Applications are now open for the 2026 ISC3 Innovation Challenge in Sustainable Chemistry and Climate Change. Following the final pitch event held during the ISC3 Investor Forum at the Impact Festival on 26 and 27 November, the topic of the new ISC3 Innovation Challenge 2026 has been announced! This time, it will focus on the topic of Sustainable Chemistry and Electronic.
Eligible participants:
- Eligible are 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? Is the idea commercially feasible?
- Sustainability. What is the sustainability impact of the innovation?
Benefits
Finalists will receive:
- Tailored support: access to Global Start-up Service Customised Support
- Visibility: promotion of your innovation via ISC3 communication channels
- Networking: participation in the Investor Forum 2026
- Training: individual and group pitch training for preparation of your Investor Forum 2026 pitch
- Cash prizes: the overall Innovation Challenge Winner will receive a cash prize of 15,000 EUR. The two separate categories “Best Social Impact” and “Best Regional Impact » OR “Special Impact” are endowed with cash prizes amounting to 5,000 EUR each.
Timeline:
- Deadline for proposal submission: May 4th, 2026, 0:00 a.m. CET
- Jury Evaluation: May 6th, 0:00 a.m. CEST – June 16th, 2026, 0:00 a.m. CEST
- Finalist announcements: End of June, 2026
- Finalist pitch training: July-September 2026
