An additional 40% of entrepreneurs are participating in this second edition of the Red emprendeverde Awards, a competition promoted by the Biodiversity Foundation in order to recognise and support the initiatives of those entrepreneurs who contribute to the development of the green economy and innovation in this sector of activity.

In this second edition, 265 applications have been submitted. 26 sectors of activity are represented and the participants come from 17 autonomous communities.

The Evaluation Committee, made up of experts in entrepreneurship and the environment from collaborating entities of the Emprendeverde Network and the Biodiversity Foundation, has selected 35 initiatives from various sectors of activity that stand out for their feasibility, potentiality, environmental results, social impact, innovative nature, capacity and leadership.

Thus, the selected projects are linked to sustainable rehabilitation and building, the design of ecological furniture, ecotourism, agroforestry management, beekeeping, sustainable mobility, the capture of solar thermal energy, the maintenance and surveillance of natural spaces and the marketing of products made in rural areas, among other sectors of activity.

Candidates who have passed this phase will participate in the “Emprendeverde” training programs taught at the ESADE and IESE business schools.

Financial awards and special mentions

From these candidatures, 16 finalists will be selected and the members of the jury will determine the projects that will be awarded a financial prize. In this edition, the prize money is €24,000, divided into five prizes. In each of the two categories, the first prize has an endowment of €6,000, while the winners of the second prize will receive €3,000. In addition, a runner-up prize of €6,000 will be awarded to the initiative that stands out for its protection of biodiversity.

In this second edition, a special effort is made to support innovation, projects with environmental and social impact, international projection, as well as women entrepreneurs and young entrepreneurs. For this reason, 10 candidacies will be recognized with the following five special mentions: Young Green Entrepreneur, Green Entrepreneur, Eco-innovation, International Projection – Keiretsu Forum and Red Emprendeverde Community.

These awards are developed within the framework of the Emprendeverde Network, promoted by the Biodiversity Foundation, and is co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Operational Programme for Adaptability and Employment 2007-2013. The pre-finalist candidacies and information about the contest can be consulted on the website of the Red emprendeverde.