Hogan Lovells has made a three year commitment to help our mission reach more beneficiaries. They’ve done this by providing Pro Bono legal advice, community investment volunteering, and financial support. We’re very grateful to them and are happy to introduce you to another one of their great endeavors.

 

COULD YOUR SOLAR-POWERED BUSINESS WIN A GLOBAL INNOVATION AWARD?

If your business or not-for- profit organization uses energy from the sun to benefit your local community then you could win a global prize for innovation. The Hogan Lovells Community Solar Innovation Awards 2017 is open to organizations around the world which:

 Use solar energy or solar technology to improve the lives of poor communities, especially for women and girls

 Create environmental and social benefits

 Involve and meet the needs of local communities

 Need financial and business support to meet their full potential

 Are based in a non-OECD or non-European Union member state

If you meet the above criteria then you could be one of ten entrepreneurs who will win:

 Up to USD30,000-worth of legal advice from global law firm sponsor Hogan Lovells

 Paid-for attendance at a conference in South Africa to meet others facing similar challenges and learn from their experiences to grow your own business

 One-on- one support and mentorship to help you develop your business and financial plans

 Support from SEED to help you reproduce your business model in other regions around the world.

There will also be a first place prize winner who will receive USD10,000. According to Scot Anderson, Partner at law firm Hogan Lovells: “There is a real need to bring together the best experiences we have around the world in using solar energy to create businesses which are sustainable and provide jobs and services that people need. These Awards, run in association with SEED and Barefoot College, are designed to show that there is incredible innovation in capturing and using energy from the sun to make a real difference to the lives of people in some of the world’s poorest areas.”

More information including terms and conditions and an online application form can be found at www.hoganlovellssolarawards.com

Applications can also be submitted by downloading a PDF from the website and sending it to: apply@hoganlovellssolarawards.com.

The winners, chosen by an independent international judging panel, will be honoured at a ceremony in March 2018 in South Africa.