Deadline: 15-Jul-2020
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), École polytechniquefédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Orange and SAP launch the second edition of the Growth Stage Impact Ventures (GSIV) for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiative.
The initiative aims to identifying and showcasing mature impact ventures in emerging countries with the catalytic potential to drive both large impact and yield sustainable profit.
The top 12 nominated entrepreneurs will be invited to pitch their products and solutions at the SDG Finance Geneva Summit, scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2021 during the Building Bridges Week and will get support to access strategic partners to scale up their venture.
The 2020 Call for Nominations will only accept Post Series A impact ventures providing products and services which reduce inequalities (with particular attention to gender inequalities) by providing solutions that empower people at the bottom of the pyramid to access to quality health, affordable and clean energy, and by reducing and recovering waste.
Eligibility Criteria
Enterprises with the following profile:
- An established business model and strong financial track record (based on number of clients, break-even, valuation, and turnover);
- An innovative technology, business model, or process with a strong competitive advantage (Intellectual property, clear unique selling proposition, uniqueness factor);
- Closed a Series A deal (valued at US$500,000 or more) or reached break-even through organic growth;
- Had their accounts audited;
- Retained a solid team with complementary competencies to run and grow a business;
- An impact-driven model—meaning that the venture aims to generate a measurable, positive social or environmental impact, with impact measurement metrics and/or key performance indicators in place;
- Mission driven enterprises (possibly within by-laws);
- Contributed to or have the potential to contribute to the achievement of more than one SDG, in an integrated way;
- Followed an inclusive business model with products and services that involve people at the bottom of the economic pyramid (BoP) — namely people with less than US$10 per day (in purchasing power measured in 2015 US dollars) or other excluded or vulnerable groups—as consumers, producers, suppliers, distributors, and employees;
- Demonstrated that they are scalable at the regional, continental, or cross-sectoral level.
UNDP calls for third parties (accelerators, impact funds, family offices, international organizations, etc.) to nominate from their own pipelines, up to 3 entrepreneurs which meet the eligibility criteria. Self-nomination will not be accepted.
Selection and Benefits
The selection process consists of four stages:
- Initial screening to verify compliance with minimum eligibility criteria;
- Shortlisting of 24 impact ventures (8 per theme) based on the information provided by third-party nominators;
- Evaluation by a Technical Committee of the in-depth profiles of shortlisted ventures with the objective of narrowing down the list to a maximum of 12 recommended ventures (4 per theme). The Technical Committee comprises representatives from international organizations, large corporations, academia, investors and thematic experts;
- Final selection of the 12 ventures by an Advisory Board composed of UN experts and academia. The Advisory Board can decide to recommend fewer ventures.
Selected impact ventures in (4) above, will be invited to pitch during the SDG Finance Geneva Summit 2021. They will receive broad exposure before and during the event, and access to a wide network of decision-makers interested in learning more about their innovations and plans to scale up. They will have access to a prepping program, and benefit from a package of services provided by the SDG Finance Geneva Summit’s partners including one-on-one introduction to decision makers to scale up their products offering. Their travel costs will be covered (flight and per diem).
Third parties nominating ventures to the GSIV will be acknowledged on the event’s website and will be given one-person invitation to attend the SDG Finance Geneva Summit. Third parties whose nominees are among the 12 selected ventures will receive additional exposure during the event.
For more information, visit https://www.europe.undp.org/content/geneva/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2020/GSIV-2020-call-for-nominations/