South African Cleantech SME Accelerator Programme 2012/13

Entries for the second annual Cleantech SME Accelerator Programme are now open. The Cleantech Programme was launched last year to identify and provide support and exposure to new innovation clean technologies developed by South African entrepreneurs.  

It is currently managed by the National Cleaner Production Centre of South Africa (NCPC-SA) – a key industrial sustainability programme of the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) hosted by the CSIR.

Tracks and categories 

Interested South African Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) are being invited enter their clean technology innovations to the Programme by the closing date of Monday, 29 October 2012.  Submissions can be made in one of two tracks, namely:

1.     Break-through Technology Innovations; or

2.     Adaptive and Appropriate Technology Innovations.

Essentially this means that the innovation can either be a brand new technology or product, or it can be a unique adaptation of an existing technology.  Each of the two tracks includes five categories under which entries can be made.  These are:

• Renewable energy, including, solar, wind, geo-thermal, biofuels etc;
• Energy Efficiency, for example industrial process improvements, lighting systems, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning;
• Water Efficiency, covering technologies that support water management, quality and conservation;
•  Waste Minimisation, where technologies should minimise waste including air emissions, effluent, solid emissions and recycling; and
• Materials Efficiency, which focuses on innovations that will minimise material usage and maximise product output.

Process

Closing date for entries:  Monday, 29 October 2012

Submissions will be adjudicated by a panel representing business, industry, government and the academic/R&D fraternity.  Submissions that meet all criteria will be considered and a maximum of 40 semi-finalists will be selected.  Semi-finalists will then be supported through a process of business coaching, including a 2-3 day coaching workshop, to provide assistance with refining of their applications, after which they will submit a revised proposal.  

A second round of adjudication will take place, from which ten finalists (five from each track) will be selected.  Each of the ten finalists will present their submission at a high profile awards event in February 2013.  The adjudication panel will select one winner and one runner-up in each track.

 

Awards and prizes

Finalists will be acknowledged at an awards ceremony and the winners and runners up will receive generous cash prizes, media exposure, business support services and market linkage opportunities.  Details of the prizes will be posted on the NCPC-SA website and other new media platforms. 

Entries and enquiries

The first round requires a simple entry per entry form on the website:  www.ncpc.co.za .  Closing date for entries is Monday, 29 October 2012. Rules and conditions of entry are also outlined on the NCPC-SA website.

Enquiries:  Cleantech@csir.co.za  Tel (012) 841 3314 / 2506

Viridis Africa 2012 – clean tech investment gaining momentum

Second year running, Viridis Africa is gaining ground as the primary clean tech investment conference on the African continent.

The conference invites clean tech investors to listen to business proposals from clean tech entrepreneurs in fields ranging from water conservation, waste management, renewable energy, biomass, recycling to green building and green chemistry.

This year, a number of international funders, such as the Overseas Public Investment Corporation (OPIC) from the US and Osmosis Investments from the UK are participating in the Johannesburg-based conference.

Other institutional funders that are participating in the event include Lereko Metier, Trium Investments, the Industrial Development Corporation, Business Partners, Sterling Waterford Securities, the National Empowerment Fund and the Technology Innovation Agency.

Business case presenters include Bettalights, Biogaspro Agama, St Francis Biomass, Biogas Power, Renewable Energy Corporation, Gridcars, Facilicomm, Steenkampskraal Thorium, and the University of the Witwatersrand.

Whilst projects range in size from few tens of millions to hundreds of millions and greater, no sight is lost of smaller initiatives, predominantly those that engage in new technology engagements, as a matter of fact it is these initiatives that looking towards the future, may hold the greatest commercial promise.

Not unlike the leapfrogging that Africa experience in respect of the usage of mobile technologies and applications, whereby the usage of landlines are negated, similar expectation can be called on the emergence of clean technologies in the context of infrastructural development throughout the continent. That is to say, where fundamental services such as the provision of water and electricity, removal and recycling of waste, etc, is being introduced the latest and most efficient technological solutions can and will be deployed. Further, such solutions aside of their enviro-friendly and sustainable merits, will also allow economically marginalized communities to perhaps participate in certain economic benefits, thereby improving their life standards.

By the inherent quantum of the above said needs, it stands to reason that scale of economies can be achieved and thus although new technologies being introduced their cost can be well mitigated.

The organizers of the conference, Spindle Communications, in order to ensure the greatest exposure and continuity of interest in the projects and the available finance schemes have embarked on the introduction of various toolsets that would allow participants from within the continent and beyond to take proactive participation in seeking to fund other opportunities not presented at the event via online forums on Linked and real-time i-meet-you free application for mobile devices which allows participants and others to engage each other.