The Call for Ideas is now open!

Get customized technical incubation, tap into a world-class network of institutional investors, and fast-track your innovative financial vehicle from concept to market launch. Submit your application by October 18. 

Apply here Read the application guidelines

What does the Lab do?

The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance is an investor-led, public-private initiative that incubates innovative, well-designed, early-stage climate finance solutions to drive private investment into climate change action in emerging markets. The Lab crowdsources, selects, develops, and launches transformative financial solutions to mobilize billions of dollars in private investment for climate action in developing countries.

By supporting the development of scalable and replicable financial vehicles, the Lab aims to build enduring financial infrastructure that can effectively channel capital to emerging economies. At the same time, the Lab captures and shares lessons from developing these solutions, providing the broader market with insights into the structures and approaches that work and guidance that can inform innovation across other climate and development initiatives.

To date, Lab-endorsed vehicles have mobilized more than USD 5 billion. By combining the development and launch of new financial solutions with the dissemination of knowledge and lessons learned, the Lab advances innovation in climate finance and helps successful approaches be replicated and scaled beyond its own portfolio.

During the program's annual cycle proponents work with the Secretariat co-create key aspects of the vehicle including:

  • • Developing or refining the mechanics of each concept
  • • Surveying the market landscape of comparable solutions and assessing the idea's viability
  • • Developing and/or testing financial
  • • Assessing and documenting potential social and environmental impacts.
  • • Mapping risks and risk mitigation strategies.
  • • Developing a detailed implementation plan.
  • • Creating promotional content and offering opportunities to showcase concepts to donors and investors.
  • • Receiving the implementation support to execute go to market strategy.

Read the Application Guidelines for details on selection, vehicle development, and private sector collaboration.

What is the Lab looking for?

We are seeking innovative financial vehicles—not individual projects or standalone technology deployments (unless tied to a novel financial product)—designed to mobilize private capital for climate mitigation and adaptation in emerging markets.

Vehicle Type

Must be an investment structure or mechanism (e.g., debt/equity funds, guarantee facilities, asset financing, results-based financing, securitization structures, and other investment vehicles leveraging capital markets and insurance products).

Maturity Stage

Concepts should be at the Initial Development Stage, with market assessment and early design underway, or at the Feasibility and Structuring, with the structure of the vehicle being actively designed and investor sounding in progress. We look for well-defined ideas that will actively benefit from co-creation on vehicle structure, execution roadmap, and investor value proposition.

The Team

Cohesive applicant teams with a proven track record of deploying capital or developing climate solutions, plus the capacity to dedicate significant staff time during the cycle.

Geographic Focus

Must target implementation in ODA-eligible countries (developing economies recognized by the OECD).

Core regions

  • Africa – Mitigation

    African countries remain the most vulnerable in the world to climate change, including natural disasters, drought, extreme heat, famine, and flooding.

    At the same time, as one of the fastest-growing and urbanizing continents, Africa is uniquely positioned to pursue low-carbon, resilient growth.

    Even though climate finance in Africa grew nearly 50% in just two years, reaching USD 43.7 billion, it still falls far short of what’s needed. The continent needs about USD 190 billion per year, leaving a gap of over USD 146 billion annually.

    To achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, Africa requires innovative business models that attract investors and facilitate a transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient development, with a focus on clean energy, sustainable agriculture, greener cities, and opportunities for youth and women.

    With support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the Lab is looking for bold, scalable ideas that can drive climate mitigation efforts across Africa. These solutions should leverage financial innovation and private sector engagement to accelerate the transition to low-carbon, resilient economies.

  • Asia-Pacific – Mitigation

    Under a high greenhouse gas emissions scenario, the Asia-Pacific region could experience GDP reductions of up to 17% by 2070, with lower-income and fragile economies particularly susceptible to climate-induced disruptions. As a rapidly growing and urbanizing region, it is well-positioned for low-carbon, climate-resilient development. However, meeting ambitious emissions-reduction targets across sectors such as energy, transportation, and infrastructure will require substantial investment. 

    Climate finance flows in South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific (excluding China) reached USD 207 billion in 2024, but much more is needed to meet ambitious emissions reduction targets across sectors such as energy, transportation, and infrastructure. 

    With support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the Lab is seeking innovative financial solutions focused on mitigation in the Asia-Pacific region. These solutions will be designed to attract private investment and accelerate the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy. Applications must target ODA-eligible countries in the Asia-Pacific region. 

  • Brazil – Mitigation / Adaptation co-benefits

    Brazil’s climate targets under the Paris Agreement aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 59% to 67% by 2035, compared to 2005 levels, and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. 

    To meet these goals, Brazil is implementing a comprehensive strategy that includes expanding renewable energy capacity, strengthening forest restoration efforts, and developing a national emissions trading system to attract private investment. The country is also focusing on sustainable agriculture, energy efficiency, and infrastructure projects aligned with its climate objectives.  

    Despite these efforts, securing adequate funding remains a significant challenge.  

    To support Brazil’s climate goals, the Lab seeks transformative investment solutions to mobilize capital for the country’s national climate priorities. The U.K. Department for Energy Security & Net Zero funds the program. 

  • India – Mitigation and/or adaptation

    The Indian government’s multiple policy measures and financing solutions reflect the country’s commitment to a greener future. Progress has been made on multiple fronts toward achieving India’s net zero target by 2070. 

    These include financing solutions like sovereign green bond issuances in 2024, targeted EV support through the Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024, and decarbonization measures under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The Union Budget 2024 also advanced the transition with measures such as the PM Surya Ghar rooftop solar program for 10 million households and higher allocations for solar and renewable energy. 

    Increasing private sector investment is essential to driving the country’s growth. However, limited access to credit, high risks, poor financing terms, and a lack of innovative financing mechanisms may be limiting India’s investment potential in green sectors. 

    The Lab is seeking innovative solutions to finance India’s green growth, providing concrete solutions to the unique financing challenges of investment in green sectors in India. 

  • Latin America and the Caribbean – Mitigation / Adaptation co-benefits

    The Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, home to abundant natural resources, has a unique role in the global transition towards a net zero economy. However, the region faces significant barriers, particularly in aligning available financial resources with the scale required for impactful climate action. Local financial institutions also lack the capacity to harness climate finance, compounded by a generally risk-averse investment landscape.  

    The Lab’s regional program for LAC seeks to address these challenges through innovative climate finance solutions. We are calling for ideas that focus on climate mitigation, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and accelerating the region’s transition to net zero economies. Proposed ideas should demonstrate how they can mobilize private capital to drive significant emission reductions while being financially sustainable and scalable. Solutions should target key barriers to financing climate mitigation projects, with a clear path toward contributing to long-term net zero goals. 

    The U.K. Department for Energy Security & Net Zero supports the Lab’s LAC program mitigation window. 

Key Dates & Timeline

Sept 21

Call for ideas open

Oct 18

Preliminary Applications due

Mid-November

Selected applicants invited to full application

Early December

Full Applications due

December-January

Interviews with shortlisted applicants

Mid-February 2027

Regional Selection Meetings

Early March 2027

Global Selection Meeting, New cohort selected

Informational Webinars

Webinar 1 (English)
September 23, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST

Go to webinar page

Webinar 2 (English)
September 24, 9:00 AM –10:00 AM BST

Go to webinar page

Webinar 3 (Portuguese)
September 24, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM BRT

Go to webinar page

Webinar 4 (Spanish)
September 24,12:00 PM –1:00 PM EST

Go to webinar page

Why Apply?

Selected proponents receive a comprehensive package of technical assistance, investor engagement, and fundraising support to advance their financial solution from concept to pilot launch. Together, these services represent more than USD 250,000 worth of technical assistance and advisory services.

1.

Dedicated Analytical Support

Work closely with two dedicated CPI analysts over seven months to co-develop your financial model, refine the instrument design, and strengthen your impact framework.

2.

Investor Network

Direct guidance from a 10-15 member Working Group of public and private investors, funders, and technical specialists.

3.

Go-To-Market Support

Bespoke tailored support after Endorsement, including pitch deck development, investor mapping, fundraising strategy, and targeted introductions.

4.

Market Validation

Endorsement by the Lab signals to investors and partners that your financial solution has been rigorously assessed by leading public and private sector institutions.

5.

Global Visibility

Join an alumni network that has mobilized more than USD 5 billion for climate action in emerging markets and earned widespread global recognition.

How ideas are selected

FAQ

The Lab follows a rigorous, multi-stage selection process designed to identify the most promising climate finance solutions. Applicants first submit a preliminary application, and selected applicants may receive a brief interview. Shortlisted teams are invited to complete a full application and participate in interviews. Regional Panels then evaluate the strongest proposals and recommend finalists from each region, with the Global Membership ultimately selecting the final cohort. Throughout the process, proposals are assessed against five core criteria.

  • Actionability

    The Lab looks for ideas that demonstrate: (1) the involvement of entities able to implement the idea with relevant experience; (2) a clear pathway to implementation, including a defined timeframe, key activities, and project milestones; (3) identification of potential risks to implementation and strategies for dealing with them.

  • Catalytic Potential

    The catalytic potential is the idea's ability to mobilize private sources of climate finance. Ideas should demonstrate: (1) the potential for scale-up of private investment in the target market; (2) the ability or potential to replicate in other markets.

  • Innovation

    Successful Lab ideas show how the idea addresses barriers to climate finance that have not yet been addressed, or will be addressed more effectively than existing approaches in the market. In essence, the Lab looks for submissions that clearly articulate how the submitted idea adds value to other efforts in the space.

  • Financial Sustainability

    High-quality Lab ideas will have a clear strategy for phasing out public and philanthropic financial support over time and achieving market viability on commercial terms, even if that runway is long in certain cases. They should also identify challenges and risks to attain these objectives and strategies for managing them.

  • Lab Fit

    The Lab seeks to offer a significant value-add to the success of the selected ideas and teams, ensuring the Lab team's and network's capabilities complement the proposing team’s capabilities and needs. We look forward to working with teams with sufficient time and a functional governance structure to participate fully in the Lab process.

Testimonials

  • The Lab completely accelerated our growth. The team of analysts is highly dedicated and passionate, with strong expertise in the carbon space. We came from having a pilot on 5-6 green businesses to building a fully-fledged business banking facility of USD 7 million within 10 months of support.

    Mélanie Keïta

    Co-founder & CEO

    Melanin Kapital

  • With a hands-on approach, the Lab’s team worked shoulder-to-shoulder with ours to test assumptions, improve models, and strengthen our impact strategy. They also leveraged their network to assess market fit and went out of their way to support our fundraising efforts. It was a turning point for us.

    Juan Dumas

    Co-Founder and Partner

    Meliquina Partners

  • The Lab supported the concept development of the Subnational Climate Fund by providing constructive feedback through the Lab’s pitching session. We have perceived it useful to have the Lab’s award mentioned when pitching the SCF to funders at an early stage for anchor funding that would then help the fund to be eventually launched.

    Jiao Tang

    Deputy CEO

    Catalytic Finance Foundation

Resources for applicants

Lab Guidelines

Preliminary form

Full form (Coming soon)

Webinars

Register for informational webinars: English 1, English 2, Portuguese and Spanish.

Questions?

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions, or reach out directly to our team at lab.cpi@cpiglobal.org

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