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For Startups / Scaleups
Who can apply?
Established impact startups with a concrete climate solution, meeting all of the following:
- Founded no more than 10 years ago
- Up to 50 employees
- Headquartered in Germany
- Working in areas such as energy, materials, circular economy, mobility/logistics, or digital enablers for process optimization
- Realistic potential for application in the healthcare sector (hospitals, care facilities) – even if you don’t come from healthcare originally
What stage should my startup be at?
You should already have a working solution and a paying (or pilot-ready) customer base outside of healthcare. We’re not looking for idea-stage teams – we’re looking for companies ready to adapt an existing solution for a hospital or care-facility pilot within the program’s 6-month timeframe.
Is this program free of cost?
Yes – there are no program fees and we take no equity. You will receive a working budget of approx. EUR 1,000 depending on your participation intensity, to cover your own costs during the program (e.g. travel to bootcamp/events). Because this is a public grant (ESF Plus), the amount counts toward the EU de-minimis ceiling of currently EUR 300,000 over a rolling 3-year period – this is a formality most startups won’t come close to, but we’re required to disclose it.
What language is the program in?
The program runs in English or German (in case everybody speaks German). The Green Health Accelerator Team and the coaches speak both German and English.
What's the program format and duration?
Six months total, split into two phases:
- Phase 1 (3 months) – Acceleration: kicks off with a 3-day in-person bootcamp, followed by workshops, 1:1 coaching, and matchmaking with healthcare partners.
- Phase 2 (3 months) – Pilot & Coaching: for startups matched with a healthcare pilot partner, focused on running and validating that pilot.
What documents do I need to prepare?
A short pitch deck (max. 10 slides) and your application via our platform. You do not need a full business plan or financial projections – we deliberately keep this lightweight.
How long does the application form take?
About 15-30 minutes, depending on how much detail you add to open text fields.
How competitive is the selection process, and how many startups get in?
Each cohort typically selects 12-15 startups. Of these, around half (roughly 6 per cohort) are matched into a concrete pilot project with a healthcare partner in Phase 2 – the rest continue with coaching, network access, and visibility, and can still develop pilot leads afterward.
What happens after I submit my application?
- Our team screens all applications against the selection criteria.
- Shortlisted startups are invited to a 30-minute interview with our Project Lead and Operations Manager.
- You’ll hear back either way within 48 hours – including short feedback if you weren’t selected.
For Health Industry Collaborations
Why should our hospital / care facility get involved?
Sustainability is increasingly a cost and compliance topic, not just an image topic: CSRD reporting now applies to roughly 1,200 hospitals in Germany, and energy, waste, and material costs are under real budget pressure (currently only 11% of hospitals rate their financial situation as good). The Green Health Accelerator gives you direct, low-risk access to vetted climate-tech startups already working on exactly these problems – energy, waste/circularity, materials, mobility/logistics, digital process optimization – without you having to run your own market scan or vendor search.
What does participation actually cost or require from us?
No fee to become a pilot partner. What we ask for is time and access: a named contact person to define a real problem statement, participate in matchmaking, and support a defined pilot over roughly 3 months (Phase 2). Typical time commitment: a few hours per month from that contact, plus operational involvement from the relevant department during the pilot itself.
How fast can we expect results?
Concrete matchmaking with startups starts toward the end of Phase 1 / beginning of Phase 2 – from there, the pilot start date and duration are agreed individually based on your readiness and the startup’s capacity. There’s no fixed 3-month box; some pilots move faster, others need more lead time depending on scope. If your organization steers on a quarterly or monthly cycle, we recommend agreeing the pilot’s timeline and checkpoint explicitly with us upfront, so it lines up with your own reporting rhythm rather than running on an arbitrary schedule.
Do we need to run a public tender to work with a startup?
In most cases, no – not for the pilot itself. A pilot is a limited, time-boxed test, not a procurement decision, so it typically doesn’t trigger tender obligations. If a pilot proves successful and you want to move to actual procurement, standard German procurement law (GWB/VgV/UVgO) applies from that point. Two relevant developments here:
- The “Vergabebeschleunigungsgesetz” (Procurement Acceleration Act, in force since 1 July 2026) reduces documentation requirements, simplifies tender paperwork, and raises value thresholds – tenders are generally faster now.
- The planned “Vergabetransformationspaket” would additionally allow direct awards up to EUR 100,000 (net) to young SMEs / impact-driven companies for innovative solutions, without a formal tender (this is still a draft bill, not yet law).
For a legally binding read on your specific situation – especially if you’re tied into a group purchasing organization – please consult your own procurement/legal department. The above is orientation, not legal advice.
What level of seniority should be involved on our side - and does that change the timeline?
This depends heavily on your organization’s size and decision structure:
- Smaller hospitals / care facilities: Often a single decision-maker (e.g. facility management, sustainability lead) can greenlight a pilot directly. Faster to start, but capacity to run the pilot is more limited – monthly check-ins work well here.
- Larger hospital groups / Corporate structures: Typically need a leadership-level sponsor to unlock budget and cross-departmental buy-in (procurement, facility management, data protection/IT may all need to sign off). Slower to start – but once approved, these organizations usually have more capacity to run a proper pilot with measurable KPIs, which fits naturally into quarterly steering cycles (e.g. QBRs, board reporting). Important for this group: the pilot runs independently of your group purchasing organization (e.g. AGKAMED, Prospitalia, GDEKK, PEG) and its framework agreements – it isn’t a purchasing transaction. Only a later scale-up would potentially go through that channel or a formal tender.
Either way, we scope the pilot’s timeline and success metrics with you upfront, so it produces a decision-ready result at your next natural review point – not an open-ended engagement that outlives your reporting cycle.
What topics/solution areas are typically relevant for us?
Based on our current cohorts: energy efficiency, waste management & circularity (e.g. reusable vs. single-use materials), sustainable materials, mobility/logistics (including drone-based sample delivery pilots), and digital tools for process optimization and emissions tracking. If you have a concrete problem statement, we can tell you quickly whether we have a matching startup.
What's the risk or commitment if the pilot doesn't work out?
Low. No purchase obligation, no exclusivity, no long-term contract tied to the pilot itself. The whole point of the 3-month pilot is to find out – with minimal cost and risk – whether a solution is worth scaling, before any real procurement decision is made.
Does the accelerator charge a fee for matching us with a startup / healthcare partner?
No – we currently charge no brokerage or placement fee on either side. That said, startups naturally want to generate revenue from their solutions, and healthcare partners naturally want fair value for the time and access they provide. The right commercial model for the pilot – paid trial, revenue share, free proof-of-concept leading to a later contract, or something else – is not fixed in advance. It’s discussed and agreed individually between the startup and the healthcare partner during matchmaking and pilot planning, so it works for both sides.
What happens if our pilot is successful - what's next?
Continuation is agreed between you and the startup directly; if it moves toward paid procurement, standard procurement rules apply from that point.
Can we get involved without becoming an official cohort partner?
Yes – you can also attend our events (Green Health Talk, Ecosystem Connector & Innovation Showcase, Partner Roundtable) to meet startups and explore fit before committing to a pilot.
For Mentors
How can I get involved as a mentor?
We’re continuously looking for experienced professionals to support our startups /scaleups – as a volunteer mentor.
What experience do you look for in a mentor?
Typically: several years of hands-on experience in a relevant field (e.g. energy management, waste management, materials, mobility), practical experience coaching startups or running comparable industry projects, and roots in the German startup ecosystem. Fluent German and English are required, since you’ll work directly with startups and, where relevant, healthcare partners.
What's the time commitment?
Varies by role and startup needs – from occasional 1:1 sessions to a more structured involvement across the 3-month acceleration phase.
We scope this individually with you.
Do I need healthcare-sector experience?
No – but it’s a strong plus if you have it, especially for mentoring startups through pilot-matching with hospitals or care facilities. Most of our coaches and mentors bring startup/business-building expertise; healthcare-specific know-how sits mainly with our partner organizations and network.
- The “Vergabebeschleunigungsgesetz” (Procurement Acceleration Act, in force since 1 July 2026) reduces documentation requirements, simplifies tender paperwork, and raises value thresholds – tenders are generally faster now.
- The planned “Vergabetransformationspaket” would additionally allow direct awards up to EUR 100,000 (net) to young SMEs / impact-driven companies for innovative solutions, without a formal tender (this is still a draft bill, not yet law).
For a legally binding read on your specific situation – especially if you’re tied into a group purchasing organization – please consult your own procurement/legal department. The above is orientation, not legal advice.
General Information
Who is behind the Green Health Accelerator?
The Green Health Accelerator is run by Startup Colors UG, a Berlin-based innovation consultancy founded in 2018 by Maren Lesche. Startup Colors has been working with startups, corporates, and public-sector programs for years – including the Vision Health Pioneers Incubator, the Applied Data Incubator, and the U-Space Berlin drone-logistics testbed – and brings that experience into building and running accelerator and incubator programs specifically for the health and climate space.
The program is funded through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF Plus), jointly financed by the European Union and the German federal government, and is supported by Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie GmbH and the Cluster Gesundheitswirtschaft Berlin-Brandenburg – HealthCapital. Our broader partner network spans healthcare providers (e.g. Sana, Vivantes, Charité), industry (e.g. Lohmann & Rauscher, Fresenius, Bayer G4A), academic institutions (e.g. HMU Potsdam, Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde), and innovation ecosystems (e.g. EIT Health, Climate-KIC).
Where can I see current and past cohorts?
Who do we contact with further questions?
