In this section, we will update you with announcements from the ecosystem of inclusive business, pre-selected according to their relevance for inclusive business ventures.
The first Annual Conference of the Private Sector Development Research Network will focus on inclusive firms and markets and consider questions around characteristics of inclusive business, ways to measure impact, and ways to support inclusion by a range of actors. The event is taking place in Geneva on the 12th and 13th December 2019. Papers should be submitted by 1st September 2019.
Princess Haifa Al Mogrin, Saudi Arabia, announced the priorities for her country’s G20 Presidency in 2020, underscoring women’s empowerment and youth, infrastructure, food security, energy, human capital, climate change, inclusive business, water, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The epAward 2019 called on social entrepreneurs and developers across the globe to submit their innovative solutions. From around 800 submissions the evaluation teams selected the 11 most promising projects. Click the link below to find out more about the winning social enterprises: SOLshare (1st place), Nonspec (2nd place) and Mind Rockets Inc. (3rd place).
The Acumen Fellowship program is building a pipeline of leaders who understand what it takes to create lasting social change. Fellows are social entrepreneurs, social intrapreneurs, and organizational builders who dare to do what’s right, not what’s easy. Applicants should be a citizen of — or demonstrate a concrete connection to — Colombia, Malaysia, East Africa, West Africa, Bangladesh or India and lead work focused on tackling poverty and/or injustice. Applications are open until August 11th, 2019.
The Case Writing Competition is rewarding innovative cases in management development. One of the seventeen categories is embracing inclusive business models, i.e. commercially viable models that include the poor on the demand side as clients and customers, and on the supply side as employees, producers and business owners at various points in the value chain. These firm-level case studies will provide insights into the effects inclusive business models have on communities, environment and profitability.
The Pact for Impact Summit will be held in Paris on the 10th and 11th of July 2019 at the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac. This event will further encourage the involvement of businesses and actors of the Social and Solidarity Economy and the Inclusive Economy in fostering economic, social, and environmental development around the globe. On the 11th of July iBAN will be participating in the 10 am workshop to discuss "Measuring social and environmental impact: myth or reality?".
In the run-up of today’s G20 Summit, the Ministerial Meeting on Trade and Digital Economy published an overview of business projects and policies to promote trade and investment for inclusive growth. The document includes several references to policies on inclusive growth and inclusive business. Japan for example highlights its initiative on a Guide for SDG Business Management, stating that “through the global spread of Guide, companies will find and grasp the business opportunities in solving social problems and sustainable and inclusive businesses will be promoted.”
Until July 6th, the Social & Inclusive Business Camp (SIBC) accepts applications. SIBC is a hybrid program composed of a four months digital training and coaching via our e-learning platform, a one week intensive Bootcamp in Marseille to prepare you to meet with investors, an active and ambitious community that promotes the exchange of good practices and sharing experience between participants, alumni and mentors on the long term.
Alongside coaching, SIBC offers acess to their network of experts and tools. The programme is accessible both in English and in French.
The Heads the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) highlight the importance of inclusive business in the Leaders’ Vision Statement on Partnership for Sustainability 2019. They state to support the conduct of inclusive business in ASEAN; through business models and practices that address the needs of and generate opportunities for all.
Safaricom is urging businesses to do more in fighting social inequalities which degrade the quality of life and the communities from which they derive profits. Businesses can do this by addressing corruption within their ranks, paying taxes responsibly and transparently, tackling inequalities in the workplace and adopting inclusive business approaches, said Bob Collymore, CEO, Safaricom.