Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance

Deadline: 22 Dec 2020

Location: Worldwide

Contracting Authority: The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance

Lab-Guidelines_2020-2021 (pdf, 367 kB)

Climate finance entrepreneurs from all over the world can apply for the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance. We’re looking for innovative finance solutions that can unlock investment to tackle some of the most difficult climate and sustainable development challenges and investment opportunities for a post-COVID, green economic recovery.

What is the Lab looking for?

For the 2021 cycle, there is a special call for the Lab’s sustainable energy access and sustainable cities streams, and the Brazil and Southern Africa programs. At the same time, the Lab’s general program is accepting ideas that address barriers to sustainable investment in developing countries across the adaptation and mitigation spectrum.

• Climate Adaptation and Mitigation
• Sustainable Energy Access
• Sustainable Cities

How are ideas selected?

Successful ideas are selected by Lab Members and other experts based on the following criteria.

Actionable

• Identifies (1) the type of entity(ies) that could implement it, (2) the pathway towards implementation, including the timeframe, activities, and key milestones, and (3) possible challenges to implementation and related management strategies.

Innovative

• Demonstrates the ability to address, directly or indirectly, barriers to private climate finance that (1) have not yet been addressed or (2) that will be addressed more effectively compared to other instruments in the market.

Catalytic

• Demonstrates potential to (1) mobilize private climate capital within a sizeable market, (2) be scaled up or replicated in other contexts and, (3) achieve socioeconomic, development, and environmental impacts.

Financially Sustainable

• Identifies (1) a strategy to phase out public financial support, thereby achieving market viability and (2) possible challenges to achieving its intended objectives and related management strategies.

What happens if your idea is selected?

If your idea is selected by Lab Members, you will work with a team of analysts, key stakeholders, and experts to:

• Develop or refine the mechanics of your idea
• Survey comparable instruments, ensuring the final instrument is innovative and impactful
• Develop robust financial modeling
• Assess and document potential social and environmental impacts
• Map risks and risk mitigation strategies
• Develop a detailed implementation plan
• Produce promotional content
• Present your idea to donors and investors
• Potentially receive endorsement from the Lab

Who can supply?

• Individuals, public institutions, development finance institutions, private sector, and civil society (NGOs, think tanks, academics) are all welcome to submit ideas.
• Successful past proponents have included large institutions from the public and private sectors, as well as start-ups, entrepreneurs, boutique fund managers, and NGOs.
• The Lab’s call for ideas is open to all innovators in the sustainable finance space.

Funding

The Lab does not offer a fixed amount of seed capital as a part of the program. Proponents are provided with in-kind support equivalent to USD 200,000 from CPI. Concurrently, Lab Member institutions often directly invest in Lab instruments, with over USD $370 million in investment coming from Lab Members in the first five years of the Lab

The deadline is Tuesday, December 22nd, 2020 at 17:00 PST, and the new class will be known in February 2021. For any questions, get in touch at lab@cpiclimatefinance.org.

Link to original source: https://www.climatefinancelab.org/call-for-ideas/