Hada News
Morocco's Cleantech call offers green start-ups prizes of MAD 100,000 to 150,000; applications close 9 November
The 2026 round of Cleantech Maroc, run by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development with UNIDO and the Global Environment Facility, is open to sole traders, start-ups and very small firms working on waste, water, energy efficiency or renewables.
Moroccan founders with a young clean-technology project have until 9 November 2026 to enter this year's Cleantech Maroc competition. The Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development (sustainable development department) published the 2026 rules on 9 October for the programme, which it runs with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) as part of UNIDO's Global Cleantech Innovation Program (GCIP).
What qualifies: technology innovations in at least one of four areas, namely waste recovery and recycling, efficient water use and reuse, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. The ministry's examples run from plastic and organic-waste recycling to smart irrigation, wastewater reuse and solar-panel maintenance systems.
Who can enter: teams of at least two people, both over 18 and at least one under 45, with at least one Moroccan national, a physical address in Morocco and activities based there. The project must be less than five years old. Individuals can apply without a registered company, but a legal entity must be set up before any prize is paid. Teams must also commit to the full accelerator and, if they win, to working on the project at least half-time.
What is on offer: 30 finalists join a mandatory accelerator with mentors and specialist experts, then pitch to a jury for ten minutes. Winners receive between MAD 100,000 and MAD 150,000 to buy equipment and services for their solution. The rules also provide a Women Lead Team prize for a woman entrepreneur and a Grand Prix GCIP Maroc, which adds MAD 50,000 for the most innovative winning project.
Fine print: the rules say all information participants disclose is treated as non-confidential, with no restriction on its use, and that entering means agreeing that the programme and the ministry may publish participants' names, photos and videos. Finalists are picked with regional hubs after an interview with an expert jury.
How to apply: an online form, plus team CVs and a presentation of no more than ten slides sent to [email protected], by 9 November.
Why it matters: the prize money is earmarked for equipment and services, and the call is open to teams that have not yet incorporated, which suits projects still at prototype stage.
Sources: Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, call notice and 2026 competition rules, 9 Oct 2026; Le Brief, 12 Oct 2026.
Watch next: the finalist list and accelerator dates, which the rules give only as an indicative timetable.