• PepsiCo has launched the Mena edition of its global greentech accelerator programme in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MCCE).
• The Greenhouse accelerator programme will last three months and is focused on nurturing the growth of greentech companies working in the areas of sustainable packaging alternatives, packaging reduction and recycling options, and sustainable recycling behaviour modification.

Press release

PepsiCo has announced the launch of it’s first MENA edition of the Greenhouse Accelerator program, active globally since 2017. The program, launched in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), was formalized following the signing of an MoU by Aamer Sheikh, President and General Manager, PepsiCo Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan and a representative from the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. The ceremony was attended by high-ranking government officials including HE Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment.

As part of the endorsement from MOCCAE, the ministry will offer technical and strategic mentors to applicants participating in the program and amplify outreach into trusted local and regional networks, further increasing the number of innovators applying to the program. “Given the wide-ranging action needed to fight climate change and expand friendly environmental practices across the board, we are honored to support the PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator: MENA Sustainability Edition as a partner,” said HE Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment.

The Greenhouse Accelerator is one of many indicators of PepsiCo’s focus on creating growth and shared value operating within planetary boundaries, and on inspiring positive change for the planet and people. These efforts have been recently formalized as part of PepsiCo Positive (pep+), the company’s strategic end-to-end transformation framework. The Greenhouse Accelerator program will run as a six-month initiative, seeking to enhance innovation and sustainability through collaboration with purpose-driven brands from the MENA start-up ecosystem that share PepsiCo’s vision for a more sustainable food system. “We are proud to bring this collaborative program to the MENA region in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. At PepsiCo, we believe great solutions can be built and launched through open innovation and collaboration with changemakers and we look forward to supporting, mentoring, and connecting small startups that have big ideas, to the resources they need to help create a more sustainable tomorrow. As the region’s largest food and beverage company we have a critical role to play to advance this agenda and bring our pep+ strategy to life in key MENA countries. I look forward to engaging with the startups and our stakeholders to help build a circular and inclusive value chain and inspire people to make choices that create more smiles for them and the planet,” said Eugene Willemsen, CEO, Africa, Middle East, and South Asia, PepsiCo.

Become the next sustainable design innovator with PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator

The theme for the upcoming ‘2021- 2022 PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator: MENA Sustainability Edition’ will be sustainable packaging and circular economy solutions, followed by other priorities in later programs, to help achieve a sustainable food system. PepsiCo will choose and support 10 companies from the MENA region that are working on accelerating environmental sustainability in the food and beverage industry through disruptive technologies focused on nurturing innovation in the areas of environmentally sustainable packaging alternatives, packaging reduction and recycling options, and sustainable recycling behavior modification to help accelerate growth for companies with a mission to be stewards of environmental sustainability for our region and the planet.  Small startups and businesses with a product, service, or system in early growth stages, meeting any of the edition’s specified themes, can apply online for the program before the deadline of January 10, 2022. 

Those chosen for the six-month program will be challenged to demonstrate collaboration and measurable progress, based on a mutually developed action plan. Participants will receive support in the form of a USD 20,000 cash grant, one-on-one mentorship via access to PepsiCo’s experts, market activation advice, and business opportunities. At the end of the program, one winning company will be selected and awarded an additional $100,000 in funding to continue its expansion, and an opportunity to continue partnering with PepsiCo to further expedite its growth.

The PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator is a global, mentor-led accelerator program to help food & beverage entrepreneurs grow through collaboration and by nurturing innovation. The program was launched in Europe in 2017 and North America in 2019 and has already delivered five successful editions, supporting several start-ups around the globe. 

In the MENA region, PepsiCo leads the effort to drive a circular economy approach to address the issue of plastic waste through aggressive collection and recycling targets across key markets, active stakeholder engagement, consumer awareness programs, and investment in more environmentally friendly packaging such as the recently launched Aquafina cans and Sunbites compostable packaging.