Deadline: March 30, 2025
Calling all innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and students! Do you have an idea for a solution that can contribute to advancing clean energy? If so, apply for the Tribe x HCi3 Youth Climate Pitch Competition 2025!
Tribe Network and the Halifax Climate Investment, Innovation and Impact Fund (HCi3) are looking for racialized youth in Nova Scotia between the ages of 16 and 30 to submit their pitch for a chance to win up to $5,000!
The Youth Climate Pitch Competition aims to showcase innovative ideas and projects that contribute to advancing clean energy solutions and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This challenge provides a platform for racialized young innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and students to pitch their ideas and prototypes to a panel of experts and industry leaders.
Challenge Details
Make sure that your pitch deck can be viewed within 2-3 minutes (no more, no less), and that it addresses one of the four biggest sources of GHG emissions in the province:
- Electricity: Burning coal, oil, and natural gas for electricity generates GHG emissions. Transitioning to renewable sources like wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal reduces our reliance on fossil fuels and makes the electricity grid cleaner.
- Transportation: Cars, trucks, buses, and planes burn gasoline or diesel, releasing GHG emissions. They can lower emissions by choosing shared transportation (buses, trains, carshares), active transportation (biking, walking, skateboarding), and electric vehicles—especially as their electricity grid becomes greener.
- Buildings: Buildings contribute to GHG emissions by using oil and gas for heating, hot water, and electricity. They also have “embodied emissions”, meaning the production of materials like concrete and steel generates significant emissions.
- Energy: Using less energy for daily activities—whether at home, work, or in transportation—is key to cutting emissions. Energy-efficient buildings, appliances, and travel choices help reduce overall energy consumption and support climate action
When you’re formulating your idea and proposed solution, think about the outcome. How will your solution do one or more of the following?
- Inspire or encourage behavioural change (e.g. use examples and demonstrate benefits to motivate people to live more sustainably)
- Improve educational awareness (e.g. use learning resources, campaigns, or interactive tools to demonstrate how we can live more sustainably)
- Build capacity and skills (e.g. equip individuals and communities with the knowledge, training, and resources needed to participate in and contribute to the growing clean economy)
- Improve access (e.g. expand availability and accessibility of sustainable options, by simplifying information or making eco-friendly solutions more widely accessible)
- Reduce financial barriers (e.g. make it easier or more affordable for people to make sustainable choices, such as financing models, incentives, or shared ownership programs)
Prizes
Prizes will be awarded per category to support further development and implementation of winning innovations.
- Category 1 ($5,000) – High school students (ages 16-18)
- Category 2 ($5,000) – Post-secondary students (ages 19-23)
- Category 3 ($5,000) – Graduate Students/Young professionals (ages 24-30)
Eligibility
- Open to racialized youth residing in Nova Scotia (those who are Black, Indigenous, non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour).
- Groups can include a combination of racialized and non-racialized participants but must be a minimum of 50% racialized.
Judging Criteria
Submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Innovation and Creativity: How unique and innovative is the solution?
- Feasibility and Technical Viability: Is the idea technically feasible and scalable?
- Impact and Sustainability: What is the potential positive impact on the environment and society?
- Market Potential: Is there a clear market need and potential for adoption?
- Presentation Skills: How effectively is the idea communicated?
- Team Diversity: Does the team bring diverse perspectives to the project?
- Partnership Potential: Is there potential for collaboration with existing organizations or government bodies?
Application
Pitches will be accepted from individuals and groups, up to a maximum of 4 people per team. Three finalists will be selected from three age categories (16-18, 19-23 and 24-30), and teams will be notified between March 31 and April 7. You will then have access to a roster of mentors to help you refine your idea. Finalists will present their final pitches in front of a panel of experts, investors, and industry leaders on Thursday, May 15.
For more information, visit Youth Climate Pitch Competition.
