ClimateLaunchpad Morocco Starts Regional Tour in Meknes

ClimateLaunchpad Morocco kicked off its 2026 Regional Bootcamp Tour in Meknes on July 11–12, bringing together aspiring climate entrepreneurs for an intensive two-day program led by Dutch cleantech expert Ron Bloemers. The first stop at the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences at Moulay Ismail University convened students, researchers, professionals and founders working on solutions in energy, agriculture, water, waste and the circular economy. The tour continues in Errachidia on July 14–15 and concludes in Agadir on July 17–18.

“Addressing climate change requires not only scientific knowledge and technological innovation, but also creativity, entrepreneurship, collaboration, and a strong sense of social responsibility,” said Hicham Fatmi, vice dean, as he welcomed organizers and participants to the university.

Program purpose and local leadership

Organizers framed the regional tour as part of a decentralization push to connect “unconnected cities” and “marginalized” regions with green entrepreneurship support. Ahmed Larouz, founder of Women in Cleantech and leader of ClimateLaunchpad Morocco, said the initiative aims to identify talent beyond Morocco’s traditional entrepreneurship centers and to place women-led innovation at the center of the effort. “The most beautiful thing about this tour is that we are combining ClimateLaunchpad with Women in Cleantech, which we launched two years ago in Morocco,” Larouz said. “We really believe that we have to go to unconnected cities, or cities where they do not have a bigger ecosystem.”

Bridgizz leads the Moroccan chapter of ClimateLaunchpad and co-created Women in Cleantech with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Larouz noted Morocco placed fourth in the global ClimateLaunchpad application rankings for 2026 and that the Moroccan program attracted more than 210 participants, with women and men represented equally. The global competition received more than 4,150 applications from 51 countries for its 2026 edition.

Bootcamp content and trainers

Ron Bloemers, co-founder of ClimateLaunchpad and managing partner of Amsterdam-based accelerator START-U-UP, led eight training modules covering market needs, customer profiles, value propositions, business models, financial planning, climate impact and pitching strategies. Bloemers, a ClimateLaunchpad trainer since 2014 with more than two decades in the cleantech sector, described cleantech as “a trillion-dollar market” and “the biggest economic opportunity of our lifetime.” He encouraged participants to consult START-U-UP’s YouTube channel for additional educational material and business case studies.

ClimateLaunchpad, powered by Climate KIC, has supported over 5,000 teams across 97 countries since 2014; participating ventures have raised in excess of €0.5 billion in investment through the program’s mix of initial courses, bootcamps, coaching, national and regional competitions, and a Global Grand Final.

Participant perspectives and next steps

Marwa Lazafar, program lead for Women in Cleantech in the Fez-Meknes region, said the initiative was born from barriers women face accessing networks and ecosystem knowledge. “Women do not always have access to networks, ecosystems, and knowledge,” she said, adding that regional workshops and market research aim to build community and encourage greener business thinking.

Entrepreneur Zineb Oudghiri, founder of natural cosmetics brand Oznatic and cleantech startup EcoStation, presented a proposal for an automated refill machine to cut cosmetics packaging waste. “People rarely think it is possible to create a cleantech solution in cosmetics,” Oudghiri said. The Meknes bootcamp, she added, is helping her refine the project’s commercial viability.

• Tour dates and locations: Meknes (July 11–12), Errachidia (July 14–15), Agadir (July 17–18).
• Moroccan program participation: more than 210 participants; national ranking: 4th in global applications.
• Global ClimateLaunchpad reach: 5,000+ teams across 97 countries; >€0.5 billion raised.