A startup can have a promising water-saving technology and an application that leaves its actual savings unclear. How much does it save, against which baseline, and under what conditions? Answering those questions turns an environmental promise into a project someone else can assess.
The extension of Cleantech Maroc 2026 to November 23 gives applicants more time to do that work. The updated programme rules confirm the deadline. For teams preparing a submission, the useful task is to make the innovation, its value and its next development step concrete enough to examine.
Cleantech Maroc 2026: check eligibility before rebuilding the pitch
The call covers innovative technologies in 4 areas: waste recovery, efficient water use, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Describing an activity as sustainable does not, by itself, establish that it fits.
The rules require at least 2 team members, both over 18, including at least one Moroccan national and at least one person under 45. The project must be less than 5 years old, with a physical address and activities in Morocco. Teams must complete the acceleration programme and commit at least half-time to developing the project if they receive an award.
Individuals can apply without an incorporated company, but a legal entity must be created to receive an award. Check these conditions before spending days polishing a presentation. Questions about a particular situation belong with the programme contact listed in the rules.
Give each environmental promise something to stand on
Assessment criteria include innovation, the team, commercial and industrial potential, the business model and the project’s impact. The application form also asks about development stage, prospect feedback and financing needs. The underlying logic is straightforward: a technology needs a practical use and a route to a market.
The table below is an Onyx preparation tool. It is not an official scoring framework or a list of additional mandatory documents.
| Your claim | What makes it assessable | The question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| “We save water or energy” | A baseline, a meaningful unit and measurement conditions. | Does the improvement come from the solution or from lower activity? |
| “Our technology is better” | A comparison with current practice, including costs and constraints. | What advantage justifies changing equipment or methods? |
| “Customers are interested” | Documented conversations: contact, need, objection and next step. | Who uses it, who decides and who pays? |
| “Support will accelerate development” | A specific milestone, an explainable budget and a result to verify. | Which uncertainty will this spending resolve? |
An application does not need to pretend that everything is settled. It should distinguish observations, assumptions and the next things to test. That gives a reviewer more to work with than a succession of impressive adjectives.
A worked example: water savings at comparable output
Consider an entirely fictional workshop. Water use falls from 12 m³ per tonne produced to 9 m³ after installing a solution. That is a reduction of 3 m³ per tonne, or 25%. At 100 tonnes of output under comparable conditions, the implied saving would be 300 m³. These numbers illustrate a calculation; they describe no actual project.
There are still questions. Do the readings cover comparable periods? Did the product mix or quality requirements change? Does the solution need additional electricity, consumables or maintenance? A reduction in total water use alone could simply reflect lower production.
For the application, a short evidence note can bring together the method, available readings, limitations and next test. If no trial has taken place, say so. Explain the proposed protocol and resources needed rather than presenting an unmeasured percentage as a result.
Treat an award as a possible milestone, not money already secured
The programme plans to support 30 finalist projects before selecting award recipients after compulsory acceleration. Announced financial awards range from MAD 100,000 to MAD 150,000 for purchases and services related to developing the solutions. Applying, reaching the final and receiving an award are separate steps.
Separate work that can proceed with existing resources from work that depends on hoped-for support. Equipment, a trial or outside expertise should each serve an identifiable development step. “Grow the business” is an intention; checking whether a prototype works with a first user is a result to define and assess.
If you are exploring several financing routes, our explanation of the Startup Catalytic Fund model covers another mechanism in the ecosystem. Identify the relevant decision-maker and process for each programme: a Cleantech application does not replace those separate approaches.
Before November 23: complete the submission and review what you disclose
Submission has 2 parts: complete the online form, then email team members’ CVs and a PPT presentation of no more than 10 slides to cleantech@environnement.gov.ma. The form states that incomplete or late applications are inadmissible. Completing the form alone does not finish the job.
One further provision deserves attention: the rules treat disclosed information as non-confidential. Before sharing sensitive technical details, check what you can communicate and your rights to the technology. Explaining a solution’s value and operation does not require handing over every manufacturing detail without consideration.
The extension is time to make the project easier to assess: clarify an eligibility condition, measure a benefit more carefully, take a customer objection seriously or cost the next step. A few solid answers do more work than 10 immaculate slides that avoid the important questions.
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