Deadline: 18 November 2015
The Unilever in partnership with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), and in collaboration with Ashoka, are inviting young innovators for Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneurs Awards.
The Unilever Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneurs Awards were launched in 2013 to inspire and support the innovation and creativity of young people who are responding to the greatest global challenges facing today.
Seven finalists will be announced in March 2016. All finalists will be required to join online sessions (Spring 2016) to develop their ideas and build their networks. Attendance is also required at the Accelerator Workshop in Cambridge, UK, and the awards Prize Event in London, UK, at which the Prince of Wales Prize will be awarded
Global Goals
The UN Global Goals for sustainable development are:
- No Poverty: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
- Zero Hunger: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture
- Gender Equality: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
- Clean Water and Sanitation: Ensure availability and suitable management of water and sanitation for all
- Affordable and Clean Energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all
- Decent Work and Economic Growth: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all
- Responsible Consumption and Production: Ensure responsible consumption and production patterns
- Climate Action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Award and Prize Information
- Seven young entrepreneurs will receive a total of €200,000 in funding and support to help take their sustainable solutions to the next level.
- Six finalists will each receive cash prizes of €10,000, along with support and mentorship (worth €10,000).
- One winner will receive a €50,000 cash prize and will be awarded the HRH.
- The Prince of Wales Young Sustainability Entrepreneur Prize at an event in London in spring 2016 and €25,000 worth of support and mentoring.
- The prize package includes funding, customised expert mentoring support, access to an online business development programme, a two-day accelerator workshop at the University of Cambridge, and networking with senior executives and sustainability leaders at Unilever’s headquarters.
- All entrants will benefit from exposure to a range of leading sustainability experts, entrepreneurs and investors during the process, along with recognition via Unilever’s global channels and the networks of the University of Cambridge and Ashoka.
Eligibility Criteria
- The competition is open to individuals from any part of the world.
- Applicants, or the founder on whose behalf the applicant is applying, must be 18-35 years old at the time of entry.
- Entrants are required to be the initiative’s founder, co-founder, or equivalent.
- Initiatives must have grown beyond the conceptual stage—with the product, process, or enterprise already gaining traction among local communities or other markets.
- Entries cannot be accepted from current Unilever employees.
- Applications must be submitted in English. (The online programme, accelerator event and the pitch will all be delivered in English, and proficiency in written and oral English is required.)
- Solutions must relate to one or more of the UN Global Goals (Sustainable Development Goals) listed above.
How to Apply
Interested applicants must submit their applications online through the Ashoka Changemakers website.
For more information, please visit Young Entrepreneurs Awards.
