The Climate Reality Project Incubator 2023 Global Shapers Community

Want to start a hub project to combat the climate crisis? Looking for guidance, expertise and funding opportunities to make it happen?

The Climate Reality Project and Global Shapers Community is holding the third edition of the climate project incubator for Global Shapers! The programme kicks off with six weeks of live workshops and sessions, followed by four weeks to craft the project proposal, and one year to implement and complete the project. Participating hub teams will design a project from scratch with expert mentorship and advice. Hubs will leave the incubator with an action plan that sets your project up for success. There will be funding of up to 3,000 USD to support your project distributed by the Global Shapers Community. Additional funding will be available in Fall 2023 for projects that are ready to scale and accelerate further.

Contents:

1. What is The Climate Reality Project Incubator?
2. Who should participate?
3. What are the funding opportunities?
4. Who is eligible?
5. What are the requirements?
6. What can I expect to learn?
7. How can I apply?

What is The Climate Reality Project Incubator?

The Climate Reality Project Incubator is designed for Global Shaper hubs to plan hub projects addressing climate change that are meaningful, appropriate, and impactful in their communities. Participants will be provided with the skills and tools necessary to turn an idea into a project that is equitable, sustainable, and long-lasting.

Who should participate?

The incubator will be a great fit for you and your hub if:

• You want to launch a project that tackles climate change in your city
• You have a general climate change issue you want to solve. Some examples include: deforestation, policy, oceans, food waste, transportation, consumption patterns, increasing your country's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) ambitions, etc.
• You might have a general project idea and solution to this issue, but you have not yet developed a detailed project plan. It's also okay if you know what problem you want to address but don't have a project idea in mind.
• You might have an existing climate project. You can “incubate” it through this programme as long as you are looking to improve, change, or expand the project.
• You have interest and commitment from the members of your hub, and your Curator is committed to ensuring the implementation of the project in 2023.
• You have at least three (3) representatives from your hub who can commit to full participation in the incubator. At least one member of the hub must attend each session. However, multiple members can attend sessions if they would like (there is no cap).

What are the funding opportunities?

Hub teams that complete the incubator in full will receive a microgrant of up to 3,000 USD to kick-start the project.

From experience, we know that not all hubs are legally eligible to receive a transfer of funds. Your hub must be legally eligible to receive a transfer of charitable funds from Switzerland (it must be a registered legal entity with a bank account in its name or have a signed agreement with a Fiscal Sponsor). We will work through the options 1:1 with participating hubs to find a solution wherever one might exist.

Who is eligible?

Any team of at least three (3) Global Shapers can apply to participate in the incubator and lead a project on behalf of their hub.

To be eligible for participation in the incubator:

• You must have interest and commitment from the members of your hub, and your Curator must be committed to ensuring the implementation of the project in 2023.
• You must have at least three representatives from your hub who can commit to full participation in the incubator. At least one member of the hub must attend each session. However, multiple members can attend sessions if they would like (there is no cap).
• You can participate and “incubate” an existing project, as long as you are looking to improve, change, or expand the project.
• If your project is well-established and you are primarily seeking financial assistance, then the incubator is not recommended. There will be an opportunity in Fall 2023 for Global Shapers to submit this kind of project for exposure and funding through the World Economic Forum.
• You can apply to participate in the incubator even if your hub has received a grant from The Climate Reality Project in the past. This will not disqualify the hub from participation or grant funding.

To be eligible to receive grant funding:

• Your hub must be legally eligible to receive a transfer of charitable funds from Switzerland (it must be a registered legal entity with a bank account in its name or have a signed agreement with a Fiscal Sponsor).
• You must not fail to attend any live sessions (extreme circumstances will be considered).
• You must complete and submit a final project plan.

What are the requirements?

Incubator live sessions will take place between 20 February and 12 March 2023. Live sessions will take place once per week for the duration of the programme. Each incubator session will be offered twice to accommodate Global Shapers in different time zones. Group A will meet on Tuesdays at 17:00 ET / 23:00 CEST, while Group B will meet on Wednesdays at 8:00 ET / 14:00 CET.

In total, your hub will dedicate three hours of work per week to the incubator. Two hours will be spent on live sessions, and we estimate that you should plan to dedicate another hour per week to completing project-planning tasks.

In your application, you will need to identify specific members of your hub who can commit to attending each session. Your Curator will need to sign-off on participation to signal that they are committed to seeing the project implemented in 2023. At least one member of your hub team must attend each session. However, multiple members can attend sessions if they would like (there is no cap).

A mandatory Q&A session will be scheduled outside of this schedule.

What can I expect to learn?

Each week’s live session will delve into a different facet of planning a climate project. Each lesson will build on the one before it, so that by the end of the incubator, your hub will create a detailed project plan that is ready to succeed.

DISCOVER

WEEK 1: From an issue to an idea: Theory of Change (21 February at 17:00 ET / 23:00 CET or 22 February at 8:00 ET / 14:00 CEST)

• The introductory week will outline the qualities of a long-lasting, impactful and sustainable project and push Shapers to brainstorm solutions to their communities' climate action needs.

WEEK 2: From an idea to a project: Centering equity and justice (28 February at 17:00 ET / 23:00 CEST or 1 March at 8:00 ET / 14:00 CEST)

• The second week will ensure that hubs are developing projects in an equitable and just way from the first stage of planning and conception all the way through project completion and reporting.

DEFINE

WEEK 3: Involving the community (7 March at 17:00 ET / 23:00 CEST or 8 March at 8:00 ET / 14:00 CEST)

• The third week will include identifying appropriate local and global partners for the project. The session will guide Shapers on how to effectively network, reach out and build up partnerships that are mutual, transformational and transparent.

DESIGN

WEEK 4: Hub Engagement (14 March at 17:00 ET / 23:00 CEST or 15 March at 8:00 ET / 14:00 CEST)

• The fourth week will provide Shapers with strategies to maintain hub engagement throughout their project. This will include outlining capacity within their hubs and individual Shaper expertise.

WEEK 5: Sustaining the Project's Future (21 March at 17:00 ET / 23:00 CEST or 22 March at 8:00 ET / 14:00 CEST)

• The fifth week will delve into the sustainability of projects by identifying ways to achieve social, economic and environmental sustainability. It will also provide Shapers tips and best practices for budgeting, planning funding-dependent scenarios and timelines, identifying strategies for requesting donations, and submitting project grants.

DEPLOY & DISSEMINATE

WEEK 6: Project Planning (28 March at 17:00 ET / 23:00 CEST or 29 March at 8:00 ET / 14:00 CEST)

• The last week of the Incubator will provide Shapers opportunities to give each other feedback on their final project proposals.

Office Hours: There will be a mandatory Q&A session scheduled during the four weeks of proposal drafting and refining.

How can I apply?

To apply to the The Climate Reality Project Incubator:

• Assemble your hub team and start thinking about climate challenges present in your community.
• Fill out the application form until 1 February 2023.
• Contact sophia.simmons@weforum.org with questions.