The Global LEAP Awards Induction Cooktops Competition aims to promote the use and showcase the performance of electric induction cooktops, accelerating the global adoption of high-quality clean cooking technologies.
Globally, about 2.3 billion people still rely on polluting fuels such as firewood, charcoal and kerosene for daily cooking. This dependence has far-reaching impacts on public health, the environment, and social and economic inequalities. Specifically on public health, according to the 2024 report by World Health Organization (WHO), on household air pollution, biomass cooking fuels remain a major health and environmental hazard, contributing to over 3.2 million premature deaths annually and significant CO₂ emissions. Modern, energy-efficient electric cooking appliances like induction cooktops offer a powerful alternative.
When designed to be affordable, efficient, and suitable for local needs, these technologies can significantly reduce household exposure to harmful air pollutants, deforestation rates, lower cooking related energy costs, and ease the time and labor burden that disproportionately affects women and girls, contributing to the creation of sustainable and resilient communities.
Induction cooktops offer a viable, safe and efficient solution for households to transition to modern clean cooking as energy access grows and demand for electric cooking increases. The appliance uses electromagnetic energy to heat the cookware directly and cooks food efficiently and quickly when paired with the appropriate cookware. Its design allows flexibility in cooking many dishes safely and with less energy.
Despite the benefits and popularity in the Global North, uptake of induction cooktops remains low in urban and peri-urban settings in the Global South due to a lack of access and misconceptions that induction cooktops will lead to increased energy consumption costs and are incompatible or not user-friendly with cooking local and cultural food.
The Global LEAP Awards Induction Cooktop Competition
The Global LEAP Awards for Induction Cooktops competition aims to identify and promote efficiently designed and high-quality induction cooktops through laboratory and usability testing with households in Ghana and Indonesia. This will be complemented, for the first- time, by indoor air quality testing to generate evidence- based insights for relevant stakeholders on health impacts. The Competition builds on momentum from the inaugural 2024 Global LEAP Awards Induction Cooktops competition, which tested products with users in India and Kenya. The 2024 competition successfully helped identify and reward early movers manufacturing and distributing high-quality electric induction cooktops products, especially those serving Kenyan and Indian markets.
This 2025 competition will feature:
1. Rigorous laboratory according to the relevant IEC and/or national standards for safety and energy performance of induction cooktops.
2. Real-world user testing in households in Ghana and Indonesia to evaluate usability, in-situ performance, and overall user experience.
3. Indoor air quality testing in accordance with WHO guidelines and relevant national standards to generate evidence-based insights on public health impacts.
4. Judging by a panel of sector experts, using robust, transparent evaluation criteria and input from market and technology experts.
5. $100,000 in innovation prizes, awarded to top-performing products across categories.
Submit a Nomination
Competition Process
Competition Timeline
Webinar Information
An informational webinar was held on 1 December 2025 to provide an overview of the competition, covering the eligibility criteria, nomination process, administration, and evaluation procedures. You can watch the recording and download the presentation slides.
Contact Details
If you have any general questions or information about the Competition, you can contact the program team at globalleap@efficiencyforaccess.org.
The 2025 Global LEAP Awards Induction Cooktops Competition is implemented by CLASP through the Modern Energy Cooking Services ( MECS ) program, funded by UK aid from the UK government. The Global LEAP Awards is an initiative of the Efficiency for Access (EforA), funded by UK aid, from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform and the IKEA Foundation.
