Enterprise Brief: TECOCARRE
Published: 12 June 2017
TECO2 markets school benches produced sustainably from plastic waste and other locally sourced input materials. As this mixture of materials substitutes wood in the production process, the enterprise contributes to the mitigation of deforestation and environmental pollution. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: WASHKing
Published: 12 June 2017
WASHKing produces, supplies and installs biodigester toilets out of eco-friendly material for low-income urban households in order to improve health and economic conditions and to keep the environment clean. Training on using the toilet and after-sales services complement the package. Read more
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SAG–SEED Replicator Programme rolled-out in Ghana, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda
Published: 28 April 2017
In April 2017, eight SAG – SEED Replicator Connect Workshops were implemented in Accra, Pretoria, Nairobi, Kisumu and Kampala. Read more
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How Burkinabe entrepreneurs are shaping a greener future
Published: 10 March 2017 Damien N. Somé
Have you ever heard of Burkina Faso’s “Green Brigade”? Picture teams of dozens of women regularly cleaning the streets of Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou at dawn! Many urban dwellers in the country’s capital have testified for the positive contribution of the green brigade to the cleanliness of the city. Read more
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Deadline Extension: Ghana & South Africa SAG-SEED Replicator
Published: 09 March 2017
The deadline for the Replicator in Ghana & South Africa has been extended to Thursday, 16 March! Read more
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Call for applications: launch of the SAG-SEED Replicator Connect Workshops in Kenya & Uganda
Published: 23 February 2017
SEED and SWITCH-Africa Green are pleased to invite applications for SAG-SEED Replicator Connect Workshops in Kenya and Uganda. Read more
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Call for Applications for the 2017 SAG-SEED Awards
Published: 10 January 2017
SEED has opened the call for applications for 15 SWITCH Africa Green (SAG) – SEED Awards for enterprises in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda. Read more
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Turning challenges in impact investing into prototype innovations
Published: 05 December 2016 Kay Eunkyung Kang, Rainer Agster
Kenya, where our first Impact Financing Lab took place, is one of the global centres of impact investing! But even there, many challenges for deal flow exist… Read more
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Spurring the replication of eco-inclusive enterprises – towards a collaborative integrative support approach
Published: 16 November 2016 Lina Frank, Mirko Zürker
At the 2016 SEED Africa Symposium in Nairobi Ligia Noronha, Director of the UNEP Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, underlined that “Replication is a key theme to foster green growth and sustainable development”. But replication demands targeted support at every stage, which calls for collaboration between diverse support providers and a strong ecosystem. Read more
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From innovative off-grid mobile solar power stations to the polymerised bitumen roads from recycled plastic - Meet the 2016 SEED Award Winners
Published: 28 September 2016
At SEED's largest annual international forum, the SEED Africa Symposium, SEED announced the 20 winners of the 2016 SEED Awards, today. These 20 outstanding eco-inclusive enterprises will be honoured during the international SEED Award Ceremony this evening. Read more
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Training Business Development Service Providers to Boost Eco-Inclusive Innovations
Published: 14 September 2016 Rainer Agster
Working with more than 220 enterprises in 38 countries, we soon realized that although each enterprise is unique, topics are reoccurring. Instead of re-inventing the wheel each time, we put time and effort into ‘toolifying’ our support. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Green the Map
Published: 21 August 2016
Green the Map (GTM) recycles waste and provides a retail network for upcycled products, generating livelihoods for disadvantaged people and spreading environmental consciousness. By partnering with waste collectors, producers, NGOs and government, the enterprise contributes to tackling urban waste problems. Read more
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From workshop to market in seven weeks
Published: 22 July 2016
The first steps as a startup are the hardest, especially for eco-inclusive startups in emerging markets. It all comes down to the right spirit and lion-hearted attitude. Read more
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The SEED Annual Report 2015
Published: 19 July 2016
2015 was 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. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Belle Verte Ltée
Published: 05 July 2016
Belle Verte aims to create a national closed-loop waste management system and raises awareness on the need to reuse and recycle waste through creative workshops. Within a collaborative process, diverse stakeholders collect, sort and upcycle all types of waste products. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: City Waste Recycling
Published: 05 July 2016
City Waste Recycling Ltd offers responsible waste processing for a wide range of waste types from problematic e-waste and batteries to sawdust and plastic. It provides formal employment lifting waste collectors out of the informal sector. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Dagoretti Market Biogas Latrine
Published: 05 July 2016
Dagoretti Market Biogas Latrine is a female-run, community-based initiative that uses renewable energy options (biogas and solar) to address multiple community needs in sanitation and energy under one roof. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Green Road
Published: 05 July 2016
Green Road Ltd is piloting the construction of polymerised bitumen roads from recycled plastic and asphalt. They provide marginalised groups with employment in plastic collection and reduce the amount of plastic waste that would have otherwise ended up in landfills or be incinerated. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: SPOUTS of Water
Published: 05 July 2016
To improve access to safe drinking water, SPOUTS manufactures and supplies an affordable ceramic water filter, called the Purifaaya, which is made with local resources and materials easily found in Uganda. SPOUTS is the sole manufacturer of water filtration products in Uganda. Read more
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A perspective from India
Published: 10 May 2016 Allison Robertshaw
This past month, it was India’s turn, as SEED hosted an event around investment in the low-carbon, green SME sector. Whilst it’s fair to say that every region and country has its own challenges, it remains surprising how similar the discussion is and how clearly certain interventions are necessary in order to make the green SME space both more resilient and scalable. 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 2015 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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The climate negotiations in Paris - What does it mean for the green SME community?
Published: 25 November 2015 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 2015 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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Celebrating 10 Years of SEED Awards (2005-2015)
Published: 22 September 2015
Ten years ago, at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in New York, 5 enterprises received the first SEED Awards. They were chosen, from a pool of over 260 entries from 66 countries, for their potential to advance sustainable development in their communities and contribute to the UN's Millennium Development Goals. Read more
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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