About the SEED Awards

About the SEED Awards

Wednesday, 13 August 2008 12:13

SEED Awards 2010
The call for submissions is now closed

The SEED Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development is an annual awards scheme designed to find the most promising, innovative and locally led start-up social and environmental entrepreneurs in countries with developing and emerging economies. An international jury of experts selects enterprises which have the potential to make real improvements in poverty eradication and environmental sustainability while contributing to a greener economy.

SEED Awards Prize

Unlike most other competitions, the SEED Award does not carry a money prize. Experience from working with social and environmental entrepreneurs has shown that in many instances such enterprises often require access to knowledge, expertise and especially to networks as much as to financial support. SEED thus offers winners a range of business services, support and networks including high level profiling, often with government officials, Ministers, development institutions and businesses.

While no support package to SEED Winners is the same - each package strongly orients itself on the needs expressed by the initiative itself - the SEED Awards consists of:

• assistance and advice on developing and improving the initiative’s business plan
• two-day in-country business-oriented workshop, involving all partners, and covering the key elements and factors needed to build a successful social and environmental enterprise
• high-level profiling of the initiative nationally, regionally and internationally
• access to relevant institutions, organisations, businesses, including SEED winners and alumni, SEED Partners, SEED Supporters, and SEED Associates
• developing a support plan
• a financial contribution of USD5000 towards implementation of certain item(s) in that support plan, as agreed between the winner and SEED.

Find a concrete example of how SEED supported a Winner here

In 2010 and 2011, as part of a larger EU funded project on the Green Economy, the SEED Award will have a special focus on Africa. While SEED is inaugurating its first country scheme in South Africa, it will also concentrate on Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Senegal.
This significant expansion means that SEED is able to make up to 35 awards in 2010, of which up to:

• 10 awards will be made in South Africa
• 20 awards will be made in 6 target countries in Africa, namely, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Egypt, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal
• 5 awards elsewhere in Africa and across the globe

The application process is now closed.