ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2023 – Sustainable Chemistry and Agriculture (€25,000 total prize)
Deadline: 3rd of April, 2023
The ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2023 – Sustainable Chemistry and Agriculture is now accepting applications.
The annual ISC3Innovation Challenge is organized around a chosen focal issue that is chosen once a year.
Startups from across the world are encouraged to compete for a total of 25,000 EUR in prize money with their original concepts related to the current year’s emphasis issue.
Sustainable Chemistry and Agriculture is the focus of the ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2023. Innovators creating remedies in the fields of Sustainable Chemistry and Agriculture are the focus of the current Fourth Innovation Challenge, which has the following subtopics.
- Fertilizers: efficient use of organic and inorganic fertilizers; avoidance of over-fertilization
with potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus; supply and use of alternative fertilizers and
further solutions for replenishing soil fertility and maintaining or re-establishing soil health
(incl. CO2 sequestration) - Nutrient recovery in soil, plants, feedstocks, products, etc. (such as secondary nutrients in
plants, e.g.) - Precision farming: use of digitalisation and automation for resource efficient farming; point
application of fertilizers, pesticides, and water - Crop protection: production and use of natural biocides /biopesticides; benign substitutes
for pesticides; biocide leasing as business model - Water: Intelligent water supply; water harvesting, avoidance of water contamination with
fertilizers - Renewable energy and agriculture: use for desalination to provide fresh water; ammonia
synthesis with green hydrogen - Valorisation of agricultural waste: circularity approaches in agriculture
- Shelf-life extension solutions for fruits, vegetables, seeds, etc.
- Solutions fostering reduced externalized costs (biodiversity loss, drinking water pollution,
soil compaction, erosion, etc.)
Prizes:
Five finalists will receive:
- Tailored support: access to Global Start-up Service Customised Support
- Visibility: promotion of your innovation via ISC3 communication channels
- Cash prizes: the overall Innovation Challenge Winner will receive a cash prize of €15,000.
- The two separate categories “Best Social Impact” and “Best Regional Impact” are endowed
with cash prizes amounting to €5,000 each.
Eligibility:
- Open to all innovators and entrepreneurs, i.e., persons owning or representing the
proposed innovation, employed by organisations including research institutes, start-ups,
small-medium sized enterprises, or comparable institutions active in the development and
realisation of sustainable chemistry solutions. - Enterprises participating in the challenge shall have a staff headcount not exceeding 50 (full
time equivalent) and an annual turnover of max. 10 million Euro. - Enterprises majority-owned by large enterprises are not eligible for the award, except for
innovations leading to the creation of independent spin-offs. - Proposals submitted by innovators and entrepreneurs from developing countries and
tackling challenges in developing countries are considered as particularly important. - Female entrepreneurs are specifically encouraged to submit a proposal.
Assessment Criteria:
The proposals will be assessed against the three main criteria:
- Innovation level. Is the innovation unique, distinct, and truly original?
- Business viability. What is the market potential of the innovation?
- Sustainability. What is the sustainability impact of the innovation?
Application:
Applications are organized in two stages. First stage application deadline by April 3, 2023, second stage
application deadline by May 31, 2023; 0:00 a.m. CEST.
