Powering Women-Centered Climate Resilience Across MENA

Applications for the C3 EmpowerHer program are now open.

A 6-month program supporting women-led and women-benefitting climate resilience enterprises across MENA, helping them strengthen solutions to the region's most urgent climate challenges, from water and food security to heat resilience and coastal adaptation.

Funded by the Resilient Futures Fund (RFF) and delivered by C3 - Companies Creating Change, C3 EmpowerHer equips founders with expert-led workshops, 1:1 mentorship, strategic advisory sessions and catalytic grant funding, helping ventures unlock market access and become investment-ready.

Applications close on August 31, 2026. Apply now.

Apply Here

30–40

startups led by women or serving women as primary beneficiaries

USD 150,000

in catalytic grant funding distributed across the top 10 startups

6 months

of hands-on support, from October 2026 to Demo Day in Q2 2027

Who Should Apply?

This program is built for early-stage climate resilience ventures across MENA. These are solutions that help communities, economies, and ecosystems withstand, recover from, and thrive despite the impacts of climate change.

To be eligible, your venture should be:

  • Women-centered and climate-focused: Either women-led or women-benefitting solution. Your core mission is in climate resilience rather than pure mitigation

  • Early-stage with traction: Pre-seed to pre-Series A, with an MVP and early evidence of traction

  • MENA-based or MENA-operating: Headquartered in or primarily operating within MENA

  • Driving gender and climate impact: Impact is intentionally built into your solution, with clear intentionality behind how it addresses gender and climate outcomes

  • Ready to commit: A core founding team able to commit time to a 6-month program that includes workshops, mentorship, diagnostics, and pilot execution

Focus Areas

Water & sanitation

Food & agri-climate

Heat resilience

Coastal & flood adaptation

Nature-based solutions

Climate-resilient infrastructure

Sustainable livelihoods

Climate finance access

Benefits of joining

For every startup in the cohort

Expert-led training

8–12 virtual workshops across 5 core modules

1:1 mentorship

Matched with climate, sector and investment experts

Investor & ecosystem access

Into C3's network of VCs, DFIs, corporates and impact funds

FOR THE TOP 10

Additional benefits for the top 10 startups

Strategic advisory sessions

10 expert advisory boards, plus a strategic roadmap

Catalytic pilot funding

Up to USD 20,000 per startup for pilots and impact

Pilot design & enablement

Matched with corporate pilot hosts and market enablers

Demo Day in Egypt

In-person showcase to investors, Q2 2027

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • Simply click the Apply Now link and fill in the details. The application includes information about your technology, traction, your startup and founding team. Please have your latest pitch deck ready for upload.

  • Your application will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to participate in a series of interviews. Final selected candidates will receive an offer to join the program.

  • This program is built for early-stage climate resilience ventures across MENA. These are solutions that help communities, economies, and ecosystems withstand, recover from, and thrive despite the impacts of climate change.

    To be eligible, your venture should be:

    • Women-centered and climate-focused: Either women-led or women-benefitting solution. Your core mission is in climate resilience rather than pure mitigation

    • Early-stage with traction: Pre-seed to pre-Series A, with an MVP and early evidence of traction

    • MENA-based or MENA-operating: Headquartered in or primarily operating within MENA

    • Driving gender and climate impact: Impact is intentionally built into your solution, with clear intentionality behind how it addresses gender and climate outcomes

    • Ready to commit: A core founding team able to commit time to a 6-month program that includes workshops, mentorship, diagnostics, and pilot execution

  • The program runs from June 2026 to April 2027 and is delivered primarily online. Training, mentorship, and advisory sessions are virtual, with an in-person Demo Day in Egypt at the end for the top 10 enterprises.

FUNDED BY

This program is funded by the Resilient Futures Fund (RFF). The Resilient Futures Fund is an initiative that aims to strengthen resilience and increase opportunities for climate solutions led by, involving or benefiting women and girls, by providing catalytic capital and support. The fund is managed by 2X Global and supported by Amazon, Reckitt, the Skoll Foundation, the UPS Foundation, and the Visa Foundation. For more information, explore 2xglobal.org/rff.