HKH-Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs (ICE) 2.0

The HKH-Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs (ICE) 2.0, led by the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) and ICIMOD, seeks for-profit innovations to enhance climate resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. The program targets 12-15 enterprises, with a priority on youth- and women-led businesses, offering prizes between US$5,000 and $25,000 for implementation from May 1, 2026, to April 31, 2027. Selected winners receive a comprehensive support package including tailored mentoring, a Leadership Academy in Kathmandu, investment mobilisation assistance, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) support. Eligible applicants must be legally registered in Bhutan, Nepal, India (Himalayan region), or Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts) and demonstrate a viable business model that promotes biodiversity and social equity without causing harm.

• The HKH-ICE 2.0 will support 12-15 enterprises, specifically prioritizing those led by women and youth, across Bhutan, Nepal, India (Indian Himalayan Region), and Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts only).
• Awardees will receive financial prizes ranging from US$5,000 to $25,000 to support the implementation and scaling of their solutions over a 12-month period from May 1, 2026, to April 31, 2027.
• The challenge focuses on scalable for-profit innovations in sectors such as resilient agriculture, water security, sustainable tourism, and climate risk management to address systemic constraints in mountain value chains.
• Selected winners will undergo a structured support program including a Leadership Academy in Kathmandu, Nepal, and a mentoring process utilizing a 'Value Chain Driven Viability Analysis' and a 'Resilience and Scaling assessment'.
• Eligibility requires that enterprises be for-profit, legally registered in the specified regions, and demonstrate a 'Do No Harm' compliance to ensure no adverse environmental, social, or cultural impacts.
• Proposals are evaluated on a 100-point scale across six criteria: innovativeness, potential for impact, equity, scalability, profitability and sustainability, and team composition, with an additional 10-point risk assessment.

APA

Global Resilience Partnership (n.d.). HKH-Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs (ICE) 2.0. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ext-hkh-ice-2-0-challenge-guidelines-for-applicants.pdf

Chicago

Global Resilience Partnership. HKH-Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs (ICE) 2.0. n.d. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ext-hkh-ice-2-0-challenge-guidelines-for-applicants.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Resilience Partnership |title=HKH-Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs (ICE) 2.0 |url=https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ext-hkh-ice-2-0-challenge-guidelines-for-applicants.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalresiliencepartnershipndhkhinnovation, author = {{Global Resilience Partnership}}, title = {{HKH-Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs (ICE) 2.0}}, institution = {Global Resilience Partnership}, url = {https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ext-hkh-ice-2-0-challenge-guidelines-for-applicants.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }