Financial Times Africa Sustainable Futures Award 2024 for African Businesses

Financial Times Africa Sustainable Futures Award 2024 for African Businesses. Apply below.

When is Application Deadline:

31st July 2024

Tell Me About Financial Times Africa Sustainable Futures Award:

The Financial Times and the World Bank Group’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), have launched a major new awards programme to promote ground-breaking, long-term solutions to development challenges in Africa.

The Africa Sustainable Futures Awards will recognise innovative and financially viable projects and initiatives that provide transformative solutions to some of the biggest development issues facing Africa today. The focus in this inaugural year will be on the entrepreneurship, innovation and investment that can provide access to clean energy and digital connectivity, and ensure that urban infrastructure and natural ecosystems remain resilient to climate change. The programme will also highlight the importance of gender equality and inclusion in boosting the overall well-being and prosperity of Africa’s communities. 

The winner in each category will be announced at a special awards dinner on 30 October 2024 that will conclude the FT’s Africa Summit, a major event at the Peninsula London bringing together African government, business and finance leaders with global investors and industry partners to collaborate on opportunities for long-term, sustainable growth.

Which Fields are Eligible?

Financing the Access to Clean Energy

This award recognises transformative renewable energy or energy efficiency projects that also increase access to energy and provide climate-smart solutions across key productive sectors.

Resilient Infrastructure

This award recognises initiatives that leverage public and private sector expertise and finance and use new technologies to build and modernise critical infrastructure, decarbonise mobility networks, develop scalable, practical green building projects, improve waste management, and generally boost urban environmental resilience.

Biodiversity and Ecosystems Protection

This award recognises regenerative projects in Africa that protect ecosystems by conserving or restoring natural capital and leverage biodiversity to create long-term growth, greener and higher quality jobs, more secure supply of food and water, and barriers to natural and man-made disasters.

Gender Equality and Inclusion

This award recognises initiatives in Africa that expand and enable economic opportunities for women, engage more women as leaders, reduce violence against women and girls, and generally expand the participation of women and girls in economic growth.

Digital Infrastructure

This award recognises economically viable and energy-efficient initiatives in Africa that promote effective telecommunications markets, deepen the resilience of digital infrastructure and networks, expand connectivity to disadvantaged groups, improve digital literacy and affordability, and mitigate cyber risk

Overall Award: Judges Award for Excellence 

This prize will be awarded to the initiative that in the opinion of the judging panel stands apart among the winners of all core categories for its level of innovation, impact, replicability, financial viability and sustainability in the context of Africa’s development.

Type:

Entrepreneurship

Who can Apply for Financial Times Africa Sustainable Futures Award?

• The Awards are open to all public and private sector financial and non-financial organisations, as well as to NGOs that can meet the entry and judging criteria. The focus is on specific projects and transactions and the impact those initiatives have or promise to have on the problems they are targeting.
• Only initiatives that have been implemented since 2018 will be eligible. Entries must have annual revenues of at least US$3 million, or have investment of at least US$5 million, to be eligible.
• Those criteria are waived for the Innovation Showcase, a special category designed to promote exciting new ideas from Africa’s start-ups that do not yet have adequate funding.
• While the focus is on transformational impact in Africa, the awards are also open to projects that address similar market deficiencies in other regions and that could be replicated across the continent. 

Which Countries are Eligible?

African countries

Where will Award be Taken?

The winner in each category will be announced at a special awards dinner on 30 October 2024 that will conclude the FT’s Africa Summit, a major event at the Peninsula London bringing together African government, business and finance leaders with global investors and industry partners to collaborate on opportunities for long-term, sustainable growth. 

How Many Awards?

Not specified

What is the Benefit of Financial Times Africa Sustainable Futures Award?

 This prize will be awarded to the initiative that in the opinion of the judging panel stands apart among the winners of all core categories for its level of innovation, impact, replicability, financial viability and sustainability in the context of Africa’s development.

How to Apply:

Apply here

Visit Award Webpage for Details