Italy’s Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and the United Nations Environment Programme launched the first EPIC Deploy Call for Proposals on 21 July. The initiative will fund pilot-scale demonstrations of innovative, low-climate-impact cooling technologies under real operating conditions.
The call is open to international consortia comprising public entities, private-sector organizations and research institutions. Projects must target Brazil, Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya or Ethiopia, with a focus on hospitals, universities, public buildings, port logistics and agri-food cold chains.
Each project must have a minimum total budget of USD 200,000, with a recommended ceiling of USD 1.2 million. Applicants must provide at least 20% co-financing. Selection criteria include technological innovation, operational viability, scalability, emissions-reduction potential and socio-economic co-benefits.
The initiative supports implementation of the Global Cooling Pledge adopted at COP28 and reinforced through G7 and UN frameworks. Data presented during the launch webinar indicated that 1.1 billion people lack adequate access to cooling services, while the global financing requirement is estimated at USD 400 billion to USD 800 billion.
“The challenge is to turn technological innovation into industrial projects, international partnerships and new growth opportunities. Italy can play a leading role thanks to an industrial and scientific ecosystem that brings together specialised companies, engineering firms, universities and research centres,” said Alessandro Guerri, Director General for European and International Affairs and Sustainable Finance at the Italian ministry.
The call is open, and eligible applicants must register through official channels to receive the full proposal documentation, application forms and budget templates.
