The Biodiversity Foundation has selected the 35 pre-finalist candidates for the second edition of the Red emprendeverde Awards, a contest promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MAGRAMA), through the Biodiversity Foundation, in order to recognize 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 candidacies have been submitted, which represents an increase of 40% compared to the previous edition. 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. The face-to-face course that will take place at the ESADE campus in Sant Cugat del Vallès (Barcelona) is designed with the aim of supporting green entrepreneurs and providing new knowledge in key areas, such as marketing, financing, investor search, among other content. For its part, IESE will offer a blended learning course in Madrid aimed at helping green companies develop their strategic growth plan.
Of the 35 pre-finalist candidates, 20 are eligible for the awards in the “Emprende en verde” category aimed at entrepreneurs who seek to create an innovative company linked to the environment. The remaining 15 candidates participate in the second category of the contest “Grow and consolidate in green”, which is aimed at micro-enterprises and SMEs already established and with a maximum of five years of experience with potential for growth and job creation in the green economy sector.
FINANCIAL AWARDS AND SPECIAL MENTIONS
From these candidatures, 16 finalists will be selected and will be evaluated by a jury made up of prestigious personalities in the business, investment, financing and entrepreneurship fields; people related to sustainable development and conservation of the natural environment, as well as the management of the Biodiversity Foundation.
The members of the jury will determine the projects that will be awarded with 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.
In addition to offering solid support to the selected entrepreneurs through training, advice and financial prizes, the call for the contest contributes to developing a network of contacts between entrepreneurs and investors and gives dissemination and visibility to their initiatives.
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 candidatures and information about the contest can be consulted on http://www.redemprendeverde.es/mod/segundaedicionpremios/everyone.php/
