APPLICATIONS for the tenth annual SAB Foundation Social Innovation Awards and fifth annual Disability Empowerment Awards are now open and local social innovators who are committed to addressing social issues are encouraged to apply.
The winning innovation stands the chance of receiving up to R1.3 million in funding as well as business development support.
In KwaZulu- Natal, the SAB Foundation has provided over R25 million in grant funding and business support to 859 entrepreneurs to date.KwaZulu-Natal has produced a number of winning social innovators, including last year’s Development Award winner, Stuart Talbot, founder of Streetbook Sellers (now Street Lit), a programme that specialises in empowering unemployed and homeless men and women to sell second-hand books around Durban.
“Currently, we have 10 booksellers who go around the streets of Durban, selling books in mobile trolleys. With the funding, I received from the SAB Foundation I plan on developing a mobile trolley prototype to assist in increasing sales. Through this innovation, the homeless have a chance to work and earn a living on their own,” said Stuart.
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Through the awards, the SAB Foundation aims to empower innovative thinkers like Stuart to develop products and services, which help the country’s most vulnerable communities, while also empowering them as entrepreneurs.
Prizes awarded range from R200 000 to R1.3 million and are used as an investment in the innovation.
The Social Innovation Awards are aimed at innovators, social entrepreneurs, institutions and social enterprises with prototypes or early-stage businesses that can solve social problems.
These products, services, business models and processes should directly address the challenges faced by low-income women, youth, people living with disabilities, or people living in rural areas.
The Disability Empowerment Awards seek and award social enterprises, which have come up with innovative solutions, which improve access to the economy, and/or solutions for disabled people, while generating enough revenue to become sustainable over time. People with disabilities are some of the most marginalised members of society with a high unemployment rate.
Online applications are now open and can be completed by visiting www.sabfoundation.co.za before the closing date of 23 March.
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