SEED Awards 2021 Runners-Up
Published: 13 July 2021
The SEED Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development is an annual awards scheme designed to identify the most innovative and promising locally led start-up eco-inclusive enterprises in developing and emerging economies. Read more
SDGs:
Journeys to Scale
Published: 12 July 2021 Luis Ebert, Mirko Zürker
In this primary edition of a series of reports, we illuminate the black box of eco-inclusive entrepreneurship by providing readers with a first-of-its-kind comprehensive typology on eco-inclusive SMEs. Read more
Eco-Inclusive Enterprises Driving Green Recovery Pathways
Published: 09 July 2021 Benita Rose, Mirko Zürker, Sonya Ong
This snapshot report is intended for national policy makers and shapers; global policy and finance institutions; researchers and civil society networks. Drawing on direct insights from micro, small and medium enterprises as well as eco-system support organisations, it highlights the existing support gaps, concrete examples and new opportunities for catalysing a green, inclusive recovery from COVID-19. Read more
Building Materials a New Market for Trash
Tonderayi Mukeredzi Source: YesMagazine
“We wanted a solution to plastic waste as well as a profitable solution that would also improve the lives of people as much as it improved our environment,” says Fadzai Munyuki, the managing director and one of four co-founders of a waste management start-up called Kudiwa Waste and Energy Solutions (KWES). Read more
SDGs:
Siyabuddy, a SEED Story from South Africa
Published: 27 January 2021
Siyabuddy empowers community members to collect waste from different sources like shopping centres, hospitals, illegal dumping sites, etc. The company trains the collectors on waste separation, pays them per kg collected and ultimately sells the collected waste to recyclers all across South Africa. Read more
SDGs:
Phasing out Single-Use Plastic (SUP) Creating a New Default | Thailand, Policy 2020
Published: 07 January 2021 Linde Wolters, Sonya Ong, Supapim Wannopas
Phasing out single-use plastics (SUP) in Thailand demands a commitment from different sector stakeholders - the private sector, as producer and purchaser of the material, plays an influential role in providing alternatives and realising sustainable consumption and production. Read more
SDGs:
NINJA COVID-19 Response and Recovery Business Challenge Winner: EcoPlastile Ltd
Published: 26 October 2020
EcoPlastile Ltd, an eco-inclusive enterprise working with youth and women to collect and process waste plastics into low-cost, durable timber substitutes, has been declared a winner for Next Innovation with Japan (NINJA) Business Innovation Challenge in response to COVID-19. Read more
Equity Crowdfunding Platform for Green MSME Financing | Climate Finance, Indonesia 2020
Published: 20 October 2020 Maggie Sloan
The Equity Crowdfunding Platform for Green MSME Financing solution, developed by Perkumpulan Untuk Peningkatan Usaha Kecil (PUPUK) builds on existing efforts to use public capital to spur MSME growth. This solution will: (a) Attract private investors by offering a pipeline of bankable MSMEs in a one-stop-shop for MSME financing. (b) Aggregate green MSMEs through partner business development service providers (or intermediaries), where finance is released to MSMEs in aggregate working with the specific BDS provider who has delivered cleaner production and green business advisory to the specific MSMEs integrated into the platform. Read more
SDGs:
Waste4Change: Stimulating Markets for Waste Credit via Enterprise Resource Planning Platform | Climate Finance, Indonesia 2020
Published: 20 October 2020 Net Pornlumon Nirachatsuwan
This innovative finance mechanism distributes waste credit to waste collectors and recycling managers by creating an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform that finances the waste collection and recycling activities which offsets the consumers waste production. Read more
SDGs:
Building a Resilient Business Around Women: The story of Dagoretti
Published: 28 September 2020 Amanda Panella, Linde Wolters
Violet Matiru grew up without electricity on a farm at the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, an aspect of her life that led her to want to better the environment around her. From using kerosene lamps and lighting a fire every day with firewood for a cup of tea before school, she decided to support herself and her community by launching the Dagoretti Market Biogas Latrine. It has since moved from a core business of converting human waste from paid for latrines for market goers, to biogas to be reused for cooking and heating water, to other environmentally and socially relevant activities. Read more
SDGs:
Enterprise Resilience: Six Critical Factors to Protecting Your Start-Up’s Future
Published: 24 September 2020
To better understand what resilience means for MSMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic, SEED interviewed 30 eco-inclusive enterprises. Unsurprisingly, MSMEs have been strongly affected by the economic shock of the pandemic. From these interviews, SEED has outlined the six critical factors for protecting the future of your enterprise. Read more
Mapping Enterprise Resilience to COVID-19
Published: 07 September 2020 Elena Eckhardt, Linde Wolters, Mirko Zürker, Supapim Wannopas
Resilience is an indispensable tool to help MSMEs prepare for the unknown, especially now when COVID-19 induced curfews and lockdowns expose MSMEs to new vulnerabilities. With fewer resources and access to information than larger companies, MSMEs in emerging markets have experienced severe disruptions to their businesses, with around 42% worldwide facing potential failure within six months.
This report demonstrates how MSMEs, particularly eco-inclusive enterprises, are weathering the COVID-19 pandemic and how governments and intermediaries can lend support. In this report we outline six essential resilience factors and good practices that SEED’s eco-inclusive enterprises have employed in emerging markets. Our SEED enterprises serve as an excellent example of how other enterprises can incorporate resilience into their business models in the face of the pandemic and to become more adaptable for future shocks. Read more
This report demonstrates how MSMEs, particularly eco-inclusive enterprises, are weathering the COVID-19 pandemic and how governments and intermediaries can lend support. In this report we outline six essential resilience factors and good practices that SEED’s eco-inclusive enterprises have employed in emerging markets. Our SEED enterprises serve as an excellent example of how other enterprises can incorporate resilience into their business models in the face of the pandemic and to become more adaptable for future shocks. Read more
Eco-Inclusive Enterprises: Accelerating Southern Africa’s Green and Inclusive Economies
Published: 02 September 2020
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) provide 50% of jobs, contribute to over 35% of the GDP in emerging economies, and overall make up 90% of registered firms across the world. They are especially impactful in emerging economies as they work toward inclusive growth and equality for marginalised populations. At SEED, we focus on growing eco-inclusive enterprises which in turn contribute socially, economically, and environmentally to empowering the 5.2 billion people at the bottom of the pyramid worldwide.
This report examines the yearly impact of 80 of our eco-inclusive enterprises in three of our SEED countries: Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. These locally embedded enterprises, 51% of which are women-led, demonstrate that driving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can indeed be profitable and with a success rate of 82.5% still in business, they show long-lasting impact in each of their communities and sectors. Read more
This report examines the yearly impact of 80 of our eco-inclusive enterprises in three of our SEED countries: Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. These locally embedded enterprises, 51% of which are women-led, demonstrate that driving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can indeed be profitable and with a success rate of 82.5% still in business, they show long-lasting impact in each of their communities and sectors. Read more
SDGs:
An Entrepreneur’s Motivation to Move Forward
Published: 17 August 2020 Khawla Rammali, Linde Wolters
Upon reflection, Kenya based Jackline Lang'at feels she may have given up too quickly. The 2016 Award winner was piloting the construction of eco-friendly, durable roads while working with women and youth, when elections hit, cashflow stalled and dedication wavered. Now four years on, Jackline is looking back on her failure but keen to launch a new venture. We caught up with her to learn from her experience, a timely discussion in the context of the COVID-19 crisis and its risk to the survival of many small businesses. Read more
SDGs:
SEED Award Winner Life Out Of Plastic - L.O.O.P Featured on the World Economic Forum
Source: World Economic Forum
Through mass beach cleanups and education, L.O.O.P is showing first-hand how plastic pollution is damaging the environment while engaging companies to take action at the source. The video is featured on UpLink a digital platform to crowdsource innovations which address the world’s most pressing problems. Read more
SDGs:
Eco-Inclusive Enterprises: Forerunners in Advancing the SDGs | SEED SDG Impact Snapshot
Published: 15 July 2020 Linde Wolters, Mirko Zürker, Net Pornlumon Nirachatsuwan
As governments respond to the wide-ranging problems resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, it’s worth thinking about how we may take this opportunity to shift towards a green economy. Because the way we recover from this crisis will impact our fight against climate change and our progress towards achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
A green recovery calls for investments in solutions that provide social, environmental and economic benefits to people, especially those in vulnerable and marginalised communities. SEED-supported eco-inclusive enterprises and other Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) already promote green-technologies while including low-income people in their value chain.
The SEED Impact Snapshot helps to reveal the versatility of the impact of eco-inclusive enterprises. It also helps to clarify where there is the biggest potential for their SDG contributions and how policymakers may help unlock that potential further. Read more
A green recovery calls for investments in solutions that provide social, environmental and economic benefits to people, especially those in vulnerable and marginalised communities. SEED-supported eco-inclusive enterprises and other Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) already promote green-technologies while including low-income people in their value chain.
The SEED Impact Snapshot helps to reveal the versatility of the impact of eco-inclusive enterprises. It also helps to clarify where there is the biggest potential for their SDG contributions and how policymakers may help unlock that potential further. Read more
SDGs:
Closing The Loop With Climate-Smart Waste Management Solutions: Replicator Workbook
Published: 07 July 2020
Current amounts of waste generation and insufficient waste management affect ecosystems worldwide negatively. Thus, the waste management sector is a promising area for reducing pressure on our natural resources and carbon emissions. Managing waste through strategies such as rethinking products, reducing resource use and recycling materials contribute towards a more circular economy. Climate-smart solutions presented in this workbook transform waste into entirely new materials, such as pavement tiles, alternative house building blocks, or paper made from grass. Get inspired by proven business models around the globe and learn how to create impactful and innovative solutions around waste management for your community. Read more
SDGs:
Scaling Policy and Financial Instruments for Eco-Inclusive SME Support | SEED South Africa Symposium 2020
Published: 06 July 2020 Camilla Shearman, Maggie Sloan
On 6th May, Mr Tlou Ramaru, Chief Director of Climate Change Adaptation in the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF), welcomed enterprises, financial institutions, policy-makers, donors, and business development service providers to a Pitching Session during the online SEED South Africa Symposium 2020. This Pitching Session brought together stakeholders who have been actively designing policy and financial instruments to support the start-up and scale-up of climate-smart and socially inclusive enterprises in South Africa. Read more
SDGs:
Enterprise Financing Journey: EcoPlastile Ltd
Published: 18 June 2020
EcoPlastile Ltd (SEED Low Carbon Award Finalist 2019) works with marginalised populations, including youth and women, to collect plastic waste at various collection centres and transforms it into durable building materials in Kampala, Uganda. Read more
SDGs:
Enterprise Financing Journey: Green Bio Energy
Published: 18 June 2020
Green Bio Energy (SEED Low Carbon Award Winner 2014) produces eco-friendly briquettes, made from carbonised 100% recycled bio-material, that burn for longer and hotter than other briquettes, and provide social and environmental impacts in Kampala, Uganda. Read more
SDGs:
Filling the Missing Middle Financing Gap | Scoping Paper, India 2020
Published: 16 June 2020 Kathrin Kirsch, Marlena Kiefl
This scoping paper provides the basis for the implementation of the collaborative, multi-step process of the SEED Practitioner Labs Climate Finance in India in 2020. India’s vibrant landscape of MSMEs presents an opportunity for diversified socio-economic growth. In light of climate change, climate-smart enterprises – offering products and services for climate change adaptation and/or mitigation – are well-positioned to absorb global climate finance flows to create environmental, social and economic impacts in line with India’s climate action objectives. However, climate-smart MSMEs cannot fulfill their full potential as they lack appropriate access to finance to grow and scale their operations resulting in a missing-middle-financing gap. Read more
SDGs:
Supporting the Resilience of Eco-Inclusive Enterprises during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Published: 06 May 2020
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, enterprises around the world are now facing several sudden challenges such as not generating revenues anymore, missing customer base, productions on-hold, transport constraints et cetera. In order to support eco-inclusive enterprises that are or have been part of the SEED programme, SEED has launched an online workshop series tackling these issues eco-inclusive enterprises are currently encountering. Read more
When a Crisis Presents an Opportunity for Innovation
Published: 20 April 2020 Linde Wolters
Flexibility and resilience are essential when it comes to adversity. “There are always opportunities,” says Gabriel Okello, the enterprise’s business development manager. “A crisis presents opportunities for innovation. Whether it is “mobile money solutions, combining deliveries or tracking and data-driven solutions.” Read more
SDGs:
An Inspiring Perspective on COVID-19 From Fang Thai’s CEO
Published: 15 April 2020 Supapim Wannopas
January 13 marked the first reported coronavirus case outside of China – it was reported in Thailand. A little more than 2 weeks later – on January 30, WHO declared COVID-19 a global public health emergency. This emergency doesn’t only pose a threat to individual health but, inevitably, also affects our healthy enterprises.
SEED had a chance to catch up with our 2019 SEED Awards winner from Thailand, Fang Thai Factory, on how they are doing and dealing with the epidemic. There are some key points we feel could benefit and/or inspire peers who face a similar struggle. Read more
SEED had a chance to catch up with our 2019 SEED Awards winner from Thailand, Fang Thai Factory, on how they are doing and dealing with the epidemic. There are some key points we feel could benefit and/or inspire peers who face a similar struggle. Read more
Fang Thai’s 5 Fundamental Factors to Help You Deal With Change
Published: 15 April 2020 Supapim Wannopas
Resilience is important to business, especially for those that are small in size or just starting out. Why? Because a small starter enterprise usually has built up fewer resources and network to withstand financial or other hardship for a long period of time. Yet, its strength is also in its size: its flexibility. This elasticity allows for a quick response, a shift in tactics and making changes easily. Here Jaruwan shares the five fundamental factors that allow her business to endure and adapt. Read more
