SDGs : Global Impact Startups

SDGs may help ensure that market forces, which work in the public interest, encourage businesses to use resources more efficiently and choose more sustainable alternatives because externalities are increasingly internalized.

The SDGs mirror the interests and long-term goals of different stakeholders as well as government policies across the globe. Companies that successfully align their priorities with the SDGs will benefit from strengthened customer, employee, and stakeholder engagement, while those that fail to do so will be increasingly exposed to the risks associated with a strong brand image and legal liabilities.

In failing societies, businesses fail. Sustaining a rules-based market environment, financial transparency, and trustworthy and well-governed institutions are all key for achieving economic success.

A standard framework of action and industry language are created with the SDGs in order to allow businesses to effectively communicate their impact and performance to stakeholders. Bringing together synergistic partners to tackle the world’s most pressing societal issues will help fulfil the objectives.

You can achieve maximum impact on the SDGs by following these five steps:

Striving to understand the SDGs

Being acquainted with the SDGs in the early stages is beneficial to businesses.

Defining priorities
Priorities must be set out. Companies are advised to determine their priorities based on an analysis of their impact on the SDGs in their value chains, using an assessment of both their positive and negative contributions.

Setting goals
Goals are essential for corporate success because they foster companywide cooperation and better performance. By connecting its goals with the SDGs, the leadership demonstrates its commitment to sustainable development.

Integrating
Sustainability must be embedded into core business and governance as well as all operational functions to ensure goals are met. Businesses are collaborating at the value chain, sector, and government and civil society levels to accomplish collective goals or troubleshoot systemwide issues.

Reporting and communicating
The SDGs afford businesses the opportunity to report on their overall performance by using a set of indicators and priorities which are all directly related to sustainable development. Businesses can use the SDG Compass to enhance their communications and reporting by including the SDGs.

Seek out the most innovative solutions to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals achievement regarding viability, scalability and impact. Gather and connect all actors of the global innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem; Member States and public organizations; startups; academia; corporations; incubators and accelerators; and investors and venture builders. Provide a platform for the exchange of knowledge, business models, successful business cases and general support among startups to foster disruption in their own strategy and in the economy as a whole.

Startups from all walks of life, from all over the world and all economic sectors are invited to participate if meeting the following criteria:

• Be innovative in nature providing value-added solutions
• Be sustainability-driven
• Be scalable: to have the potential for international growth and potential to be applied in corporations and destinations (countries, regions)
• Be an Early Stage or Series A startup
• Having a minimum viable product (MVP), Initial Market Traction and business plan
• Have been accelerated before
• Have a full-time team

All ways of innovation are welcome: new methods, processes, governance models, social impact initiatives, and technologies.

Participating startups will be assessed according to their:

• Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals
• Ease of value capture via collaboration with the startup
• Potential business impact
• Maturity of the product/technology
• Maturity of the team and the organization
• Partnership readiness

SDGs: Global Impact Startups Competition will select startups based on the following process:

Step 1:​ Apply to pitch in one of the local events (Virtual);

Step 2: ​Evaluation and pre-screening by the selection committee.

Step 3:​ Pitch at Local Startup Competition. Judges will select 1 champion per local event.

Step 4: Grand Finale on 15^th March’2022. Each local champion will have the opportunity to compete in front of a prestigious investment committee composed of top investors, industry experts, CEOs, and tech entrepreneurs in the region.