The SEED Initiative has just launched the 2014 SEED Awards to support entrepreneurs for sustainable development.

We are seeking entries from innovative start-up enterprises who aim to generate environmental, social and economic benefits at the local level in a country with a developing or emerging economy.

This year SEED will make available a record number of SEED Awards of up to 55, for which SEED has received support from the European Union, the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, the government of Flanders, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the international law firm Hogan Lovells. As in previous years, there will be several categories of SEED Awards.

This year SEED will make available up to:

• 30 SEED Africa Awards to enterprises in Ethiopia, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda;
• 12 SEED South Africa Awards to enterprises in South Africa, four of them to enterprises in the provinces of Free State, Limpopo and KwaZulu Natal;
• 10 SEED Low Carbon Awards for enterprises in Colombia, India, Tanzania, Uganda and Viet Nam;
• 3 SEED Gender Equality Awards, for enterprises in all countries that are not OECD or EU members.