Deadline: 23-Mar-23
SEED is accepting nominations for its Green Entrepreneurship Awards 2023 that is designed to celebrate the most innovative and promising locally led enterprises in sustainable development. Each year, multiple award categories are offered, ranging from country- or region-specific topics.
Award Categories
This year there are two (2) categories: SEED Climate Adaptation Awards and Circular Economy Awards.
- SEED Climate Adaptation Awards: Botswana, Malawi, Zambia
- SEED Climate Adaptation Awards are open for enterprises that prevent or minimise damages caused by global warming and fluctuating weather patterns. In other words, SEED Climate Adaptation Awards look for enterprises that provide solutions to respond to effects of climate change or prepare for future impacts. Examples include supporting efficient use of scarce water resources; developing drought-tolerant crops; food insecurity prevention; coastal management, natural disasters management and warning system etc.
- Circular Economy Awards: India, Kenya
- Circular Economy Awards are open for enterprises with innovative business models that address circularity challenges in India and Kenya. Examples including reducing inputs or switching to renewable inputs; maximising utility of resources; increasing durability and lifespan of products; and retaining value of resources etc.
Award Details
- Winners
- Prize money of maximum EUR 15,000 matching grant
- Accelerator Support package which includes
- up to 12 months tailored capacitybuilding workshops from your enterprise’s need assessment
- up to 12 months one-on-one expert advice.
- You will develop the investment readiness and operational excellence of your established eco-inclusive enterprise in order to effectively scale-up your business
- Runner up
- EUR 1,500 matching grant
- SEED Catalyser Support package which includes
- up to 6 months capacity-building workshops from your enterprise’s needs assessment
- up to 6 months group expert advice with peer-learning opportunity.
- The programme will guide you to refine your business model in order to optimise your environmental, social and economic impacts and improve investment readiness as your future scale-up plan.
- Winners and Runners-up will also receive:
- Replication Support: For selected enterprises ready and willing to replicate their business activities in another region or country a dedicated replication support package will prepare you in getting ready for the next steps of replication.
- Tools: Self-help tools that enable enterprises to prioritise and address their most urgent needs, for example conducting market analysis, developing a funding strategy, mapping stakeholder relationships and measuring impact.
- Profiling: Winners and Runners-up are profiled nationally and regionally through a high-level Awards Ceremony as well as internationally through the programmes marketing and promotional activities such as their website, blog, social media and on-ground events.
- Network Building: the Green Entrepreneurship Awards Programme facilitates connections with valuable contacts to support organisations, such as funders, policy-makers, Alumni, other SMEs, as well as Partners and Associates.
How many Award recipients will be selected?
- Climate Adaptation Awards by SEED
- 3 winners and 15 runners-up (1 winner and 5 runners-up per country)
- Circular Economy Awards by Circular Economy Catalyst
- 4 winners and 20 runners-up (2 winners and 10 runners-up per country)
Eligibility Criteria
- All environmental friendly and socially inclusive enterprises from eligible countries of each award category are welcome to apply.
- SEED Climate Adaptation Awards are open to applicants from Botswana, Malawi and Zambia Circular Economy Awards are open to applicants from India, Kenya.
- Regardless of the entity’s legal status, the eligible enterprises must:
- contribute to sustainable development by providing solutions to social and environmental problems
- be market-driven entities
- These enterprises are ideally located within communities and generate lasting social and economic opportunities. They employ and incorporate low-income or vulnerable populations, including women and unemployed youth, in their value chains as suppliers, distributors and consumers.
- In other words, the enterprises create impact in marginalised communities, and contribute to eliminating poverty through pioneer business models based on sustainability and the creation of responsible products, services and value chains.
For more information, visit SEED.