FAQ

For those teams that were selected for funding by the jury, there will be a kick-off event approximately a week after the decision. This will mark the beginning of the 6-month program that will also feature a check-in event 3 months into the program.

We expect teams that have received funding to: ▪ Be motivated and further develop their idea over the next six months ▪ Prepare for two coaching sessions with remove ▪ Participate and pitch at the annual summit

If you want to engage with the Carbon Removal Booster not as an applying team, you are welcome to contact us, and we will try to find the best way for you to engage with us (e.g., as a topic expert, implementation partners, etc.)!

The Innovation Booster (IB) instrument aims to cultivate a culture of open innovation, utilizing agile learning cycles and prioritizing user-centricity in the innovation processes. This approach creates an environment conducive to fostering science-based and sustainable radical innovation, ultimately conferring a competitive advantage to Swiss companies and organizations.

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is the process of capturing CO2 directly from the atmosphere and storing it away durably for long periods of time. To learn more about CDR please see the “Carbon Removal” page

We need all types of people to apply, those that can measure, those that can build, those that can sift through legal text and regulations, and those who can be society leaders. Anyone located in Switzerland is welcome!

At least one team member / implementation partner must be located in Switzerland. Furthermore, the value creation of your project idea must be in Switzerland.

Yes! This is exactly the stage of ideation that we are looking for in our applicants.

If this is the case, be sure to make a note of it in the application form or reach out to us directly as we are happy to help or!

You will meet other interested applicants to join your team at the mandatory Open Innovation Workshop. You can also let us know via the application form or reach out through us through the contact form if you want us to help you reach out to potential implementation partners.

Innovation teams must consist of at least one research and one implementation partner. ▪ Research partners include research institutes such as non-commercial research centers outside the university sector, departmental research institutions, etc. ▪ Implementation partners can be start-ups, SMEs, larger companies or non-profit organizations that can generate societal benefits, that offer products or services or implement processes. They are the driving forces for potential future value creation and contribute with their knowledge of the necessary conditions and success factors for implementation. Ideas still far away from the final customer can also profit from a research or non-commercial organization as an implementation partner, doing concrete first tests on a limited number of users or testing the idea in limited field first. Both must be legally registered organisations.

Yes, even though we focus on CO2 removal, we encourage you to apply if you have an idea that focuses on the removal of other greenhouse gases such as methane.

We ask you to fill out a simple form - it should not take you longer than 30 minutes to fill it out.

The application process is open twice a year with one call for ideas starting on 8 February (closes 24 March) and one in September (closes in October).

Our core team members and the jury members will diligently refrain from disclosing any sensitive information outside the context of awarding and supporting project teams.

Yes, you can submit more than one project idea!

Yes, you are allowed to apply again even if you were rejected in a previous call.

The jury is made up of carefully picked people from across all sectors - society, policy, business, and research.

In this case, the jury member will be exempt from evaluating the respective application and measures will be taken to not disadvantage the team in any way.

The awarded funding can be used for working hours, materials, or external support.

Up to CHF 24,000 is awarded per team.

The allocated funds are typically disbursed around one month following the selection of the teams or as soon as administratively possible.