Enterprises that incorporate social and environmental benefits in their business model can now apply for the 2015 SEED Awards.

SEED is a global partnership for action on sustainable development and the green economy. Founded by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

Winners receive a monetary award of $5000 at a high-level International Awards Ceremony, in addition to capacity building support and opportunities to link to other eco-enterprises and the SEED Partners and network.

The 2015 Awards will focus on start-up enterprises working at the grassroots level.

The Awards also encourage enterprises that are led or owned by women to submit their applications.

The independent SEED International Jury of experts will be looking in particular for enterprises that have developed innovative products or services, and intend to become financially sustainable.

SEED this year will make available the following:

• Africa Awards to enterprises in Ethiopia, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda;
• South Africa Awards to enterprises in South Africa, with up to three of them to enterprises in the provinces of Free State, Limpopo or KwaZulu-Natal;
• Gender Equality Awards to enterprises in countries that are not OECD or EU Member countries; one of them to an enterprise in Kenya.

The deadline for applications is 31 March 2015, 23:59 Central European Time (CET).

Applications can be filled-in online at the SEED website

Alternatively, the application form can be downloaded and emailed to seedawards2015@seed.uno. Applicants may also contact SEED by email or phone (+49 30 89 00 068 99) should they not be able to submit their application electronically.

Winners of the 2015 SEED Awards will be honoured at an International Awards Ceremony taking place at the 2015 SEED Africa Symposium in Nairobi, Kenya, in September 2015. The Ceremony will be combined with an Expo for the 2015 Winners to display their goods and services to a large audience.