Ready to Decarbonize the Agri & Livestock Sector?

Thank you for your applications!

the startup challenge by

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The Challenge

Iberdrola believes that the preservation of the biological diversity of ecosystems is essential to ensure a supply of competitive, clean, and sustainable energy. To maintain the environmental balance, Iberdrola is committed to achieving the full preservation of biodiversity by 2030. In recent years, Iberdrola has carried out more than 1 450 actions to protect biodiversity, combining the development of renewable projects with the conservation of the diversity of flora and fauna and the care of natural heritage.

Iberdrola has set itself a reforestation target of 20 million trees by the end of the decade, capable of capturing approximately six million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 30 years. Through its Startup Program, PERSEO, and in collaboration with ASAJA and WOLARIA, Iberdrola seeks innovative solutions that enable the decarbonization and electrification of the agricultural and livestock sector, promoting the dissemination of renewable energies in rural areas and the electrification of the countryside.

Focus Areas

The aim of the challenge is to promote and support zero-emission agriculture and livestock farming by implementing solutions for energy efficiency, self-consumption, and sustainable mobility, among others. The challenge is looking for measures in favor of biodiversity preservation, carbon capture, circular economy, and the promotion of new zero-emission fertilizers.

Energy Efficiency & Self-Consumption Monitoring

To reduce emissions from energy use for farm air-conditioning, irrigation, and other mechanized processes in rural areas.

Sustainable Mobility & Electrification

To reduce emissions from the use of fossil fuels for mobility and operating agricultural machinery.

Zero Emission Fertilizer

To reduce emissions associated with synthetic fertilizers.

Circular Economy & Methane Emission Reduction

Solutions and business models that enable zero-emission management of agricultural and livestock waste, as well as emissions from animal digestive processes.

Carbon Capture & Biodiversity Conservation

Solutions that allow the sequestration of CO2 in soils and the generation of carbon credits.

Why Join?

Winning this Challenge will award you with signing a collaboration agreement for the development of a Proof-of-Concept (PoC). The PoC will be developed in collaboration with the technical specialists from Iberdrola Renewables. Additionally, PERSEO covers the costs of the pilot activities and provides you with the necessary technical support, giving access to infrastructure and real data to test your solution.

Pilot Project

Sign a collaboration agreement with Iberdrola and/or PERSEO. The project costs are covered & you will get full technical support to test your solution.

New Clients

If the pilot project succeeds, Iberdrola and/or PERSEO will add your solutions to its service territory and relevant companies within the group.

Scaling

If the pilot succeeds, Iberdrola and/or PERSEO may offer you the opportunity to scale up your solution by means of commercial agreements.

Possible Investment

PERSEO, the risk capital vehicle of Iberdrola, might consider investing in the winner’s solution as well.

The Junta de Castilla y León, through the Institute for Business Competitiveness (ICE), facilitates the arrival of startups to the market. ICE has launched its WOLARIA Open Innovation program, in partnership with Iberdrola, to solve the challenges of the region’s benchmark industries and entities.

Participants will have the option to receive strategic and market advice from the Competitiveness Institute of Castilla y León in the framework of its WOLARIA program.

Timeline

9 June 2022
Applications Open

10 July 2022
Application Deadline

July 2022

Evaluation

2022

Pilot Project

You have questions?

Contact Iberdrola
IberdrolaChallenge@iberdrola.es

For more information, click here to check all of the Iberdrola Startup Challenges to find innovative solutions.

FAQs

See our responses to some of the most common questions or view our Terms & Conditions. 

What is the background of this Challenge?

Iberdrola believes that the preservation of the biological diversity of ecosystems is essential to ensure a supply of competitive, clean, and sustainable energy. To maintain the environmental balance, Iberdrola is committed to achieving the full preservation of biodiversity by 2030.

In recent years, Iberdrola has carried out more than 1 450 actions to protect biodiversity, combining the development of renewable projects with the conservation of the diversity of flora and fauna as well as natural heritage.

Iberdrola has set itself a reforestation target of 20 million trees by the end of the decade, capable of capturing approximately six million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 30 years.

In this context, Iberdrola is launching the Decarbonization & Electrification of the Agricultural & Livestock Sector Startup Challenge.

Why are Iberdrola and/or PERSEO the right partners for my company?

Iberdrola is no stranger to working with startups and emerging companies - over the last two years, the Group has launched over 18 Startup Challenges to address pressing issues in today's energy networks.

Moreover, working with Iberdrola presents a unique opportunity:

Winning this Challenge will award you with signing a collaboration agreement for the development of a Proof-of-Concept (PoC). The PoC will be developed in collaboration with the technical specialists from Iberdrola Networks.

Additionally, PERSEO covers the costs of the pilot activities and provides you with the necessary technical support, giving access to infrastructures and real data to test your solution.

Finally, PERSEO may consider investing in your solution!

In addition, the startup will have the option to receive strategic and market advice from the Competitiveness Institute of Castilla y León in the framework of its WOLARIA program.

Who are the partners involved in this challenge?

Through its International Startup Program, PERSEO, and in collaboration with ASAJA and WOLARIA, Iberdrola seeks innovative solutions that enable the decarbonization and electrification of the agricultural and livestock sector.

The Junta de Castilla y León, through the Institute for Business Competitiveness (ICE), facilitates the arrival of startups to the market. ICE, through its WOLARIA Open Innovation program, in partnership with Iberdrola, launched this program to solve the challenges of the region’s benchmark industries and entities.

ICE works to strengthen the business fabric in the community, with support and funding for entrepreneurship, growth, and investment in companies, research, development & innovation. It offers a comprehensive service to entrepreneurs, and through WOLARIA, the region’s startup accelerator promotes businesses with high growth potential.

ASAJA is constituted for the representation, management, defense, and promotion of the professional interests of the agricultural sector in general and its member organizations with full legal personality and subject to strictly democratic principles. ASAJA has a national headquarters, 15 regional centers, 40 provincial offices, and 810 field offices, in addition to a permanent representative office in Brussels.

As a national organization and with a general vocation, ASAJA integrates within it all branches of agricultural activity in its agricultural, livestock, forestry, environmental management, and even the new modalities of complementary activity in rural areas, such as agrotourism. Thus, ASAJA has the important collaboration of various sectoral organizations.

What solutions are you looking for?

The aim of the challenge is to promote and support zero-emission agriculture and livestock farming by implementing solutions for energy efficiency, self-consumption, and sustainable mobility, among others.

Iberdrola is looking for measures in favor of biodiversity preservation, carbon capture, circular economy, and the promotion of new zero-emission fertilizers, such as:

• Energy Efficiency & Self-Consumption Monitoring: To reduce emissions from energy use for farm air-conditioning, irrigation, and other mechanized processes in rural areas.

• Sustainable Mobility & Electrification: To reduce emissions from the use of fossil fuel for mobility and operating agricultural machinery.

• Zero-Emission Fertilizer: To reduce emissions associated with synthetic fertilizers.

• Circular Economy & Methane Emission Reduction: Solutions and business models that enable zero-emission management of agricultural and livestock waste, as well as emissions from animal digestive processes.

• Carbon Capture & Biodiversity Conservation: Solutions that allow the sequestration of CO2 in soils and the generation of carbon credits.

What are the Challenge's key benefits for me?

Your benefits include:

• Collaboration Agreement & Pilot Test: The prize for the winner consists of a collaboration and test agreement with PERSEO or any other Iberdrola group company. The group will support the cost of the pilot activities.

• Access-all-Areas: Iberdrola will provide the winner with all necessary technical support, as well as a site and real data to test the solution. This includes access to equipment, teams, infrastructure, high technology sites, and shared work areas.

• Scale Your Technology: If the pilot test is satisfactory, Iberdrola may offer the winner the opportunity to scale up the solution by adapting it through commercial agreements.

• Investment: What's more, PERSEO will consider investing in the participating company and/or the winner of the challenge.

In addition, the startup will have the option to receive strategic and market advice from the Competitiveness Institute of Castilla y León in the framework of its WOLARIA program.

What do I need to know about the Pilot Project?

The winner of the challenge will sign a partnership contract with Iberdrola and/or PERSEO and will be able to test their solution in a real environment.

For the collaboration of the pilot project, Iberdrola will:

• assume the costs of the collaboration and the proof of concept
• provide the necessary technical support to test the solution proposed
• give access to equipment, appliances, infrastructure, high technology sites, and joint work areas
• provide a real environment and real data to test the solution

The project will be developed in collaboration with technical specialists from the Iberdrola Renewables group.

Can I submit more than one proposal?

You are welcome to submit more than one proposal, just make sure to submit a separate application form for each proposal.

When is the application deadline?

The application period for this challenge ends on 10 July 2022.

How will the applications be evaluated?

The following factors will be taken into consideration, among others:

• The degree of electrification of the proposal (if applicable),
• Extent of emissions reduction and environmental friendliness
• Maturity, reliability, and scalability of the solution and company
• Simplicity of installation and operation of the solution
• Cost of investment and operation of the solution
• Optimization of current costs

The team of experts from Iberdrola, ASAJA and WOLARIA will be responsible for selecting the innovative solution(s) that will enable the decarbonization and electrification of agricultural and livestock sectors.