Download Seed´s Information Package here (.pdf)

The Seed Initiative inspires, supports and researches exceptional, entrepreneurial, nascent, multi-stakeholder partnerships for locally-led sustainable development.

exceptional . . .	innovative ideas, with good scope for expansion, adaptation, and replication elsewhere
entrepreneurial . . .	with potential to become engines of sustainable growth, tenacious and creative in improving incomes and livelihoods
nascent . . .	in the early stages of their development and in need of capacity building and technical assistance to move from “idea” to “implementation”
multi-stakeholder partnerships . . .	social entrepreneurs, communities, women’s groups, companies and others, holding a common vision and pooling their resources to achieve it
for locally-led . . .	fermenting ideas and actions which bring direct benefits to people on the ground and are more suited to local circumstances
sustainable development . . .	finding new ways of simultaneously - improving incomes and strengthening livelihoods, - tackling poverty and marginalisation - managing and conserving natural resources

The strength of entrepreneurial, locally-driven partnerships

We need innovative delivery mechanisms to advance the internationally-agreed environment and development goals contained in the UN’s Millennium Declaration and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. It is essential that these aspirational goals be translated into real improvements in poverty eradication and environmental sustainability.

Social entrepreneurs, communities, companies and others, working together in multi-stakeholder partnerships at a local level can have a tremendously positive impact, delivering outcomes that no single actor could achieve alone.

Strong local ownership means that activities are more suited to local circumstance, increasing the chances for long-lasting success and greater impact.

Good ideas can stay dormant, stagnate or fail. With Seed’s help they can prosper.

Seed Activities

Seed organizes its activities on a biennial cycle, making it dynamic and flexible, able to stay at the cutting edge of both action and research. Every two years, the Seed Awards highlight five Winners, which each receive:

Seed Partnership Support – delivered by the Collective Leadership Institute (CLI), designs and implements a full-year’s tailored-package of start-up support.

Seed’s Research and Learning, delivered by the International Institute for Sustainable development (IISD), studies the Winners, the applicants, previous Award Winners, Seed Support activities and Seed itself. This aims to draw out lessons for decision-makers, which are then published and promulgated through the Seed Network.

The Seed Initiative is a pathfinder – seeking the new knowledge and understanding its Partners and others need, reviewing and renewing itself every two years.

Seed has a track record of delivery, with constant improvement in our quality of service and understanding of a difficult and often seemingly nebulous field. Lessons learned from Seed’s work in 2004/6 (Seed’s first “cycle”) have directly informed Seed’s work programme over the coming year.

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