Unilever Young Entrepreneurs Awards are now accepting applications

The 2018 edition of Unilever Young Entrepreneurs Awards is now accepting applications of young entrepreneurs who are tackling social and environmental challenges by building sustainable solutions. The Awards are an annual initiative of Unilever, in partnership with the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Sustainable Leadership.

Previous winners from Pakistan, include DoctHERs. In 2016, the health-tech startup won the HRH The Prince of Wales Young Sustainability Entrepreneur Prize by Unilever and the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. The startup now operates as two separate entities.

Since its inception in 2013, the Awards have catered to over 3500 young entrepreneurs that are building solutions to tackle sustainability challenges. The initiative has also provided support and funding to 29 winners that have built technologies that range from cutting down greenhouse emissions to ensuring child nutrition.

Categories of the Award

The Awards will recognize initiatives that are being developed towards the fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goals, defined by the United Nations. This year, the Awards will focus on the following eight solutions:

• Goal 2: Zero Hunger
• Goal 3: Good Health & Well Being
• Goal 4: Quality Education
• Goal 5: Gender Equality
• Goal 6: Clean Water & Sanitation
• Goal 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth
• Goal 12: Responsible Consumption & Production
• Goal 13: Climate Action

Incentives of the Award

Up to eight winners are provided with the financial support by Unilever to scale their projects. The will receive €8,500. The overall winner of the HRH The Prince of Wales Young Sustainability Entrepreneur Prize receives €50,000. Moreover, all the winners will attend a residential accelerator program run by the Institute for Sustainability Leadership of the University of Cambridge.

The funding and accelerator support will be followed by a year-long mentoring tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs that will help them grow their business and access business connections through the platform of Unilever.

How to apply?

The contest is open to young entrepreneurs between 18 – 35 years of an age, whose initiative, product or service has gone beyond the idea stage and is producing impact in the community. To submit your entry, you will need to create a profile here and complete the application form by June 29, 2018. You can also nominate a potential startup.