It’s time for the 2009 SEED Awards for entrepreneurship in sustainable development. If you have an innovative idea that is locally-driven and has substantial potential and looking for support, the 2009 SEED Awards could be your break.
Award Winners receive a comprehensive package of tailor-made support services, worth up to $40,000, to help their venture to become established and to increase their impact. This includes access to relevant expertise and technical assistance, meeting new partners and building networks, developing business plans, and identifying sources of finance.
The deadline for applications is March 16. Application forms can be filled in online or downloaded from the SEED Initiative website at www.seedinit.org.
Who should apply:
Detailed eligibility criteria are available at www.seedinit.org along with details of previous Award Winners. You can apply for a 2009 SEED Award if:
- you are finding new ways of simultaneously improving incomes and strengthening livelihoods; tackling poverty and marginalisation; and managing and conserving natural resources and ecosystems; and
- you are developing a new concept that brings together people and organizations from different backgrounds to work in partnership, and partners are pooling their commitment and human, financial, and natural resources; and
- your project or enterprise is in the early stages of development and keen to increase its impacts; and
- your project or enterprise is locally-led, with strong community engagement, and takes place in a country or countries with a developing economy or economy in transition; and
- your project or enterprise displays entrepreneurship in its broadest sense and shows a proven concept that has market potential; it must demonstrate financial sustainability in the long term and should have a draft business plan.
Previous SEED Award Winners have included a community-led marine protected area in
How to Apply:
You can apply online at the SEED Initiative website www.seedinit.org. You can also download an application form and email it to seedawards@seedinit.org. If you are unable to submit your application electronically, please contact the SEED Initiative by email or phone (
The SEED Award recognizes and rewards two levels of winners:
• 20 SEED Award Winners, which will be announced at the UN Commission for Sustainable Development in
• 10 Gold Award Winners, selected from the 20 Winners, which will receive the extended ‘SEED Award’ of support services, worth an additional US$35,000, to help them scale up; these will be delivered over a period of up to 12 months. The nature of the support services will be developed jointly with each Winner, responding to the needs that they identify. Gold Award Winners will be announced during August 2009. In addition to receiving support services, Gold Award Winners will be celebrated at SEED Awards ceremonies in their home countries.