SEED (Sustaining Entrepreneurs through Sustainable Development) Awards 2009 are available for those who have entrepreneurial or innovative ideas that are locally driven and have great potential to contribute to sustainable development in developing and transition countries. It provides such individuals support to become established and to increase their impact.
Applications close on 16 March 2009. Applicants are welcome to apply if:
1. You are finding new ways of simultaneously improving incomes and strengthening livelihoods; tackling poverty and marginalization; and managing and conserving natural resources and ecosystems; and
2. 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
3. Your project or enterprise is in the early stages of development and keen to increase its impacts; and
4. 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
5. 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. (Winners of the 2009 SEED Awards for entrepreneurship in sustainable development receive a tailored package of 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 SEED Initiative was founded by IUCN, UNDP, and UNEP to deliver concrete progress towards the internationally- agreed, aspirationalgoals in the Urn’s Millennium Declaration and the commitments made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002. The deadline for applications is 16 March 2009. Detailed eligibility criteria and application forms are available at www.seedinit. org.
Ganesh Bora, Fargo, North Dakota
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