On November 5, 2020 Dr. Thomas Isaac, Kerala Finance Minister launched Green Innovation Fund(GIF), a six-month-long, cohort-based fund -linked accelerator program for social impact startups. The fund is a joint initiative of Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), Haritha Keralam Mission and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), India.
Targeted– Social impact startups
Key Info
GIF is part of the GoI(Government of India)-GEF(Global Environmental Facility)-UNDP India High Range Mountain Landscape project (IHRML).
Key People
Shoko Noda, the Country Representative of UNDP, India, was also present at the online launch event.
Gist about Green Innovation Fund(GIF):
Startups Selected
- GIF supports the startups who work on the SDG(Sustainable Development Goals), that are Climate change-related, by providing them Grant and technical support.
- Startups will be selected, on the basis of their products compatibility with problem statements identified from the high range landscapes.
Issues Addressed
- It seeks to address some of the most important issues facing the vulnerable high range communities through innovation.
- GIP seeks to address the issues namely, recurring natural disaster, human-animal conflict, etc.,
Application Window
From November 8 to December 10, the application window to select the startups to the 1st Cohort of GIF will be on live.
Fund upto Rs 7 lakh
The startup that are selected for the program are eligible for fund upto Rs 7 lakh.
IHRML Project:
i.The project attempts to mitigate the effects of climate change and other threats that are faced by the ecologically fragile landscape of Anchunad and the adjoining areas, by building an effective collaborative governance framework for multiple-use management
ii.The project activities were commenced in the Financial Year 2019-20, with the guidance and leadership of Haritha Keralam Mission and the Kerala State Forests and Wildlife Department at the state level, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) at the national level.
Additional Info:
KSUM is the nodal agency of the Kerala government for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.
Recent Related News:
On September 24, 2020 Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh virtually launched the phase-II of Rs 11,000 crore Urban Environment Improvement Programme (UEIP), from Bachat Bhawan, Ludhiana in Punjab. The project envisages development of the state’s infrastructure and efficient service delivery systems to the urban population.
About Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM):
Headquarters– Trivandrum, Kerala
CEO– Sasi Pilacheri Meethal(PM)
Founded– 2006
