
- Losses
- Demand-response
- Low tension automation
- Reliability and quality
- Digital services
Who can Apply?
Pre-Pilot Category
For innovation looking for support primarily in product commercialization and Go-To-Market Strategy, which are:
- Technology which is at a very early stage of development (lab/research), stage, but theoretical proof of concept exists
- Prototype has been designed but not built
- Early Prototype exists and early testing is underway/planned
Post-Pilot Category
For innovation which needs support in physical prototype development and testing, and has a quick (less than 12 months) timeline for MVP; including:
- At an advance stage of product development where prototype exists and at least one pilot has been carried out or proof of concept has been physically demonstrated
- Pre-commercial/fully functional lab prototype with some testing and feedback from users exists
- The product is ready and is already in the market and is looking for scale-up
Preference would be given to Start-ups – registered in the state of Kerala or innovators
who are willing to establish their entity in Kerala*
Winners to receive access to innovation labs for prototyping, techno commercial pilot opportunities, go to market support, pilot implementation grants and opportunity to pitch for pre seed and seed investments
Pilot Implementation Grant of Upto INR 25 lakhs
- Access to testing and prototyping labs at Energy Management Centre – Trivandrum and Clean Energy International Incubation Centre – Delhi
- R&D Support from Industry
- Go To Market Strategies
- Market Access Support
- Design for Manufacturing Support
- Mentorship Network
- International Collaborations
- Partnerships
- Opportunities to pitch for equity investments of up to INR 1 Crore
- Office space in Energy Management Centre – Trivandrum
- Shared Services Support
- Digital Service Credits
- Incubation Support from Social Alpha
Successful pilots may also look have the opportunity to receive work order from the partner organizations
Important dates
-
Challenge Launch
22nd June 2022
-
Applications Close
22nd August 2022
-
Announcement of First Cohort
10th October 2022
Partners





Terms and Conditions
Eligibility
- Any individual or group of individuals, whether incorporated or otherwise, regardless of age and nationality, who has an innovative idea that addresses social and climate in India (though not exclusively), is eligible to participate.
- Participating or proposed ventures should be independent entities, meaning that they should not be a subsidiary of an existing corporation or have legal ties to a government body.
- Existing non-profits can participate; however, they should propose a new venturing idea or a new plan to transform their existing solutions into a more sustainable solution.
- Category specific eligibility
Pre-pilot category
Any individual or group of individuals, whether incorporated or otherwise, with technology in the following Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) may apply to the Pre-pilot category:
- TRL 1: There are paper studies to support the technology’s basic properties
- TRL 2: Technology concept / application formulated
- TRL 3: Proof of Concept stage/Active R&D has been initiated. This includes analytical studies and laboratory studies to physically validate the analytical predictions of separate elements of the technology
- TRL 4: Basic technological components have been integrated to establish that they work together
Post-pilot category
Any individual or group of individuals, whether incorporated or otherwise, with solutions in the following TRL may apply to the post-pilot category:
- TRL 5: Technology has been put together and can be tested in a simulated environment
- TRL 2: Technology concept / application formulated
- TRL 3: Proof of Concept stage/Active R&D has been initiated. This includes analytical studies and laboratory studies to physically validate the analytical predictions of separate elements of the technology
- TRL 4: Basic technological components have been integrated to establish that they work together
Submissions And Participation
- Submissions which are incomplete will be deemed void and disqualified from the competition.
- Submissions should be the original work of the participant, and should demonstrate positive, sustainable and scalable social impact in India (though not exclusively in the region).
- Participants agree to the use of their names, photographs, disclosure of their country of residence, and are required to cooperate with any other reasonable requests by the organiser relating to any publicity-related activities.
- Participants are required to submit a declaration of good standing and solvency at the final stage of evaluation. If there is any change in circumstance that invalidates their good standing and solvency, the team is to immediately inform the organisers.
- All participants own the rights to their ideas. Participants must properly acknowledge any trademarks, patented or copyrighted materials of others that are incorporated into the submission materials. Participants are responsible for obtaining any necessary permission before incorporating such materials into their submissions.
- Submitted ideas are protected in the spirit of non-disclosure, and all submitted materials will be treated as company confidential. The only people with access to the entry materials will be judges and select members of the organising committee. Materials will not be distributed to any other party unless requested by a participant. No other provisions are made to protect intellectual property.
- As an effort to support the innovation ecosystem, for research purposes, non-sensitive data may be shared with government agencies or partner organizations. The participant’s personal identity, name, family name, phone number, address, or email address will not be used in any public collateral.
- Participants are advised not to disclose critical information which would affect a successful filing of patent(s). All presentations are open to the general public, and some presentations may be videotaped.
Attendance by media personnel is expected in the final round(s). Any data or information discussed or divulged in public sessions by participants should be considered information that will likely enter the public realm, and entrants should not assume any right of confidentiality in any data or information discussed, divulged or presented in these sessions.
Decisions Regarding The Winners
- The selection of the ‘Winners’ is at the sole discretion of the judges and the organisers from Social Alpha and partnering organizations. Best efforts will be made to make decisions in accordance with this document.
- Throughout any and all phases of Techtonic, all decisions of the judges are final.
Disqualification And Organisers’ Right To Amend Competition Rules
- The organisers of Techtonics reserve the right to disqualify any Participant who is found to have violated the spirit of the program guidelines and terms and conditions stated herein. Disqualified participants shall forfeit any and all prizes awarded to them.
- The organisers reserve the right to amend these rules at any point before the Closing Date of Techtonics in line with the overall goal of the program.
- The indicated dates for Techtonics may be revised at any point of time by the Organisers. Any change in schedule will be suitably intimated on the Techtonics webpage and on other relevant platforms.
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