The Green Innovators Programme (GIP) is a national fellowship that equips creative hub leaders with the knowledge, networks, and practical experience to lead the transition towards sustainability, circular bioeconomy, climate resilience, and regenerative design.
Building on the success of the Creative Innovators Programme (2018–2019), GIP transforms creative hubs into green innovation platforms that empower communities, strengthen MSMEs, and accelerate the country's green creative economy
Why the Green Transition?
Creative industries are increasingly challenged by climate change, resource scarcity, and shifting market expectations.
While sustainability awareness continues to grow, many organizations still lack the practical capability to design, implement, and scale circular and regenerative solutions.
GIP addresses this implementation gap by developing leaders who can transform sustainability into real-world action.
There is currently a significant skills gap. The Design Council’s recently published research shows that while 66% of designers have worked on environmental projects in the last 12 months, and 73% of them think the demand for environmental design is going to grow, only 43% think they have the capability to do so. Skills and knowledge are critical enablers of change, yet only 50% of the UK’s designers believe their education has equipped them to design for planet.
Why does this matter now?
The Global Opportunity:
Only 6.9% of the global economy is circular.
93% of materials still come from virgin extraction.
Southeast Asia's green economy represents a projected US$1 trillion opportunity by 2030.
Up to 80% of environmental impacts are determined during the design stage.
Design therefore becomes one of the highest-leverage interventions for climate action.
Why Creative Hubs?
Creative hubs already serve as trusted community platforms that connect designers, entrepreneurs, MSMEs, government, academia, and civil society.
However, many lack:
Structured sustainability capability
International networks
Implementation tools
Financing pathways
Mentorship
GIP will strengthen these hubs to become catalysts for green innovation across the Philippines.
GIP Objectives
Build implementation-ready green leaders.
Develop and pilot one Green Project per participating hub.
Institutionalize cascading capability through hub-led training.
Strengthen UK–Philippines collaboration.
Produce the Green Innovators Playbook.
Generate policy insights that influence future sustainability programmes.
Five Learning Tracks
What is the GIP experience?
The GIP experience moves fellows from learning to action through five program tracks that have been identified as critical green skills needed for the green transition. These five tracks are linked together by Implementation Studios that guide Fellows in applying their learnings to their Green Projects.
Circular Systems & Sustainable Regenerative Design
Build the foundational mindset and analytical capability to see sustainability as a systems problem, not an isolated one. Fellows develop skills in systems thinking, material-flow analysis, regenerative design principles and assessment of climate resilience to correctly identify sustainable, circular and regenerative opportunities for their hubs and communities.
Hub Leadership
Strengthen the capacity of creative hubs to lead and sustain a Green Project beyond the fellowship. Fellows explore institutional planning, organizational governance and team coordination and leadership to create a governance plan to create governance plan that will support long-term sustainability initiatives.
Green Entrepreneurship
Turn Green Project concepts into viable commercially viable and sustainable opportunities. Fellows learn to develop green business models, explore financing and funding pathways, assess financial viability, and build the readiness needed to attract partners, grants, and investment for their Green Projects.
Community, Policy & Storymaking
Learn how to build the narrative for Green Projects through meaningful community engagement, storytelling and value-proposition development, strategic placemaking, and policy and stakeholder engagement. Fellows develop the tools to communicate their ideas, mobilize stakeholders, and build partnerships that can help move sustainable projects forward.
Implementation Studios
Bring learning into practice through the development and implementation of each hub's Green Project. Fellows apply insights from the other learning tracks through prototyping, pilot design, testing, readiness assessment, and preparation for scaling and cascading within their hubs.
Qualifications
Target Participants
We are looking for 15 Creative Hub Leaders from different hubs with the experience, commitment, and community grounding to turn green ideas into action.
Qualifications for Fellows
Applicants must be Creative Hub Leaders who represent a Philippine-based, Filipino-owned creative hub that has been operational for at least three (3) years. The Hub must:
- Have implemented programs, projects, events, or services supporting creatives, MSMEs, cultural practitioners, or communities.
- Demonstrate the capacity to collaborate with communities, government agencies, educational institutions, industry partners, or civil society organizations, evidenced by existing or previous partnerships.
- Commit to a minimum of two (2) additional team members to support project development and implementation throughout the fellowship period, including participation in the hybrid learning sessions.
Applicants must occupy a leadership or decision-making role within the organization and be authorized to represent the hub throughout the programme.
Applicants must have at least 5 years of relevant industry experience in areas such as design, creative industries, entrepreneurship, community development, sustainability, or related fields.
Applicants must demonstrate a clear interest or experience in sustainability, circularity, climate resilience, social innovation, regenerative design, or community development, evidenced by at least three (3) past or current initiatives, partnerships, or projects related to these areas.
Applicants must also identify a local environmental, social, cultural, or economic challenge that can be addressed through a Green Project during the fellowship.
Applicants must also commit to sharing learnings and participating in ecosystem-building and knowledge-exchange activities facilitated by the programme.
Applicants and their organization must commit to participating in at least 90% of all programme activities, including trainings, mentoring sessions, immersion activities, and showcase events.
