Applications are now open for the IRENA NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator – Cohort 2025 for young entrepreneurs

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Closing Date: 10 May 2025

Applications are now open for the IRENA NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator – Cohort 2025 for young entrepreneurs

IRENA NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator – Cohort 2025

The International Renewable Energy Agency is launching the IRENA NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator (NewGen) for the third year in a row in partnership with Enel Foundation and Social Alpha. Youth-led start-ups, scale-ups, and growth businesses now can be supported by IRENA to foster their growth and business acceleration. Join this four-month hybrid acceleration programme to work closely with renewable energy and business experts to consolidate your business model, widen your customer base and enhance your investment readiness.

Accelerator participants will benefit from:

Tailored acceleration programme in renewable energy and climate technology
Webinars, workshops, and dedicated mentorship by IRENA
Access to pitching events and investment matchmaking

Eligibility and Rules

Call for applications will be open for submissions between 10:00 GST / 8:00 CEST on 23 April 2025 and 23:59 GST / 21:59 CEST on 10 May 2025.
Selected participants will be announced by IRENA on 26 May 2025 at www.irena.org and through the Agency’s social media channels.
Call for applications is open to young entrepreneurs between 18 and 35 years old from all over the world.
At least one founder of the start-up to be below the age of 35.
By entering the selection process, participants guarantee that the submitted documentation is an original work created solely by the applicants and that it does not infringe on copyrights, trademarks and the rights of privacy, publicity, or intellectual property rights of any person or entity.
At least two of the start-up founders are committed by 16 hrs each month for attending the accelerator sessions.
Start-up main business line should be in the following categories:
- Renewable Energy technologies (solar, wind, hydropower, green hydrogen, geothermal and bio energy)
- Climate adaption technologies (water, agriculture, livestock, extreme weather events, early warning system)
- Climate Mitigation technologies (transportation, decarbonization, circular economy, energy efficiency, energy transformation and smart grids)
At least two of the start-up founders are committed by 16 hrs each month for attending the accelerator sessions.
By entering the selection process, participants guarantee that the submitted documentation is an original work created solely by the applicants and that it does not infringe on copyrights, trademarks and the rights of privacy, publicity, or intellectual property rights of any person or entity.

Background about the project

As part of the efforts to further empower youth in the energy transition, IRENA, with the support of the United Arab Emirates, has established the NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator (NewGen) programme in 2023 to support the development and implementation of youth-led solutions in the climate and sustainable energy sectors by acting as a global showcase for youth-led innovation and solutions from all around the globe.

The NewGen aims to empower the youth to be active participants in the energy transition by accelerating their innovation and providing them with the tools, knowledge, and support needed to develop and implement their ideas in the climate and sustainable energy sectors.

The programme offers a unique opportunity for young people to connect, learn, and grow with peers, mentors, and experts from around the world, and showcase their solutions to potential investors and partners. It will comprise a series of training, mentoring, and knowledge-sharing activities, along with market/investor linkages designed to scale business impact, boost youth climate/sustainable energy impact, and help them secure investments to implement their business plans and solutions.

IRENA collaborates closely with its partners to provide successful participants with access to funding opportunities, business networks, and other resources to help them bring their ideas to market. Additionally, IRENA launched the IRENA Youth Award to recognize the best solutions developed through the Accelerator Programme and provide winners with further support to scale up their ideas and solutions.

In a rapidly changing world, it is essential to support the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs to find solutions to the pressing challenges of our time. The IRENA NewGen Renewable Energy Accelerator (NewGen) is an important step towards achieving a more sustainable future and empowering young people to be agents of change in the energy transition.