Cape Town, South Africa — Impact Amplifier is proud to announce its selection as the second executing entity for the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP) in South Africa. The GCIP is a global initiative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). In South Africa, the project is implemented in collaboration with the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), an entity of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) as the lead executing entity. GCIP promotes cleantech innovation and entrepreneurship by addressing market and policy barriers, thus helping low and middle-income countries advance toward greener and more resilient economies.
As part of its commitment to this significant initiative, Impact Amplifier will collaborate with the partners to launch a R150 million Cleantech Debt Fund. This new fund is being designed to bridge the early-stage financing gap for high-impact cleantech small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), enhancing their ability to scale and contribute to the innovation economy while creating green jobs. In addition, Impact Amplifier will be working together with TIA to deliver a range of capacity and ecosystem development support services to the GCIP South Africa.
Ms Karin Reiss-Haimbala, GCIP South Africa Project Manager at UNIDO, comments: “This partnership with Impact Amplifier supports the efforts of TIA and UNIDO to realise the cleantech innovation potential of South African entrepreneurs. By advancing the acceleration of impact-driven cleantech solutions nationally, the project is contributing to a greener, more resilient economy in South Africa and setting a benchmark for other regions.”
Mr Vusi Skosana, from TIA’s senior management team, added: “TIA is thrilled to collaborate with Impact Amplifier and UNIDO in this transformative programme’s next phase. We are committed to building a fully effective innovation ecosystem that will enable the acceleration of innovative solutions while fostering greater impact and greater reach. By bringing together and consolidating the key players in the cleantech ecosystem, TIA seeks to facilitate collaborations and, attract further investment to ensure that early-stage technologies are supported and taken up in the market.
The new fund will utilise a blended finance model, targeting post-revenue, scalable cleantech ventures that are headquartered in South Africa. Impact Amplifier’s role will include the set- up of the fund and also commercialisation and investment readiness support to South African early-stage cleantech companies. This initiative will support promising cleantech solutions to move beyond the proof-of-concept stage in order to achieve meaningful market penetration and sustainability.
The collaboration between UNIDO, TIA, and Impact Amplifier aligns with South Africa’s national development priorities, the broader GCIP efforts, and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The partnership aims to further enhance the transformation of innovative cleantech ideas into scalable businesses that contribute to climate mitigation efforts, environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness.
Impact Amplifier Director, Max Pichulik added, “At Impact Amplifier, we are excited to help develop the cleantech ecosystem through GCIP and increase access to capital for SMEs, with the introduction of a new fund. Our collaboration with UNIDO and TIA is a major step towards achieving impactful social and environmental change through entrepreneurship.”
About GCIP
The GCIP is a flagship initiative of UNIDO, supported by the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund. The mission of the GCIP is to empower, small-, and medium-sized clean technology enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets and developing economies, enabling them to become engines of low-carbon industrial development and green job creation while contributing to a just energy transition. GCIP provides entrepreneurs with essential tools to develop business models, commercialise technologies, and access investment opportunities, while also collaborating with national governments to strengthen local innovation ecosystems, enhance policy frameworks, and build institutional capacities.
About UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalisation, and environmental sustainability. UNIDO’s activities are aligned with the global Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to enhance international industrial cooperation and promote sustainable industrial development worldwide.
About TIA
The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) is an entity of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) in South Africa that serves as the key institutional intervention to bridge the innovation chasm (gap) between research and development from higher education institutions, science councils, public entities, and private sector, and commercialisation (beneficiation). TIA was established in 2010 and has a national reach with offices in KwaZulu Natal, Western Cape and Gauteng. The main thrust of the mandate of TIA is funding and supporting innovative technologies that show potential to be commercialised. The organisation also has programmes that provide non-financial support to innovators and SMMEs. Lastly, TIA is a catalyst and enabler of innovation through various partnership initiatives locally, in the African continent and globally.
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About Impact Amplifier
Impact Amplifier is a leading accelerator, asset manager, and impact advisory firm, committed to accelerating the growth of high-impact businesses in Africa.
Founded in 2011 and headquartered in South Africa with offices in Nigeria, Impact Amplifier blends business development services alongside finance and rigorous impact assessments to build the African impact ecosystem.
Further Information
For more details about the GCIP, please visit: https://gcip.tech/
For more details about GCIP South Africa, please visit https://gcip.tech/country/south-africa/
For media inquiries, please contact: Sandra Makuchete sandra@impactamplifier.co.za
For more information on:
- Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), please visit: https:www.tia.org.za
- United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), please visit: https://www.unido.org/
Impact Amplifier (IA), please visit: www.impactamplifier.co.za