The Sankalp Forum and Global Alliance for Clean Cook Stoves Announce cash grant of USD 15,000 for Innovation in Clean Cooking Solutions in India

The winning enterprise will also have the opportunity to be considered for the Spark Fund, get strategic mentoring advice from sector experts and be felicitated at the World’s largest social enterprise event – Sankalp Unconvention Summit

Mumbai March 12, 2013 - The Sankalp Forum and the Global  Alliance for Clean Cookstoves have formed a strategic partnership to launch the Sankalp –Alliance Award for Innovation in Clean Cooking Solutions aimed at recognizing and supporting entrepreneurs and innovation in the clean cooking sector in India.

The award is part of the Alliance’s strategic plan to increase the level of resources, grants, and investment in the sector on par with comparable global development challenges. Household air pollution (HAP) — emanating from traditional chulhas burning wood, coal and animal dung as fuel — is the largest health risk factor for Indians. According to recently published Global Burden of Disease estimates, HAP causes over one million deaths in South Asia every year.

“For decades, a lack of funding and financing for the clean cooking sector has prevented manufacturers, distributors, and other actors from scaling up to address the safe and clean cooking needs of millions of people,” said Radha Muthiah, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. “Driving investment in the sector is an integral part of the Alliance’s strategy to catalyze markets worldwide.”

The Alliance and Sankalp have come together to create a platform to showcase and recognize socially relevant enterprises with proven innovative approaches to tackle one or more of the barriers across the clean cookstoves and fuels value chain, and offer them the opportunity to access early stage investment capital. The winning enterprise must also be able to demonstrate how it will contribute to the Alliance’s goal of 100 million homes adopting clean and efficient cookstoves and fuels by 2020.

Enterprises that promote the use of clean cookstoves and fuels address the health and environmental impacts associated with burning solid fuels in traditional cookstoves, as well as improve the livelihoods of women who spend a considerable amount of time collecting fuel.

Aparajita Agrawal, Director Sankalp Forum, added, “Sankalp Forum has always been at the forefront of supporting high-impact social enterprises that effectively address challenges faced by low-income populations. We are proud to support the Global Alliance For Clean Cookstoves in their quest to find enterprises in the clean cooking sector. We look forward to showcasing these ventures at the upcoming Sankalp Unconvention Summit in April.”

Applications for the award will be opened on the 28^thof February and will close on the 23rd of March.

The winning enterprise will receive a cash grant of USD 15,000 along with the opportunity to be considered for the Alliance’s Spark Fund and strategic mentoring advice from sector experts. The winner of the award will be felicitated at the Sankalp Unconvention Summit 2013.