As a response to the urgency and the need for climate action, the Ministry for Environment, Climate Change and Planning has launched the #ClimateOn campaign, a first of its kind for Malta. As part of this #ClimateOn campaign, the Ministry for Environment, Climate Change and Planning and JCI Malta launched an intensive twenty-week/five-month educational programme for startups, with the support of Malta Enterprise. We established the programme ‘Seedgreen’ to help young innovators fulfill the potential of their ideas, develop them, and turn them into a viable business opportunity or project implementation to lead the Maltese islands towards climate neutrality.

Participants had five months to develop a proof-of-concept project based on an early-stage prototype. Along the way, participants met tutors and mentors who steered them from a high-level plan to an in-depth formal business or workable project. During the programme, participants also had the possibility to team up and compete to develop the very best sustainable propositions. All this material was converted into JCI Digital courses. This on-demand material will continue increasing awareness of JCI with current and future members.

Participants needed to demonstrate their ability to function beyond the scope of Seedgreen and operate self-sufficiently within the Maltese markets, economy and territory. This commitment entailed a sustained vision for the innovation to ensure its maximum potential. To a certain degree, this aspect also included elements of competitiveness that will ensure that the green solution will exist and compete with current market players or if the idea fills in a new market niche.

Following the Accelerator stage of the programme, 6 start-up ideas were chosen:

• Tal-Kampanjol by Pierre Axiaq & Clyde Zammit 
• Growrs by Luke Dimech
• Ecowash by Amy Sargent
• Receipts.mt by Matthew Sacco
• e-rota by Sorin Frosin
• PlantB by Karin Caligari

Out of these 6, 3 were selected in order to receive the seed grant that would help them proceed with their green business idea. The winners of the first edition of SeedGreen were:

1. Tal-Kampanjol by Pierre Axiaq & Clyde Zammit won the €12,000 prize
2. Ecowash by Amy Sargent won the €10,000 prize
3. PlantB by Karin Caligari won the €8,000 prize