2015 was undoubtedly a special year for the international community as world leaders gathered in New York for the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, which led to the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and 17 ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, and to fight inequality and injustice. It was also a critical year on the pathway of tackling climate change, as 195 heads of state gathered in Paris during the 21^st Conference of the Parties and adopted the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal.

2015 was also a special year for SEED, in which the partnership celebrated 10 Years of SEED Awards, and took the opportunity to take stock and publish a comprehensive Flagship Report that looked not only on the success of former SEED Winners and the lessons learnt over those 10 Years of SEED Awards, but also on opportunities that could help increase the impact of locally-driven social and environmental entrepreneurship in the years to come.

In 2015, 27 trailblazing eco-enterprises were recognised at the 2015 SEED Africa Symposium in Nairobi for their success in bringing social and environmental benefits to local communities; over 200 people were trained on eco-entrepreneurship; over 20 case studies and video stories about inspiring eco-enterprises were published; the 2014 newly developed BDS+ methodology was piloted in another country in Southern Africa; and the SEED Deal Ready Programme was launched to help increase the flow of investment capital to financially advanced SEED Winners  in need of matchmaking with interested investors. Furthermore over 800 entrepreneurs, policy-makers, businesses, civil society and support institutions from over 30 countries came together at SEED events.

These and more of SEED’s achievements in 2015 are captured in the 2015 SEED Annual Report.