Nairobi, 26 January 2016 - Start-up enterprises that solve pressing local issues by integrating social and environmental benefits into their business models can apply for the 2016 SEED Awards, which opened for nominations today.
Winning enterprises will receive a tailor-made business support package. Over a period of 6 months, they will be offered expert advice on further developing their business plans, individual workshops targeted at their needs, high level profiling of their enterprises and access to an international network of businesses, governments and development institutions.
Selected by an independent jury of international experts, winners will receive their awards at the International Awards Ceremony during the SEED Africa Symposium to be held on 28 29 September 2016 in Nairobi, Kenya.
This year, the SEED Awards include up to:
- 15 Switch Africa Green-SEED Awards for enterprises in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa or Uganda. Supported by the SWITCH-Africa Green project, which is implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with the assistance of the European Union;
- 4 SEED Africa Awards for enterprises in Malawi, Mozambique and Namibia. Supported by the Government of Flanders;
- 1 SEED Gender Equality Award to an enterprise, run or owned by a woman or women, that prioritises women's empowerment and is located in Kenya.
Additional support is provided by Hogan Lovells, the Government of the Netherlands and other SEED partners.
The deadline for applications is 21 March 2016, 23:59 Central European Time (CET).
Applications can be filled-in online at the SEED website www.seed.uno.
Alternatively, the application form can be downloaded and sent to seedawards2016@seed.uno. Applicants may also contact SEED by email or phone (+49 30 89 00 068 99) should they not be able to submit their application electronically.
SEED Award Winners in 2015 included an enterprise in Ethiopia that manufactures solar products locally and makes them available to rural communities; a South African cooperative that finds new ways to collect and recycle waste in rural Limpopo; an enterprise that sells low cost organic fertilizer to improve yields and food security in Malawi; and an enterprise in Uganda that builds a network of solar technicians to repair, service and sell solar systems.
For more information please contact Mr. Jona Liebl, Tel: +49 89 27 37 30 41 / Email: jona.liebl@seed.uno About SEED
SEED is a global partnership for action on sustainable development and the green economy that was founded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.
SEED is based on the understanding that the promotion of social and environmental enterprises is pivotal to a world of flourishing communities where entrepreneurship drives sustainable development. SEED's comprehensive programme triggers the full potential of market-based mechanisms to avert environmental degradation and tackle social problems. From an annual global awards scheme that scouts for and supports the most promising innovative and locally-led social and environmental start-up enterprises in developing countries to enhancing the quality and capacities of business development service providers - SEED builds the ecosystem for social and environmental entrepreneurship.
SEED is hosted by Adelphi Research GmbH, based in Berlin, Germany. Partners in SEED, in addition to the Founding Partners, are the governments of Flanders, Germany, India, the Netherlands, South Africa, and the United States of America; Conservation International; the European Union; SWITCH-Africa Green; Hogan Lovells; UNIDO; UN Women; and SEED's Corporate Partner, Hisense.
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