Schwab Foundation’s Competition on Social Entrepreneurship

Deadline: Asia: 15 February 2011; South Africa: 1 March 2011, Europe: 15 March 2011
Open to: outstanding social entrepreneurs around the globe
Award: participation in the World Economic Forum, various scholarships

Schwab Foundation’s Competition on social entrepreneurship – for countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, & Europe

The Schwab Foundation is an independent, neutral non-profit organization headquartered in Cologny-Geneva, Switzerland and working under the legal supervision of the Swiss Federal Government. It organizes the Open Competition for the Social Entrepreneur of the Year in three different regions of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe.

The Schwab Foundation of Social Entrepreneurship focuses on three specific objectives:

1) to foster a community of leading social entrepreneurs around the world. The Foundation provides the platforms for this community to promote sustainable and innovative solutions through interaction with corporations and other stakeholders of global society. These platforms are provided in close partnership with the World Economic Forum and its series of regional and global events.

2) to contribute to the scaling of social innovations in the world by fostering a continuous dialogue among the key experts and practitioners.

3) to identify leading social entrepreneurs in their respective countries through the “Social Entrepreneur of the Year” awards, which will be run by key partners of the Foundation. The Social Entrepreneurs of the Year awards shall be at the center of an effort to promote social entrepreneurship on a national level, to familiarize the general public with social entrepreneurship and to highlight role models for others to follow.

4) to identify young social entrepreneurs of the next generation who often develop highly innovative and sustainable approaches. The Foundation nominates these entrepreneurs as Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum and offers them a unique multistakeholder network to advance their causes and ventures.

Eligibility

The top 3 most important criteria to be considered a finalist are:

1. Innovation: The candidate has brought about social change by transforming traditional practice.

2. Sustainability: The candidate has generated the social conditions and/or institutions needed to sustain the initiative and is dedicating all of his/her time to it.

3. Direct social impact: The candidate has founded, developed and implemented the entrepreneurial initiative directly, together with poor or marginalised beneficiaries and stakeholders.

There are currently three open competitions for identifying the Social Entrepreneurs each for Asia, Africa and Europe.

Asia

Benefits
Winner/s will be invited to participate to a World Economic Forum event in the Asia Region. Participation to the meeting is a unique opportunity to connect to business leaders, key politicians, civil society members and media representatives of the region. The Foundation covers the costs of the registration fee, transportation and lodging for winners of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Competition.

Special Benefits
Pro-bono consulting services and scholarships to executive education courses at world-class institutions such as Harvard Business School, Stanford University and INSEAD.

Having read the criteria for selection, if you believe you qualify as a candidate, please apply by 15 February 2011.

Contact: info@schwabfound.org

South Africa

Benefits
Winner/s will be invited to participate to a World Economic Forum event in the Africa Region. Participation to the meeting is a unique opportunity to connect to business leaders, key politicians, civil society members and media representatives of the region. The Foundation covers the costs of the registration fee, transportation and lodging for winners of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Competition.

Special Benefits
Pro-bono consulting services and scholarships to executive education courses at world-class institutions such as Harvard Business School, Stanford University and INSEAD.

Having read the criteria for selection, if you believe you qualify as a candidate, please apply by 1 March 2011.

Contact: southafrica@schwabfound.org

Europe

Benefits
Winner/s of the Europe regional award will be invited to participate to the World Economic Forum on Europe and Central Asia (Vienna, Austria; 8-9 June 2011). Participation to the meeting is a unique opportunity to connect to business leaders, key politicians, civil society members and media representatives of the region. The Foundation covers the costs of the registration fee, transportation and lodging for winners of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Competition.

Special Benefits
Pro-bono consulting services and scholarships to executive education courses at world-class institutions such as Harvard Business School, Stanford University and INSEAD.

Having read the criteria for selection, if you believe you qualify as a candidate, please apply by 15 March 2011.

contact: info@schwabfound.org

Application Process

Step 1 – First Round Candidates. Apply online.

Step 2 – Second Round Candidates: After screening the initial applications, the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship will invite candidates to submit further detailed information. This will include:

1) a copy of your CV or resume,
2) a recent evaluation report on your organization, preferably conducted by a recognized third party agency,
3) an income statement and balance sheet for the last 2-3 years, preferably audited by an external auditor

The official webpage.

Leave a Reply