News & Blog

Sharing the latest insights and updates on eco-inclusive entrepreneurship globally.

Launch of the SAG-SEED Starter Months in Mauritius

Published: 22 February 2016
Want to become an eco-entrepreneur? Apply now for the SAG-SEED Starter, the three challenges are: Sustainable Agriculture, Manufacturing and Tourism Read more
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Launch of the SAG-SEED Starter Months in South Africa

Published: 09 February 2016
The Switch Africa Green-SEED Starter Months invite entries from teams who develop green and inclusive business solutions to one of the key social and environmental challenges in South Africa. Read more
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Changing the paradigm of childcare and income generation in Nairobi’s slums

Published: 04 February 2016Authors: Marion Müller vom Berge
Every child in the world has the right to access high-quality early childhood care and education, and every woman deserves the opportunity to participate in the workforce and generate income, free of concern that their child may not be cared for properly. Read more
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Call for Applications for the 2016 SEED Awards

Authors: Jona Liebl Source: UN Environment
Start-up enterprises that solve pressing local issues by integrating social and environmental benefits into their business models can apply for the 2016 SEED Awards, which opened for nominations today. Read more
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Financing for the ‘Missing Middle’ in South Africa

Published: 12 January 2016Authors: Jana Rudnik, Mirko Zürker
Financing! 20k-200k USD is needed for the ‘missing middle’ is one of ten critical aspects that SEED emphasises as crucial for the growth of SMMEs. Read more
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Tools, Tools, Tools – the SEED Training of Trainers (TOT) in South Africa created a sound support base for green, inclusive SMEs

Published: 18 December 2015Authors: Jana Rudnik, Magdalena Kloibhofer
As part of its extensive programme that has been built around an annual awards scheme promoting social and environmental entrepreneurship in developing countries, SEED developed a unique toolkit that addresses these key issues and lays out guidelines how to strategically integrate the imperatives of sustainability into businesses. Read more
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SEED discussed Green Climate Fund and SMEs at COP21 in Paris

Published: 14 December 2015
SEED hosted a working dinner about "The Green Climate Fund and SMEs: How to ensure public climate funding reaches the Bottom of the Pyramid" Read more
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The role of finance in addressing climate change—but where is the conversation around SME’s?

Published: 07 December 2015Authors: Allison Robertshaw
It would be an understatement to say that finance is one of the big issues being discussed at COP21.  I’ve managed to pop into a number of side events on the topic and it comes up in even the most casual of conversations. Read more
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Investment, Research, Innovation... and SMEs?

Published: 03 December 2015Authors: Allison Robertshaw
Is it not time that we start to build green technology development capacity in developing countries? Read more
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The climate negotiations in Paris - What does it mean for the green SME community?

Published: 25 November 2015Authors: Allison Robertshaw
In just five days, politicians, policy makers, NGOs, businesses, entrepreneurs and activists will head to Paris, for the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP), to see whether the world can hammer together an agreement to move the world away from catastrophic climate change before time runs out. Will they be successful? Read more
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Has our obsession with scale blinded us as to the real way to have impact?

Published: 18 November 2015Authors: Allison Robertshaw
When I was in Nairobi a few weeks ago, our team at SEED brought together more than 500 people at our 2015 SEED Africa Symposium to discuss the latest developments in social and environmental entrepreneurship. Read more
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Cutting down trees for survival: How women can provide an alternative source of energy

Published: 06 November 2015Authors: Anais Mangin
"Then the refugees came and started to cut down trees and soon there was no forest left, (..) The locals also chopped trees and made charcoal to sell to the refugees."  (UNHCR, 1996) Read more
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Turning coffee into a profitable business for smallholders: Critical Success Factors for 2009 SEED Winner Kolcafé

Published: 27 October 2015Authors: Jamie Kyles
Coffee has been the backbone of the agriculture-based economy of Tanzania for the last 100 years providing employment for an estimated 2 million people directly or indirectly, according to the Tanzania Coffee Research Institute (TaCRI). However, low productivity is making it difficult for farmers to retain their livelihoods. Read more
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Shaping Sustainable Development Policies to Scale the Impacts of Eco-entrepreneurship

Published: 20 October 2015Authors: Amélie Heuër
A few weeks ago I was in Nairobi where we (SEED) held our annual SEED Africa Symposium. The event was the biggest one yet, with over 500 representatives from government agencies, the private sector, civil society organisations and academic institutions from 34 countries; all gathering to build bridges for impact. Read more
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Boosting support for social and environmental entrepreneurship in Namibia

Published: 15 October 2015Authors: Julia Rohe-Frydrych
Small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs) contribute an estimated 12 per cent towards Namibia’s gross domestic product and employ about 20 per cent of the country’s workforce. Read more
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SEED Winners attend PDCI Event in Jakarta, Indonesia

Published: 14 October 2015
Three SEED Winners from Uganda joined the discussions at the “1st Practitioners’ Dialogue on Climate Investments in cooperation with the 3rd Sustainable Business Dialogue” on 7-9 October 2015 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Read more
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Setting the Stage for Green & Inclusive Growth through Entrepreneurship

Published: 02 October 2015Authors: Carolin Ehrensperger, Jana Rudnik
"Where many conventional start-up enterprises fail after only two years, more than three out of four SEED Winners have not, that is the major outcome of this flagship report“, Ibrahim Thiaw, UNEP Deputy Executive Director and UN Assistant-Secretary-General. Read more
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SEED Special Recognition Award goes to Tambul Leaf Plates

Published: 10 September 2015
Chosen in an online vote with more than 5,500 participants 2013 SEED Low Carbon Winner Tambul Leaf Plates from India was chosen as the winner of the SEED Special Recognition Award. Read more
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Plates from Fallen Leaves, Bricks from Plastic Waste and Sight Saving Mobile Apps – Green Innovation Highlighted at 2015 SEED Awards

Published: 09 September 2015
27 eco-inclusive enterprises are recognized at the 2015 SEED Africa Symposium. Read more
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Building Inclusive Value Chains

Published: 27 August 2015Authors: Carolin Ehrensperger, Mareike Grytz
How can people living at the base-of-the-pyramid (BoP) be integrated into global value chains and improve their livelihood on a long-term perspective? One answer clearly is: by fostering Inclusive Business Models (IBM). Read more
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The next challenge for impact investing: Scaling up support to early stage social enterprises

Published: 13 August 2015Authors: Bertil van Vugt, Mirko Zürker
The growth and success of green and inclusive business models with high impact potential is central to the challenges many emerging economies are facing. Read more
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Water for Life – innovative and entrepreneurial ways of storing water in semi-arid regions of Brazil

Published: 30 July 2015Authors: Carolin Ehrensperger, Daniele Cesano, Thais Corral
Access to water is not only about meeting basic human needs; it is critical to sustainable development, too. Read more
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Taking action and inspiring change towards food security not only on Mandela Day, but every day

Published: 18 July 2015Authors: Mirko Zürker, Rest Kanju
“It’s in your hands now”: with this sentence, Nelson Mandela passed on his legacy to make a difference in the world to a new generation at his 90th birthday. Read more
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How companies and NGOs can work together to tackle food security

Authors: Adva Saldinger Source: Adva Saldinger
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