Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (SEI) has launched its 2012 awards programme with a call for applications from individuals developing new, big ideas to address the social and environmental challenges we face in Ireland.
This year, €600,000 in funding and support will be presented to three winners at the awards ceremony in October to help them grow and scale their impact throughout the country.
The awards will also support a further five individuals to the value of €35,000 each under the SEI ‘Elevator’ programme.
The selection process will include a ‘bootcamp’ in March where shortlisted candidates will be invited to pitch their projects, leading to interviews from which eight finalists will be chosen.
The finalists will then take part in a three-month programme where they will receive some funding and support prior to final selection of the 2012 award winners in October.
Since 2005, SEI has provided support to 150 social entrepreneurs, directly investing over €4m into supporting these exceptional individuals. These in turn have directly impacted over 170,000 people and created over 800 employment opportunities.
Speaking at the launch, 2011 award winner Michael Kelly from GIY Ireland spoke of the difference that the ‘Social Impact’ programme has made to his organisation.
“The support from SEI has been a game-changer for GIY Ireland,” he said. “I’ve always felt that being involved with SEI is like having access to the mothership of all motherships. The Social Impact programme challenges me at every turn, makes me work smarter and think bigger. It inspires, rewards and connects us up with an incredible array of leading experts and advisors.”
Kelly set up GIY Ireland in 2009 to transform the nation’s well-being, strengthen communities and protect the environment by helping people to grow their own food.
Another winner in 2011 was Seán Love of Fighting Words, a creative writing centre that is the brainchild of Love, a former director of Amnesty Ireland, and writer Roddy Doyle. In just over two years, using over 400 volunteers, the centre has hosted more than 26,000 students of all ages in workshops in fiction writing, film-making, song writing and graphic novels.
Meanwhile, Niamh Gall-agher and Michelle O’Donnell Keating of Women for Election were awarded €200,000 for their work helping to inspire and equip women to succeed in politics in order to bring balance to Irish political representation.
SEI chief executive Seán Coughlan said: “In previous years we have been overwhelmed by the calibre of applications we have received, and we expect 2012 to reveal even better applicants.
“The main criteria is a passion for making a difference, thinking big and using business skills for social change. We really believe that together we can change Ireland and the impact of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland over the past seven years has proved that.”
Applications for the 2012 SEI Awards Programme, sponsored by sales and marketing group DCC plc, must be made online at the official website socialentrepreneurs.ie where full details on the application process, eligibility criteria and the programme are available. The closing date for applications is Thursday 16 February.
