WHAT IS #ACCELERATE 2030?
UNDP and Impact Hub are joining forces to launch the #Accelerate2030 platform aimed at supporting and promoting the most promising impact-driven ventures across the globe who focus on tackling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Five entrepreneurs, selected with the support of the global Impact Hub network, will have the opportunity to participate in the Social Good Summit Geneva, Switzerland on October 6th 2016. During their stay in Geneva they will be connected with a dynamic ecosystem of impact investors, representatives from international organizations and governments, experts from the global supply chain and fellow entrepreneurs – all committed to scaling innovative ideas that accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.
WHO IS IT FOR
#Accelerate2030 scouts for entrepreneurs working on solutions focused on one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals. Entrepreneurs from the following countries are invited to apply: Mali, Ghana, Sudan, Malaysia, Philippines, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Russia and Armenia. You don’t need to be an Impact Hub member but you need to apply through an Impact Hub in your country.
ENTRY AND SELECTION
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
- Location and experience: The venture is based in one of the 10 eligible countries and has existed for at least 2 years
- Mission: The venture works on projects that create social impact and are clearly connected to one or more of the SDGs
- Achievements: Enterprises have carried out some pilot or testing work/have achieved a few paying customers before application
- Scalability: The business solution has a strong potential for global scaling and replicability
SELECTION IN TWO STAGES
National pre-selection
Each participating local Impact Hub will review all received entries and assess the projects based on a set of criteria focusing on innovation, sustainability, team, potential for scaling, as well as the socio-economic and environmental impact and replicability in other contexts. Each local Impact Hub will nominate the best three ventures at the national level by September 5.
International final selection
Among the 30 pre-selected ventures the international jury in Geneva will select the 5 most promising projects. These 5 ventures will be invited to take part in the Social Good Summit in Geneva on October 6.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Together with the other finalists you will get the spotlight at the first Social Good Summit in Geneva. The Summit will focus on the Role of Innovation and entrepreneurship to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in an ecosystem that is conducive to scaling up ventures for social good like yours.
During your stay in Geneva, you will benefit from:
Visibility & exposure
- Pitching your venture on the main stage of the Social Good Summit in Geneva in front of a hand-picked audience of impact investors, representatives from international organizations and governments, as well as experts from the global supply chain and peer entrepreneurs.
- Opportunities to meet leaders in the field of international competitiveness of SMEs
- Targeted one-on-one meetings with strategic peers, held in the week of the summit, based on your specific needs
- Media exposure
Capacity-building & Learning
- Scaling-Up Clinics tailored towards assisting you to reaching the next stage of business development and entering the global economy. These sessions will be organized in collaboration with the International Trade Center (ITC) prior to the summit on two main topics:
- Maximizing international performance through marketing, branding and packaging
- Activating market linkages to regional and international value chains with the support of ITC (communicating with potential customers and identifying additional distribution channels to local, as well as foreign markets)
- Access to ITC’s services and products
- Benefiting from ITC’s wide-range of partnerships
Invitation to the Impact Investment and International Development Organizations conference by UNDP & INSEAD In addition to the event hosted in Geneva, the ventures nominated at national level will receive an invitation to the conference Impact Investment and International Development Organizations”(IIIDO) hosted by UNDP and INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Initiative in Yerevan, Armenia in March, 2017. IIIDO will focus on the opportunities and mechanisms of impact investing and the role that development agencies can play in promoting it. This event will present the entrepreneurs with another great opportunity to present their projects to both impact investors and development organisations targeting sustainable development goals as part of their major missions.
KEY DATES
– Deadline for submissions: August 25, 2016
– Announcement of 5 winning ventures to travel to Geneva: September 9, 2016
– Social Good Summit in Geneva: October 6, 2016
Brought to you by Impact Hub Geneva and the UNDP.