26 June 2026, Port Vila - Whether it is integrating nature-based solutions into agriculture, unlocking the power of remote sensing and geospatial tools to improve lives, diverting food from waste or eliminating plastic nappy waste across the Pacific, all these innovative ideas and more promise a lively Pacific Innovation Forum for Climate and Environment (PIFCE) Private Sector Climate and Innovation Pitching Competition next week.
Ten organisations and companies from across the Blue Pacific have been selected from multiple entries and are heading to Port Vila to lock horns during the inaugural PIFCE Pitching competition.
Over two-days, consisting of the semifinal and final, the entrepreneurs will have to convince the Jury that their pitch is the best, offering a commercially viable solution with positive climate and environmental impact to our Pacific communities.
The winner will receive a cash prize of AUD 10,000. There will also be a People's Choice award, to be determined by an audience vote during the final.
“There is definitely excitement and anticipation as we get closer to the day of competition,” said V-Lab Founder and President, Mr Marc-Antoine Morel.
“We look forward to welcoming all the finalists to Vanuatu, and playing a part in providing a dynamic space for innovators, entrepreneurs, communities, governments, and development partners to showcase practical and scalable solutions for a more resilient and sustainable Pacific.”
V-Lab Vanuatu, a Vanuatu-based charitable association has been at the forefront of supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, green economy initiatives, and social development across the country. V-Lab is co-organising PIFCE, an initiative originally fostered through a proposal the country’s first business and innovation incubator developed jointly with Hon. Minister Ralph Regenvanu, Minister of Climate Change, reflecting a shared vision to create a Pacific-led platform for innovation and climate action.
More than 300 government officials, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, private sector leaders, and academic institutions from across the Pacific are expected to be in Vanuatu next week, as active drivers of change in addressing global climate and environmental challenges.
PIFCE is supported by the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) hosted at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). SPREP Director of Climate Change Resilience, Ms Tagaloa Cooper said the Forum is an opportunity for SPREP and partners to strengthen private sector engagement and encourage new forms of collaboration between businesses, innovators, government agencies, and communities.
“I want to congratulate all our finalists,” she said. “SPREP’s mandate is to promote cooperation in the Pacific region and provide assistance to protect and improve our environment. Innovation is key in fulfilling our mandate, and I also believe innovation must evolve to match the magnitude of the challenges before us. We look forward to hearing innovative pitches by our Pacific people, that are relevant and fit for purpose.”
The Private Sector Climate and Innovation Pitching Competition is designed to bridge the gap between innovation and financing, while fostering partnerships that can support growth, replication, and regional impact.
The finalists are: Natures Farm Fresh Supplies (Fiji), Eagle Vetiver Systems Ltd (PNG), ENVIROMESH (Australia), Blue Garden (French Polynesia), Greentech Ltd (Vanuatu), Sea and Soil (Fiji), Kahuto Pacific (Fiji), The Greater Good Diaper Project (Samoa), Fine Food (Vanuatu) and Powa mo Wota (Vanuatu).
The semifinal will be held on Wednesday 1 July. Only five pitches will advance to the final on Friday 3 July.
The inaugural Pacific Innovation Forum on Climate and Environment (PIFCE) is held in Port Vila, Vanuatu from 1–3 July 2026.
Attended by Government Ministers, officials, entrepreneurs, non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, private sector leaders, and academic institutions from across the Pacific, PIFCE is an initiative of the Government of Vanuatu.
It is supported by the Pacific Climate Change Centre (PCCC) hosted at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), V-Lab Vanuatu, Japan International Cooperation Agency, New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, British High Commission Port Vila and the United Kingdom Development from the UK Government.
To find out more, visit: https://pcccinnovation.com/pifce2026/