Deadline: 30-Apr-23

The One Young World has announced a Lead2030 Challenge for SDG 5, Supported by 100+ Accelerator powered by AB InBev to find and support women-founded companies that are tackling the most pressing sustainability challenges they face: from climate change to biodiversity loss, to building a more inclusive world.

AB InBev and 100+ Accelerator are proud to support the Lead2030 Challenge for SDG 5. In partnership with One Young World, AB InBev and its flagship open innovation platform, the 100+ Accelerator, want to continue to support and promote women in business as women’s economic empowerment is crucial to realizing women’s rights, gender equality and driving sustainability. As stated by the UN: Investing in women’s entrepreneurship is investing in change.

The challenge welcomes solutions from innovative women-founded companies that provide solutions to or solves any of the following:

• Circular Economy: How do they create a fully circular global economy where waste is eliminated, resources continually circulated and nature regenerated? They are looking for entrepreneurs that are addressing:
  • Recycling, Reuse and Returnability of packaging
  • New packaging material alternatives & innovations
  • Solutions for Materials Tracking & Tracing
  • New forms for packaging
  • Upcycling waste
• Water Stewardship: Help them create and implement sustainable practices to improve the water efficiency, the watershed health and build a more water secure world. They are looking for entrepreneurs that are  addressing:
  • Water Monitoring and Analysis
  • Watershed Conservation and Stewardship
  • Water Savings and Treatment in Manufacturing and Supply Chain
• Regenerative Agriculture: Let’s help farmers transition to regenerative practices and produce high yielding, high quality crops by leveraging nature-based solutions as well as science, technology and financing. They are looking for entrepreneurs that are addressing:
  • Farmer Training, Engagement & Support
  • Crop Quality & Productivity
  • Other / New Innovations Testing & Analysis
• Climate action: Help them reduce the carbon footprint to net zero and lead the way on the production and use of renewable energy. They are looking for entrepreneurs  that are addressing:
  • Reducing Energy Consumption and Monitoring
  • Renewable & Alternative Energy Solutions
  • Carbon Reduction, Capture & Removal
  • Business Case & Financial Analyses
  • Green Logistics
  • New Cooling Technologies
• Inclusive growth: Help them implement innovative solutions for societal equity, workplace inclusion, economic prosperity and long-term environmental health. They are looking for entrepreneurs that are addressing:
  • Diversification of Suppliers Base
  • Workplace Wellbeing
  • Inclusive Workforce Access
  • Inclusive and Transparent Advertising Supply Chains
  • Responsible Drinking
  • Road Safety
• Biodiversity: Help them protect, renew and grow the biodiversity of all ecosystems. They are looking for entrepreneurs that are addressing:
  • Design, Implementation, and Monitoring of Nature-Based Solutions
  • Supply and Value Chain Traceability
  • Plant Based Food Genetic Diversity
  • Waste and Biodiversity Loss
• Health and Wellness: Help them find solutions to promote health and wellbeing in the communities as they work to build better, more equitable and thriving societies. They are looking for entrepreneurs that are addressing:
  • Mental Health and Self-esteem for employees or communities
  • Hygiene and Personal Care
  • Smart Consumption of Alcohol and Moderation

Prize

• The winning solution will join the fifth cohort of organisations supported by the 100+ Accelerator. Participation in the program includes:
  • Pilot: The 100+ Accelerator gives promising startups an opportunity to pilot their innovation within a global corporate supply chain (AB InBev, The Coca Cola Company, Colgate- Palmolive, or Unilever) and bring their solutions to market faster.
  • Investment: To that end, the 100+ Accelerator provides up to $100,000 USD to each startup for a proof of concept pilot to prove the viability of the solution.
  • Ongoing mentorship: The 100+ Accelerator also provides critical hands-on support to startups through a robust curriculum of business skills and by assigning dedicated teams of the corporate partner´s mentors and experts to guide them through the pilot process.
  • One Young World Summit: In addition, one representative of the winning solution will be invited to participate in the One Young World Summit 2023 which takes place in Belfast from 2 – 5 October.

Criteria

• Aligned: Evidently aligned with the SDG5 challenge.
• Youth-led: Founded by a person aged 18 – 30.
• Women-founded: Led and founded by at least one woman founder.
• Focused: Well-structured time horizon, identified key stakeholders and beneficiaries, and proposed outcomes that are reasonable and well thought out.
• Market ready: Product/service already in market or ready to go to market.
• Impactful: Solutions must have a positive social impact, for example generating employment, or developing skills.
• Measurable: Impacts of solutions must have been adequately measured and/or be measurable.
• Financially viable: Must be able to achieve efficiency and to survive independently through the resources they generate and/or the investments and donations they attract.
• Scalable: Potential to perform as well or better after expanding in scope or size and/or being transported to other regions.

For more information, visit One Young World.