Deadline: 30 November 2025
The United Nations Global Marketplace has launched the Eco-Innovation Challenge (EIC), a global initiative seeking bold, practical, and scalable solutions to address some of the most urgent pollution challenges affecting communities and ecosystems.
Organized under the Blueing the Black Sea (BBSEA) GEF Regional Project and implemented by the World Bank and UNOPS, this global competition calls for creative and practical solutions to address some of the most critical pollution challenges affecting the region. The initiative focuses on tackling agricultural and livestock runoff, municipal wastewater, chemical and industrial pollution, and marine litter—issues that have long threatened the environmental health and economic potential of the Black Sea.
The challenge is open to participants from World Bank-eligible countries and aims to attract a wide range of ideas, from ready-to-implement technologies to early-stage concepts. It is structured around two main application windows, each offering distinct support depending on the maturity of the proposed solution. Through this approach, the competition encourages both established organizations and emerging innovators to take part in building a cleaner, more sustainable future for the region.
The first opportunity, known as the BBSEA Focus Country Window, is designed for applicants with developed and implementable solutions. Successful innovators under this window will receive grants ranging from USD 50,000 to USD 300,000 to carry out their projects in one of the three focus countries—Georgia, Moldova, or Türkiye. This support aims to turn proven ideas into concrete action on the ground, directly reducing pollution and improving water quality in the Black Sea basin. Eligible applicants include registered organizations such as start-ups, SMEs, universities, NGOs, and private or public service providers with the technical capacity to implement their proposed solutions.
The second opportunity, the Greater Black Sea Window, targets individuals and early-stage teams who have promising ideas but need further development before full implementation. Instead of financial grants, participants selected through this window will receive specialized technical assistance valued at up to USD 20,000. This in-kind support, provided by an international accelerator, will help innovators refine their prototypes, validate their ideas, and prepare for future scaling or investment opportunities.
The Eco-Innovation Challenge represents more than just a competition; it is an invitation to reimagine how innovation can drive environmental recovery. By nurturing ideas from concept to implementation, it empowers scientists, entrepreneurs, and communities to become active agents of change. The initiative not only supports technological innovation but also promotes collaboration across borders, linking countries and organizations in a shared mission to safeguard the Black Sea for generations to come.
For more information, visit UNGM.
