The Smart Cities Council is pleased to share an exciting global opportunity for innovators across our network: The Liveability Challenge 2026 (TLC), organised by Temasek Foundation and Eco-Business. This internationally recognised competition seeks groundbreaking, commercially viable solutions to the greatest sustainability and urban challenges facing tropical cities in the 21st century.
Austrade have recently shared this opportunity, and it may be particularly valuable for SCC members with early-stage innovations seeking funding, visibility, and a global platform to scale their solutions.
Full details can be found here: https://www.theliveabilitychallenge.org/
What The Liveability Challenge Is Looking For
TLC 2026 invites submissions in two major tracks:
1. Decarbonisation
Innovations that reduce emissions across industries, including:
·Renewable and alternative energy
·Waste-to-resource conversion
·Industrial efficiency
·Materials innovation
·Deep-tech pathways for net-zero transition
2. Cool Earth
Solutions aimed at tackling extreme heat and improving urban liveability:
·Nature-based cooling solutions
·Climate adaptation technologies
·Urban heat mitigation
·Resilience infrastructure
·Technologies improving quality of life in hot, dense cities
Solutions should be at TRL 6 or above, with a validated proof of concept and potential for deployment in Singapore or other tropical cities.
What’s on Offer
For 2026, The Liveability Challenge features S$4 million in catalytic funding, alongside access to global investors, strategic partners, and a high-visibility pitch platform.
Since 2018, TLC has incubated 54 companies across eight editions, with nearly S$14 million deployed to accelerate some of the world’s leading climate-tech and deep-tech startups.
This year’s expanded funding pool makes the Challenge one of the most significant global opportunities for early-stage innovators.
Why This Matters for SCC Members
Tropical cities face some of the world’s most urgent issues:
·Rising temperatures
·Urban density and infrastructure strain
·Waste management pressures
·Energy demand
·Food security
·Climate-induced extreme weather
The Liveability Challenge provides a global platform for innovators who are designing solutions that can reshape how cities adapt, mitigate, and thrive in these evolving conditions.
It’s an excellent opportunity for SCC members who:
·Have early-stage technologies ready for scaling
·Are seeking additional capital
·Want to pitch to global investors
·Need visibility and credibility in international markets
·Are aligned with sustainability, energy, resilience, or circular city initiatives
SCC Support for Interested Companies
If any SCC members would like to explore this opportunity, please contact the SCC team and we can connect you with the Austrade team in Singapore as you prepare your submission.
We encourage innovators across our network to consider whether this Challenge aligns with their roadmap—and to seize the opportunity to pitch their solutions on a global stage.
For more information and submissions: https://www.theliveabilitychallenge.org/
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