The Digital and Green Innovation Joint Action is designed to advance the dual transition towards a green and digital economy, with a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation.

The initiative will support digital solutions that address environmental issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss, while also promoting circular and resilient local economies.

This Joint Action is funded by the European Union, Germany, Belgium, Estonia, and France, with implementation and expertise provided by these member states through their development agencies (GIZ, Enabel, ESTDEV, AFD, and Expertise France).

Enabel is responsible for implementing this Call for Proposals through its Innovation Hub – Wehubit, as part of the Digital and Green Innovation Joint Action.

What does the Call aim to achieve?

The purpose of this call for proposals is to locate and assist digital and green innovations (DGIs) that are either ready for scale-up or in the transition phase.

Assistance will be provided through grants, targeted technical support, and capacity-building initiatives.

What Type of Innovation is Suitable for This Call?

The jury will assess innovations based on three key criteria: innovation, scalability, and environmental impact.

Innovation

Enabel evaluates whether a solution qualifies as innovative by adhering to the following criteria:

- The solution must be new or novel in its specific context and at least 'new' or 'novel' to the target end-users.
- The solution should aim for transformative impact, going beyond simple improvements or efficiency gains.
- The solution is still in the development, testing, adaptation, adoption, or scaling phase, meaning it has not yet achieved its optimal sustainable scale.

Scaling:
This Call for Proposals seeks innovations that have a proven concept and are transitioning to or already in the scaling phase. Eligible solutions must have moved beyond the initial stages of ideation, prototyping, and testing. Wehubit supports scaling in terms of geographical expansion, reaching more or different users/beneficiaries, or enhancing the services offered by the innovation.

Digital and Green:
Digital and green innovations (DGIs) are defined as solutions using digital tools and technologies to contribute positively to at least one environmental objective, such as climate adaptation, resilience, mitigation, biodiversity protection, sustainable resource use, pollution reduction, resource efficiency, and promoting systemic shifts like the circular economy.

Digital tools and technologies are viewed not as goals but as means to address societal challenges and achieve sustainable social and economic impact within planetary boundaries.

This Call for Proposals will prioritize DGIs that align with the thematic priorities set by Enabel and its partners under the DGI Joint Action and Enabel Country Portfolios (detailed in Annex J of the Guidelines).

Thematic priorities include:
- Climate-smart agriculture and sustainable food systems
- Resilient cities and sustainable urban planning
- Water management and flood prevention
- Circular economy and e-waste management
- Sustainable, affordable, and clean energy.

Don't miss out on the application deadline which is 4 September 2024.

Scroll down below for more information and click on the official link attached to apply for this opportunity