The LAC Digital and Green Innovation Challenge seeks to identify and support innovative digital and green prototypes or ideas that focus on enhancing climate resilience and adaptation by leveraging Earth Observation (EO) data and services provided by the European Copernicus programme. This call for proposals is implemented by Expertise France as part of the Digital and Green Innovation Action, with activities focused on Chile, Colombia, and Panama.
The initiative targets startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and individual entrepreneurs legally registered in one of the three eligible countries. Proposals submitted by consortia formed between companies and academic institutions (including universities and students) are also welcome. Submitted ideas must align with the objectives of green and digital innovation and aim to address regional challenges such as climate mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity protection, circular economy, clean energy, and pollution reduction.
Applicants must present a solution at a minimum Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 2 or higher, ranging from early-stage concepts to demonstration or commercialization phases. Eligible companies must be legally registered for at least six months before the application date and have their primary operations located in Chile, Colombia, or Panama.
Selected proposals will benefit from a comprehensive support program, starting in September or October 2025, which will last approximately six months. The support will be delivered through service vouchers valued at up to EUR 25,000 per selected company, managed by Expertise France. The support package will include tailored business coaching, technical assistance in Earth Observation and geospatial technologies, as well as visibility and networking services to help integrate selected projects into relevant innovation ecosystems.
Applicants are expected to engage in all program activities actively. Thematically, eligible solutions should fall under the scope of green and digital innovation, with a primary (but not exclusive) focus on climate change adaptation and mitigation, ecosystem and biodiversity restoration, greenhouse gas monitoring, sustainable use of water and marine resources, circular economy, e-waste management, and access to clean, affordable energy.
The Copernicus programme plays a central role in this challenge. As a European flagship initiative for Earth Observation, Copernicus provides free and open access to high-resolution, high-frequency satellite data. These include Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 (with spatial resolutions ranging from 10 to 30 meters) and very high-resolution imagery from Pleiades, QuickBird, WorldView, Radarsat, and others (with resolutions as low as 50 cm and up to twice daily). These data can support interventions in areas such as forest fire monitoring, flood detection, pollution tracking, deforestation mapping, and energy infrastructure planning.
Each applicant may submit up to two distinct proposals; however, a separate application form must be completed for each proposal. The program’s working language will be primarily Spanish, depending on the availability of technical service providers.
This Call for Proposals presents a unique opportunity to scale high-impact, EO-based innovations with the support of European expertise and funding, thereby contributing to the region’s transition toward a more sustainable, resilient, and digitally integrated future.
Copernicus is one of the four pillars of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance, alongside the BELLA II project, which aims to strengthen the regional ecosystem for education, research, science, and innovation in the region and is implemented by RedCLARA. RedCLARA and BELLA II also lead the Copernicus Academy Latin America and the Caribbean, which promotes the use of Earth Observation data to help address development challenges in the region.
For full eligibility details and to submit your proposal, please visit: Call for proposals for Digital and Green Innovation Challenge in Latin America and the Caribbean
