ESG Innovation Challenge: Great response from startups
The submission period for the ESG Innovation Challenge organized by the Hellenic Development Bank – HDB in exclusive cooperation with the Elevate Greece start-up registry has been completed.
It is a pioneering innovation competition that aims at the creation and application of new methods of evaluation of enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, not only with financial criteria based on their financial situation, but also with environmental, social criteria and corporate governance factors (ESG criteria), and criteria related to the degree of innovation and evaluation of a project or a business (Innovation criteria).
The competition that began on September 11th with the announcement of the competent Deputy Minister of Research and Innovation, Christos Dimas and the President and CEO of HDB Athina Hadjipetrou during the 85th Thessaloniki International Fair, received a great response from startups, while the proposals submitted will be evaluated by the jury that has been established.
The result of the ESG Innovation Challenge will be announced immediately after November 4th, the day of the final evaluation in the form of pitching. Finally, there will be the possibility of financing a PoC contract up to the amount of 40,000 euros for both thematic units in total (20,000 euros for each thematic unit) with the prospect of concluding a commercial cooperation agreement between HDB and the company(s) that will be distinguished.
