Is your company working to advance the Sustainable Development Goals?

By Nadya S. Nikiforova, Communications Officer, IFC​

Is your company working to advance the Sustainable Development Goals? Does your organization transform lives and markets with sustainable solutions to development challenges? If so, we want to hear from you.

Is your company working to advance the Sustainable Development Goals? Does your organization transform lives and markets with sustainable solutions to development challenges? If so, we want to hear from you.  FT/IFC Transformational Business Awards is inviting applications from forward-thinking companies and impact investors whose work proves that the private sector can help drive sustainable development.  From climate to finance, from disruptive tech to food and health, including the pandemic response, our winners have been delivering impact and changing lives.  Apply by April 30th to share your story!

FT/IFC Transformational Business Awards

A longstanding partnership between The Financial Times and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, the Awards are a leading global initiative that highlights ground-breaking private sector solutions to major development challenges.  Given on a project and transaction basis, last year’s Awards received a record 270 entries from 246 organizations working all over the world.

The winner in each category will be announced at a special dinner in London on 16 June preceded by the FT/IFC Transformational Business Conference, a major gathering of thought leaders who will debate the issues around private sector engagement in sustainable development.  Last year’s live broadcast of the Awards was watched by 500,000 viewers worldwide, with the Twitter campaign around the awards reaching 9 million views.

Award Categories

The core categories of the Transformational Business Awards are all directly related to global efforts to achieve the UN SDGs.

Core categories:

  • Transformational Solutions in Urban Infrastructure
  • Transformational Solutions in Food, Water and Land
  • Transformational Solutions in in Health, Wellness and Disease Prevention – this includes the interventions addressing the corona virus pandemic response
  • Transformational Solutions in Education, Knowledge and Skills
  • NEW THIS YEAR: Innovating for the Most Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Groups

Overall Awards (selected from the shortlist, not open for direct entry):

  • Overall Award: Excellence in Transformational Finance and Impact Investing
  • Overall Award: Excellence in Climate Solutions
  • Overall Award: Excellence in Disruptive Technology
  • Overall Award: Excellence in Transformational Business

Who Should Apply?

The Transformational Business Awards are open to all financial and non-financial private sector organisations, as well as NGOs and PPPs that can meet the judging criteria.  In the last fifteen years we’ve received applications from infrastructure developers, energy, engineering and technology companies, healthcare providers, pension and sovereign funds, life insurance companies, investment banks and consultancies. Start-ups with innovative solutions and a clear roadmap to financial sustainability are also encouraged to apply.

Entries are particularly welcome from institutional investors and other large holders of capital that support the SDGs, and from organisations with initiatives that may provide solutions in fragile and conflict-affected states and the world’s poorest countries. Interventions addressing the corona virus pandemic response are also welcome.

Projects or transactions must have passed the implementation stage and result in measurable impact. They must be financially viable now or potentially within five years of implementation. Only initiatives that have been implemented since 2014 will be eligible.

What are the Judges Looking For?

The goal of the Awards is to recognize and reward private sector innovation, impact, replicability, financial viability and sustainability. Special attention will be given by the judging panel to initiatives that address climate change, and/or harness disruptive technologies and business models to achieve impact and scale. Innovative financing solutions, including best practice in impact investing, will also be recognized.

Why Apply?

Our past winners and finalists tell us the Awards helped them build important relationships with stakeholders, client and investors, open doors to new markets, and access new opportunities:

“For a small company like ours, getting validated by organizations like the FT and IFC lends credibility to our conversations with large corporations and governments, and helps get a seat at these tables to drive growth.”

Winnow Solutions, Winner of 2017 FT/IFC Awards/Food, Water and Land

“Since our win in 2017, M-TIBA has grown in leaps and bounds. The prize has brought global attention to our business. It has helped us with building partnerships with different institutions that are interested in using our platform to provide affordable and scalable healthcare payment services.”

CarePay M-TIBA, Winner, 2017 FT/IFC Awards/Health, Wellness and Disease Protection

“The Awards reinforced our reputation as a globally-minded and pathbreaking player in the B2B renewable energy space.”

CleanMax Solar, Winner, 2018 FT/IFC Awards, Transformational Infrastructure

“Winning the Awards continues to be a real stamp of credibility for a young company, particularly as we expand to new markets globally.”

LifeTrack Medical, Winner, 2018 FT/IFC Awards, Disruptive Technologies

“Winning the FT/IFC Award has helped increase our access to global healthcare providers, who trust in the IFC and FT’s credibility in identifying and celebrating transformative technologies.”

Mobile ODT, Winner, 2019 FT/IFC Awards/Health, Wellness and Disease Protection

Applying is easy and free. Go to FT and IFC Transformational Business Awards and click “Enter Now” to share you story and join the community of private sector innovators who are transforming lives, communities and economies worldwide.

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