The entry period for the Unilever Global Development Award, supported by Business Fights Poverty is now open! Seeking entries from business demonstrating positive impact against one or more of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The Unilever Global Development Award, supported by Business Fights Poverty is part of Business in the Community’s Annual Responsible Business Awards, the longest running CSR awards. The award celebrates businesses which are developing business operations and programmes which have strong social, environmental and economic benefits in line with the MDGs.
December 2015 marked the last days of the MDGs as they move to be replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals, the next generation of 15 year global development goals. Much has been learnt in the last 15 years of the MDGs about the role of business in the development agenda. There has been a trend of business-charity partnerships moving from philanthropic donations to being embedded into business and based on shared value concepts. This award seeks to celebrate the vital contribution business can give to the MDGs.
Over the last 15 years of running this award Business in the Community have been inspired and impressed by the range and variety of the awards from UK based multinationals to start-ups in Haiti, covering issues from micro-credit to renewable energy generation, child labour to female empowerment.
The 2015 Unilever Global Development Award Winner was AllLife, a South African life insurance provider to people with HIV, who prove it is possible to insure the ‘uninsurable’. AllLife spotted the increasing need that this target market had for insurance and built a pioneering business model which provides life insurance and advice on how to manage the disease. AllLife has supported the financial inclusion of those affected by HIV, as well as it has improved their clients’ health conditions.
Entries for this award should evidence business-led programmes that can demonstrate impact at a local or a global scale addressing one or more of the MDGs. The entry must also prove that the initiative is embedded within its business model and value proposition, it cannot be a philanthropic action out of the business’s main mission. The entry should demonstrate that it has business benefits of the programme and that it has long-term sustainability.
If your business is helping communities to prepare for respond to and recover from disasters you can also enter the UPS International Disaster Relief Award supported by DFID.
This award is free to enter and is open to businesses globally, of any size, any scale and in any sector. You can download the application form and guidance document here.
Watch the video of the recent webinar about the awards below.
The Deadline is 12 midnight GMT on 12 February 2016.
