Climate Project Grant Challenge 2023 Global Shapers Community

Calling on Global Shapers with hub projects that combat the climate crisis!

Today, Global Shapers are driving dialogue, action, and change in communities around the world. So how can we utilize the Global Shaper network to drive climate action? This challenge is a global call for hub projects that advance community-based solutions to the devastating consequences of climate change.

The impacts of the climate crisis continue to devastate communities around the world. Global Shapers have the grassroots knowledge, global perspective, and passion to address the climate crisis at local and regional levels. Global Shapers and alumni represent a network of over 16,000 people across 505 city-based hubs in 150 countries and territories. By taking local climate action around the world, Global Shapers have the capacity to combat the climate crisis on a global scale.

This fourth edition of the Climate Project Grant Challenge is led by the Global Shapers Community and The Climate Reality Project. This challenge is open for applications from 19 June 2023 – 11 September 2023 and is made possible through our partnership with Rosamund Zander.

Learn more here:

1. What is the Climate Project Grant Challenge 2023?
2. Who is eligible to apply?
3. What are the funding opportunities?
4. What are the criteria and review process?
5. How can I receive feedback on my application?
6. How can I apply?

What is The Climate Grant Challenge 2023?

The Climate Project Grant Challenge 2023 is designed to provide funding to support Global Shaper hub projects addressing climate change that are meaningful, appropriate, and impactful in their communities. Grants are available at two levels of funding: up to 5,000 USD and up to 10,000 USD.

Who is eligible to apply?

The Climate Project Grant Challenge will be a great fit for you and your hub if you meet the below criteria:

Hub Engagement

• 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 and 2024.
• You have at least three (3) representatives from your hub (including yourself) who can commit to full participation in the project.

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 can apply to participate even if your hub has received a grant from The World Economic Forum in the past. This will not disqualify the hub from grant funding.

From experience, we know that not all hubs are legally eligible to receive a transfer of funds. We will work through the options one-on-one with participating hubs to find a solution wherever one might exist. Please refer to this guide for detailed information on the Funding & Fiscal Sponsor process.

Project- you meet at least one of the below conditions:

• Your hub has a climate change issue you want to solve in your community through mitigation or adaptation and require funding to start a project.
• Your hub participated in one of the editions of The Climate Reality Project Incubator and can meaningfully scale your hub’s project through additional funding.
• Your hub has an existing climate project and requires funding to advance, improve, change, and/or expand the project.

Please note that priority will be given to project’s that address one or more of the below topic areas:

• Climate Finance: Move public funding rapidly toward financing a just transition to clean energy.
• Anti-Greenwashing: Expose greenwashing efforts and strengthen public resistance and/or inoculation.
• Emissions Reduction: Reach 50% global emissions reduction from 2005 levels by 2030. No funding for and/or development of new or existing fossil fuel infrastructure.
• Conference of the Parties (COP28): Hold governments accountable to emissions reduction and financing pledges.
• Please note: This should be a project based around COP28 goals, not funding to support Shapers attending COP28

What are the funding opportunities?

Your hub may apply to receive a grant of either up to 5,000 USD or up to 10,000 USD to kick-start or expand the climate project.

Please only apply for the amount required to execute your project to ensure there are as many funding opportunities for different hubs as possible.

What are the criteria and review process?

Applications are assessed against the following criteria:

• Needs-Based Innovation:Relevance of the project to the climate area as experienced by implicated communities and as informed by science.
• Project Impact: Equitable planning, execution, core benefits, and post engagement. Evidence of impact on climate change mitigation and/or adaptation as well as on frontline communities. Transparency, relevance, and consistency of metrics and indicators.
• Community-Based Partnerships: Relationship to communities implicated in, collaborating on, or affected by the project. Transparency of distribution of financial benefits and recognition of partners and communities.
• Financial Viability: Proposed grant allocation aligns realistically with project goals and offers a plan for long-term project sustainability and/or project completion.

Please Note: The project must be a Global Shaper hub project and NOT the work of an individual Shaper.

Applications will be reviewed on the following timeline:

• Hubs will submit final applications by 11 September 2023 for review by the Global Shapers Community-Climate Reality partnership team and a review committee of Global Shapers from the Climate Expert Network. Grant winners will be announced the week of 16 October 2023.

How can I receive feedback on my application?

• Office hours: Sign-up here for an office-hour meeting with a team member from the Global Shapers Community-Climate Reality partnership.
• Submit application for feedback: Hubs can submit their proposal by 28 July 2023 to receive direct feedback from the Global Shapers Community-Climate Reality partnership team. Hubs will then have until the final application deadline to incorporate the feedback and strengthen their proposal.

How can I apply?

Email your application by 11 September 2023 to globalshapers@climatereality.com and Sophia.Simmons@weforum.org. Your application must include:

1. Title Page: Template downloadable through Google Docs or Box Link.

2. Proposal

• Needs Based Innovation (250-500 words): Description of the climate issue your project seeks to address and the relevance to your community.
• Project Impact (500-750 words): Description of your hub's solution, the activities you intend to implement, and the short, medium, and long-term impact your solution will have on your community and the climate crisis.
• i. A timeline that outlines the specific actions you are taking and when to advance your project. If you need further direction, please refer to this template and the "Creating a Project Plan and Timeline" section of the "2023 Project Planning Guide" created by The Climate Reality Project.
• Community-Based Partnerships (250-500 words): A list of the partners you plan to work with, if and how you have worked with them in the past, and how they will contribute to the project.
• Financial Viability: A descriptive budget table that includes a list of all your expected expenses and a description that justifies each expense.
• i. If you need further direction, please refer to this template and the "Creating a Budget" section of the "2023 Project Planning Guide" created by The Climate Reality Project.
• ii. Submit financial documents that demonstrate you can legally receive a charitable transfer of funds from Switzerland.
• •--> Please refer to this guide for detailed information on the funding and fiscal sponsor process.

* Please note that the timeline, project title, and members/roles of your project team are revisable throughout your project through discussion with the Global Shapers and Climate Reality team.

Contact sophia.simmons@weforum.org with questions or sign-up here for an office hour meeting with a team member from the Global Shapers Community-Climate Reality partnership.