Sustainable Development Goals Micro Grant
Entrepreneurs and new businesses are vital for reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals. With innovate solutions, entrepreneurs pave the way for solving the World´s biggest global challenges.
Tuborgfondet and the Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship has joined forces to strengthen young entrepreneurs and new business, which are driven by solving global challenges. We do this by awarding SDG micro grants.
The SDG micro grants are awarded in the same cycle, and basically in the same way as the regular micro grants.
SDG startups integrate sustainability in their business plan and use the SDGs as a tool, the same way as they use research of the industry, competitors, and expectations for the future.
The Danish Chamber of Commerce has formed 3 suggestions on how to work strategic with the Sustainable Development Goals:
1. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOUR COMPANY DIDN'T EXIST?
It needs to be clear why your team does what it does. What difference do you want to create in the world and what would happen if you didn't? The answer should be that you create growth and jobs - because all companies do.
Think about real social issues that your startup solves. Show your customers what they can do to contribute to the positive effect. It's not a question of the great cause you support when you buy the product, it's about finding the purpose of your business.
Be ready to document and explain how your product is part of a solution, if you want to work with sustainability.
2. IS YOUR BUSINESS ATTRACTIVE FOR THE FOLLOWING GENERATIONS?
20% of the world's population are between 13-25 years old, which is the largest youth generation in history - this is the millennials. The millennials have clear preferences concerning their future job.
There is a focus on diversity and flexibility. Both female and male millennials want the management of a company to be both female and male.
Startups find it difficult to comply with the high expectations concerning salary, but they know how to compete when it comes to the "why" of the company - and they should use that even more.
When your startup has found its main purpose, its "why", you need to communicate this to your future and existing employees.
3. DID YOU CONSIDER THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN YOUR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT?
Use the Sustainable Development Goals in your product development to get an "outside-and-in" perspective on your startup. You create potential for growth in the future, if you use the Sustainable Development Goals in the development.
Many companies use other companies to facilitate their development of new products and business models by using the Sustainable Development Goals.
"The SDG Entrepreneurs" - a video series
In collaboration with the streaming channel MOOT, we have developed a video series about sustainable entrepreneurship: Watch the series here (Danish only): THE SDG Entrepreneurs
MORE INFORMATION:
- Statistics Denmark - a platform that shows the Sustainable Development Goals and their subgoals. You can also find the national status of redemption.
- Verdens Bedste Nyheder - a platform where you can find all the information about the Sustainable Development Goals in Denmark. Read about relevant events and download the different icons (Danish).
- SDG Kompasset - The SDG Compass provides guidance for companies on how they can align their strategies as well as measure and manage their contribution to the realization of the SDGs.
- SDG Business Booster - Growth briefing for the curious (Danish).
- Inspiration for SDG entrepreneurs - videos from The Business Council.