To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the SEED Awards, and the 202 inspirational social and environmental enterprises that were honoured over the past decade, a Special Recognition Award was presented at this year's SEED Africa Symposium. Chosen in an online vote with more than 5,500 participants 2013 SEED Low Carbon Winner Tambul Leaf Plates from India received 18,559 votes and was chosen as the winner of the SEED Special Recognition Award. The enterprise produces and markets biodegradable disposable dinnerware from the fallen sheath of the arecanut plant, reducing plastic waste pollution and creating a value chain on the basis on an abundant natural resource.

The Special Recognition Award highlights the extraordinary and lasting contributions of SEED Winners for the sustainable development of their respective communities. In that regard, Tambul Leaf Plates has written its very own convincing success story. In the last four years Tambul Leaf Plates has been able to generate sustainable livelihood for 2000+ rural youths and promote 100+ arecanut leaf plate making units”, founder Arindam Dasgupta said in a recent interview with the Inlusive Business Accelerator blog. According to Arindam, the income of the producers has increased by more than 100 per cent over these years. Entrepreneurial and production skills trainings have been provided to 330 rural youths including women. “We have included women as raw material collectors and workers in the value chain, which has led to their economic independence.” Since having won the SEED Low Carbon Award, Tambul Leaf Plates has been able to attract follow-up investments and also pitched at the Nairobi Investor Forum.

Ten years ago, five enterprises received the first SEED Awards. Since then a total of 202 innovative social and environmental start-up enterprises have been honoured with a SEED Award. More success stories like the one of Tambul Leaf Plates can be found in SEED’s 10 Year Flagship Report titled “Turning Ideas into Impact: Setting the Stage for the next 10 Years of Green and Inclusive Growth through Entrepreneurship”. It tells SEED’s story, explains its multi-level areas of intervention and theory of change, and highlights the key lessons SEED wants to share from its experience. Download SEED 10 Year Flagship Report here.