GoogleDOTorg Impact Challenge on Climate Innovation 2022 ($5,000,000 in funding)

The Google.org Impact Challenge (GIC) is an open invitation to nonprofit organisations, social entrepreneurs, academic institutions, and research organisations worldwide to submit their ideas for projects that advance climate knowledge and action.

They are looking for projects that map emissions on a global scale, show people where to restore ecosystems, and help small businesses understand their carbon footprint to further our understanding of climate change through data and inform actions and strategies, building on Google.org’s Impact Challenge on Climate in 2020.

Funding

• Selected organizations will receive $5M USD in funding, along with access to Google’s technical expertise and products, to accelerate progress toward a more sustainable and resilient future.

Eligibility

• Open to any not-for-profit charity, other not-for-profit organization, public or private academic or research institution, or for-profit social enterprise company with a project that has an explicit charitable purpose.
• Your organization must have a registered office in your country of residence. Organizations located in Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR), or Syria and projects in those countries are not eligible to apply.
• Unfortunately, individuals without organizational affiliation are ineligible.
• For-profit businesses that are registered or formed under the laws of one of the eligible countries may apply if their suggested project has an explicit charitable purpose and they are willing to open source any IP created (or distributed) with the funding.
• Applications must be submitted in English.

Selection Criteria

• Ambition: They are looking for transformational solutions that have potential for global impact. While your idea does not need to immediately reach millions of people globally, you should articulate how it could ultimately do so. They encourage collaboration between multiple organizations, as coalitions may be helpful for achieving the scale of solutions Google.org is hoping to support.
• Impact: Projects should drive tangible, real world impact for both the climate and people. The proposal should explain how it will tackle climate change and/or the extent to which it will support others to do so too. Successful applications will be grounded in data and research.
• Innovative use of technology: Ideas should apply technology by creating or enabling new solutions and approaches. Applications can also propose innovative applications of existing technology – solutions that apply AI and machine learning are encouraged!
• Feasibility: Successful proposals will have well-developed and realistic execution plans supported with the resources and expertise needed for implementation. Taking on big, scalable ideas with technology at their core is difficult, and they look for teams that are equipped to implement the proposed project.

Application

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the application window will remain open until November 30, 2022.

Click here to apply