Go Green Competition calls young innovators

Schneider Electric, an energy management and automation company, has opened registrations for a global Go Green Competition. The challenge invites students and young entrepreneurs to present innovative, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions.

The theme for 2025 is renewable energy for life and livelihood. It focuses on two main areas: solar-powered agriculture, including pre/post-harvest activities, storage, and processing; and solar-powered microbusinesses in sectors like retail, services, refrigeration, manufacturing, and production.

The top three teams will share €10,000 in seed funding, with €6,000 awarded to first place, €2,500 to second, and €1,500 to third. In 2023, team Skylarks from Pakistan represented the Middle East and Africa in the competition.

First launched in 2011, the competition is supported by Schneider Electric’s Youth Education and Entrepreneurship and Access to Energy programmes. It aims to identify and nurture grassroots innovations that improve access to clean energy, boost local economies, and create long-lasting community impact.

“Through the Go Green Competition, we’re not just challenging youth to think creatively, we’re investing in their potential to become the next generation of energy innovators,” says Tanya Ramlagan, VP of human resources for Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric.

“Furthermore, it is an opportunity for students to gain hands-on mentorship, access valuable learning resources, and secure critical seed funding to turn their ideas into reality.”

Participants are encouraged to design solutions that are affordable, sustainable, locally sourced, and innovative, aligning with real-world needs and local capabilities. Teams can register on the Go Green Competition website. Registration closes on 31 May 2025, with project proposals due by 30 June 2025.

Learning beyond the competition

To support project development, Schneider Electric will provide access to its exclusive Get Into Energy Transition course via Schneider Electric University, designed to upskill participants on key sustainability and energy transition concepts. The learning pathway, created in partnership with Inco, equips young people with practical skills for future careers in the energy sector.

Each team will be matched with a Schneider Electric mentor, offering tailored support in refining their solution, developing business models, and understanding the practical impact of their idea.

A past winner said: “We were promptly assigned a mentor from Schneider Electric, who guided us in evolving our innovative idea. They were our guiding light, helping us align our project with Schneider’s technical and business criteria. Even when we faced setbacks, we remained focused, pursuing the goal we believed in, day after day.”

* Register for the Go Green Competition here.