Festival of Cooling competitions
The Clean Cooling Network is excited to offer two very different competitions for residents of Africa, to showcase how Cooling and Cold-chain innovation is affecting our day-to-day lives.
We are especially interested in encouraging women and youth-led applicants to take part in both the Photography and Start-up Pitch competitions, though all are welcome.
Photography competition
As part of the Festival of Cooling, you're invited to show us how cooling manifests in your day-to-day life, whether that's through food, health, nature, technology or another way meaningful to you. It makes no difference if you are a seasoned photographer or like taking an occasional snapshot; we would love you to participate!
Photography competition
Use the power of photography to reflect cooling in day-to-day life
Open to all ages, this is your chance to show us how cooling touches your world, whether that's through:
- preserving food freshness
- protecting vaccines and medicines
- powering livelihoods
- enabling innovation
- simply bringing people together
Closing date, 25th of September. Winners will be announced at the Festival of Cooling on the 9th of October 2025
* You are required to agree to all competition terms & conditions during registration.
The power of photography
Open now!
Using any type of camera, show us how cooling shapes your daily life and the world around you.
Start-up pitch competition
The Phase 1 submission will be done via our online form (deadline 1st October 2025).
Start-up pitch
We are calling on young companies to step forward and showcase solutions that could make cooling and cold-chain smarter, cleaner, and more accessible in Rwanda with potential to scale up in the Global South.
This competition is designed for start-ups that are five years' old or less. We welcome solutions with a working prototype, minimum viable product, or operational model. Your innovation could be in agriculture, health, logistics, e-commerce, technology (hardware or software) or energy, but it must connect to the clean cooling and cold-chain ecosystem.
* You are required to read all competition terms & conditions before registration.
Areas of focus include, but are not limited to: mobile storage (back of an e-bike for last mile delivery), removing field heat of food at the farm, cold storage and refrigeration technologies, IoT-enabled cold-chain solutions, solar-powered or off-grid cooling, temperature-controlled logistics, novel recovery of refrigerants, digital monitoring and optimisation tools, workforce development in refrigeration services, agri-processing innovations, health sector cooling solutions, cooling for food processing and comfort cooling.
Take the stage. Share your solution. Shape the future of cooling.
What happens next:
A longlist of innovators will be invited to the Innovation Day on 9th October 2025 at the ACES campus in Rubirizi to meet with experts across technology, supply chain and scaling, market development, business models and plans, and financing.
- Following the Innovation Day, longlisted teams may submit a full application by 14th November 2025.
- A shortlist of finalists will be selected by end of November 2025 and invited to attend a presentation session (early January; date to be confirmed), where the winners will be selected.
The Organiser reserves the right to withdraw any team that does not attend Innovation Day or that, in interview/verification, does not meet the criteria (including technology readiness).
Join one of the festival days
The festival is spread over 5 full days, from Monday 6th to Friday 10th, October 2025, with each day focusing on a different cooling and cold-chain theme.
Morning sessions require free advance registration, which you can see below. After lunch, sessions are open without prior booking. Spaces for certain workshops and competitions are limited, so early registration is encouraged.
Festival of Cooling Day 1 - Focus on Farmers outreach
Connecting smallholder farmers, cooperatives, and agri-entrepreneurs to practical post-harvest cooling solutions. Sessions will focus on reducing losses, accessing finance, and adopting technologies that improve food quality and profitability. Join us on the 6th of October.
Festival of Cooling Day 2 - Focus on the Health Sector
Spotlighting the life-saving role of cold-chains in healthcare, enabling safe storage and delivery of vaccines, blood, and antivenoms. Health workers, planners, and logisticians will gain tools, insights, and networks to strengthen health cold-chains. Join us on the 7th of October.
Festival of Cooling Day 4 - Focus on Creatives, Startups & Innovation Hubs
Celebrating creativity, entrepreneurship, and the fusion of art and science. This will provide a launchpad for bold ideas, showcase innovations, and inspire youth-led problem-solving for climate-smart cold-chains. Join us on the 9th of October.
Festival of Cooling Day 3 - Focus on Schools & Education
Engaging the next generation of innovators and decision-makers through hands-on learning, storytelling, and creative experimentation. Students will explore real-world cooling challenges and explore careers in sustainable cooling, logistics, and climate action. Join us on the 8th of October.
Festival of Cooling Day 5 - Focus on High-level Stakeholders & Policymakers
Setting the strategic tone, aligning government, finance, academia, and industry partners around a shared policy and investment roadmap for resilient, just, and climate-aligned cold-chains in Africa. Join us on the 10th of October.
