| Eligibilty
| FAQ | Applying for an award
|
The
call for submissions for the SEED Awards 2008 was closed
on March 16, 2008. Applications for the 2009 Awards
wil be open in late 2008/early 2009.
If you wish to be notified of the 2009 call for submissions,
please send an email to: seednews-subscribe@lists.seedinit.org.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does the
prize consist of? What kind of support can SEED Award
winners expect?
2. Will SEED Award winners get any financial
support?
3. What is the
closing date for application?
4. What are the
formal requirements for participation?
5. Could the
three partner organizations also come from only one
or two different stakeholder groups?
6.
Does the partnership need a business plan?
7.
How do I apply?
8.
Where can I find the application form?
9.
I cannot download the application form from the website.
Is there an alternative way to apply?
10.
I do not have a reliable internet connection to send
the application form via email or use the online submission
form. How else can I apply?
11.
Is the application form available in other languages
than English?
12.
Can I submit more than one project to the competition?
13.
What is the expected development status of projects
that can be submitted?
14.
Where do I find help in writing my application?
15.
How do I know my submission will be considered in the
competition?
16. How will
judging take place?
17. What will
be the judging criteria?
18. When will
I know if my submission has been selected as a finalist
or not?
19. If my project
is selected as one of the finalists, what happens next?
20. Can partnerships
which have already applied for the 2005 award re-submit
their proposal?
21. How does
the Research and Learning programme work?
1. What does the prize consist
of? What kind of support can SEED Award winners expect?
Unlike most other competitions, the SEED Award does
not carry a money prize; instead, winners receive a
comprehensive package of tailor-made support services
to respond to the challenges that emerging partnerships
face when planning and implementing new ideas. This
includes access to relevant expertise and technical
assistance, meeting new partners and building networks,
and developing business plans and identifying sources
of finance.
It is the winners who identify what their greatest
needs are. SEED's Partnerships Support Channel works
with each Award Winner over 12 months to develop, and
then implement a "Support Plan". The specific support
packages will therefore be unique to each Winner. SEED
then helps to locate or provide those services, drawing
on local sources wherever possible. These services have
a value of $25,000.
Return to top
2. Will SEED
Award winners get any financial support?
The SEED Awards is a non-financial award scheme. The
SEED Initiative does however endow SEED Award winners
with a US$25,000 disbursement to assist with the payment
of various services and/or, if necessary, financial
requirements identified in the Support Plan which is
developed jointly by Winners and SEED.
Return to top
3. What is the closing date for application?
The call for applications will close on 16th March 2008.
All applications received before 24:00 CET on that date
will be considered.
Return to top
4. What are the formal requirements for participation?
We welcome innovative ideas from any group in a developing
country, which is working in partnership with others
to generate environmental and social benefits in an
entrepreneurial way.
To be eligible your entrepreneurial partnership must:
- be in the planning and set-up phase or in the early
stages of implementation
- be driven by local actors;
- involve at least three partner organizations that
have already agreed in principle to work together
and that come from three different stakeholder groups
such as small, medium or large businesses; community-based
organizations; local or international NGOs; labour
unions; women's groups; indigenous peoples organizations;
research institutions; public authorities; international
agencies;
- display entrepreneurship in its broadest sense,
- help to demonstrate innovative ways of doing business
through partnerships and has the potential to serve
as inspiration to others;
- have potential to grow, with a sound financial rationale
and a draft business plan
- relate to the three pillars of sustainable development:
activities are environmentally, socially, and economically
sustainable, in an integrated manner;
- have the potential to contribute towards the internationally
agreed goals of the UN's Millennium Declaration* and/or
the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation;
Information on previous Winners of the SEED Awards
is available here.
Since the SEED Awards aim to help emerging, innovative
partnerships to grow, long-standing co-operations cannot
be considered.
Return to top
5. Could the three partner organizations also come from
only one or two different stakeholder groups?
No - the challenge of balancing different attitudes
and interests within the partnership is of particular
interest to the SEED Initiative. SEED wants to support
initiatives, which involve stakeholders from at least
three sectors because, often, new and effective ways
of tackling the challenges of sustainability are born
through innovative collaborations.
Return to top
6. Does the partnership need a business plan?
We would expect the partnership to have a business plan,
at least in draft. This may be forwarded as part of
your application if you wish but we understand that
you may prefer to keep it confidential. However, if
selected as a finalist you will be asked to share their
business plan, in order to provide more information
to help the jury select the five winners.
However, SEED is not seeking mature initiatives with
tried and tested business models. We are much more interested
in innovative entrepreneurial approaches, which have
a strong business case.
Return to top
7. How do I apply?
All you need to submit is the application form along
with your initiative's business plan or strategy; there
are no further documents, pictures etc. required. You
can fill in the application form online or download the Word file to send it by email or post it in hard copy to:
SEED Award Channel
c/o Adelphi Consult
Caspar-Theyss-Str.14a
D- 14193 Berlin, GERMANY
Return to top
8. Where can I find the application form?
Application forms can be downloaded here
The completed forms should be emailed to seedawards2008@seedinit.org
Or, the completed forms may sent by regular mail to:
SEED Award Channel
c/o Adelphi Consult
Caspar-Theyss-Str.14a
D- 14193 Berlin, GERMANY
You can also apply
online.
Return to top
9. I cannot download the application form from the website.
Is there an alternative way to apply?
Please use our online application submission form, send
a fax to +49 30 89 000 68 10 or call the SEED Awards
Channel on +49 30 - 89 000 68 99.
Return to top
10. I do not have a reliable internet connection
to send the application form via email or use the online
submission form. How else can I apply?
Please send a short note and we will supply you with
a printed version of the application form. You can submit
the printed version via surface mail to:
Adelphi Consult GmbH
Caspar-Theyss-Str. 14
14193 Berlin
GERMANY
or fax it to
+49 30 890006810
Surface mail submissions or hand delivery will be considered
if they arrive at Adelphi Consult by 16th March
midnight. If you use a courier company, please ensure
they can deliver during our office hours of 09.00 -
17:00 CET.
Return to top
11. Is the application
form available in other languages than English?
Unfortunately, we are not able to offer this option
this year. We are able to process applications only
in English. We do intend to ensure that future SEED
Awards can accept submissions in additional languages.
Return to top
12. Can I submit
more than one project to the competition?
Yes, as long as each project adheres to the Award requirements
and does not duplicate any aspects of the other entry
or entries.
Return to top
13. What is the
expected development status of projects that can be
submitted?
The SEED Initiative seeks submissions that reflect
innovative forward thinking, practical ideas. These
ideas may only be starting to emerge from the concept
phase and might not be in the proper stages of implementation
yet. Partnerships which are currently being formed or
are at the beginning stages of implementation of their
partnership initiative are eligible for the SEED Award.
Partners should have agreed in principle to work together,
even if there are no formal agreements yet in place.
It is not important for the SEED Award if the projects
have already attracted partial or full funding. The
main aim of the SEED Initiative partners is to assist
partnerships during the very difficult transition from
conceptualisation to implementation.
Partnerships should already have a draft business plan
- but will only be asked to submit the plan if they
are selected as finalists. Winning partnerships will
demonstrate a good business rationale and will be likely
to generate economic, environmental and social benefits
in the future.
Return to top
14. Where do
I find help in writing my application?
If you encounter problems in presenting your initiative
appropriately in the specified form, you are welcome
to contact the SEED Awards by mail or phone (+49 30 - 89 000 68
99). This service is provided for SEED by Adelphi Consult.
For enquiries submitted prior to 1st March 2008, Adelphi
Consult will answer questions e.g. concerning the fulfilment
of the eligibility criteria and provide individual advice
regarding the wording of the application.
Should you encounter technical problems with submitting
or downloading the application form, you can contact
us in the same way until shortly before the closing
date on 16th March 2008.
Return to top
15. How
do I know my submission will be considered in the competition?
On receiving your application, we will send you a short
notice by email. If you do not have access to email,
please provide us with a mobile phone number and we
will confirm the receipt via SMS. This initial email
or SMS is a confirmation of receipt. If we have further
suggestions or questions, we might contact you again.
Return to top
16. How will judging
take place?
An internal selection team will process the applications
in order to compile a shortlist of the 45 most promising
partnerships. Following that, an independent international
jury of experts in the field of sustainable development
will select 15 Finalists.
Finalists will be chosen from developing countries
in each of the 4 UN regional groups: Latin America and
the Caribbean, Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia. There
will be 3 finalists from each region except Asia, from
which six finalists will be selected.
Once the jury has decided on the finalists, all applicants
will be notified of the result by the SEED Initiative.
They will also explain further steps leading up to the
announcement of the 2007 SEED Award Winners. These details
will be made available closer to the time.
Return to top
17. What will
be the judging criteria?
The same criteria is applied at all stages of selection:
- Entrepreneurship/innovation:
The partnership takes an entrepreneurial and innovative
approach, for example, in the way in which it is delivering
services to a local or wider community, or bringing
a new product to market.
- Social,
Environmental and Economic Benefits:
The project is intended to make a significant contribution
(i.e. bring tangible benefits) to sustainable development
by integrating the following:
- Social benefits such as employment
opportunities for the local population
- Environmental benefits such
as reduced carbon emissions or pollution, or protecting
biodiversity
- Economic benefits and income
generation for the entrepreneurial partnership
itself, and for the local community.
- Financial
Sustainability of the project:
The project is intended ultimately to be financially
viable; it should have a sound business rationale
and a draft business plan in place.
- Working
in Partnership:
At least three different partners, from three different
stakeholder groups have already agreed to work together.
The initiative demonstrates new ways of doing business
through partnerships.
- Local
drive and focus:
The project reflects local expertise, interests, and
commitments.
Local partners and/or their communities benefit from
the project.
Local partner/s is/are fully engaged in the project.
- Potential
for increased impact:
The partnership is in its early stages but has ambitions
for growth and strong potential for increased impact
on the ground. The SEED Awards' support services can
potentially have a significant impact in furthering
the success of this partnership, and the initiative
has the potential to inspire others.
Only complete submissions will be considered. Please
answer all the questions on the application form as
clearly and concisely as you can.
Return to top
18.
When will I know if my submission has been selected
as a finalist or not?
We will notify all applicants as soon as finalists
are selected, which is envisaged to be in the first
week of May 2008. Finalists will also be announced on
the SEED Initiative website at www.seedinit.org.
Return to top
19. If my project
is selected as one of the finalists, what happens next?
Once the jury has decided on the finalists, you will
be contacted by the SEED Initiative. We will then explain
further steps leading up to the announcement of the
2008 SEED Award Winners. Such details will be made available
closer to the time.
Finalists will be requested to provide additional information
in order to help the jury select the five Award Winners.
This includes:
- your business plan - even if it is only a draft
- letters of support from other partners identified
in the submission
- photographs and any other relevant visual material
to help us to picture your partnership
- more details on your partnership's most urgent needs
and on your future environmental, social and economic
impacts
- more details on how you will define and measure
the success of the initiative
- your expectations of the SEED Award - how you think
we can help you grow
Return to top
20. Can
partnerships which have already applied for the 2005
or 2007 award, re-submit their proposal?
A re-submission of the same application from previous
SEED Awards is not eligible, since SEED considers only
projects which are at the initial stages of implementation.
However, organizations are welcome to submit a similar
proposal to one which has been submitted earlier, as
long as it demonstrates an expanded or redefined concept
and fulfils all the selection criteria, including that
requiring the partnership to be emerging.
Return to top
21. How does
the Research and Learning Programme work?
SEED's Research and Learning Channel studies
the Winners, previous Award Winners, the SEED Support
activities, and other partnerships. It aims to draw
out lessons and to develop tools to help the SEED and
other social and environmental entrepreneurs to become
established.
Return to top
| Eligibilty
| FAQ | Applying for an award
|
