Cleantech Challenge

The Cleantech Challenge 2027 is an international business plan competition for university students developing innovative solutions in clean technology and climate innovation. The competition is hosted by London Business School and is open to students enrolled at recognised universities anywhere in the world.

Who can apply:

• Current undergraduate, Master’s, MBA and PhD students

• Applicants must be at least 18 years old

• Participants must be enrolled at a recognised higher education institution as of January 1, 2027

• Teams must consist of at least 50% students

• There are no restrictions on academic background

• Applications are accepted internationally

Applicants can participate either individually or as part of an existing team. Those without a team or even without a specific project idea can apply individually and will have an opportunity to connect with other participants.

Competition stages:

Stage 1 — Your Idea: teams submit a short description of their clean technology idea, including its environmental impact, feasibility, scalability, target market, revenue model and competitive advantage.

Stage 2 — Your Pitch: selected teams prepare an investor-style pitch deck of up to 10 slides.

Final: finalist teams take part in a two-day in-person bootcamp at London Business School on April 27–28, 2027, receive mentoring from cleantech experts and present their projects to a jury. Attendance in person is mandatory for finalists.

Prize: finalists compete for a total of £40,000 in prize funding. Two winning teams will receive £20,000 each to help develop their solutions.

Deadlines:

• Individual applications: November 30, 2026

• Team applications / Stage 1: January 15, 2027

• Stage 2: February 12, 2027