The Green Industry Platform together with the Green Finance Platform is conducting a case study competition to highlight innovative ways that women-owned Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have found financing in Asia Pacific.
The winner of the competition will be invited to participate in the Grow Green Girl Workshop taking place in Bangkok, Thailand on 8-11 December 2019. The 4-day workshop will teaches female entrepreneurs the skills they need to reach new financing and new customers.
The deadline for submission is 27 November 2019 (5:00pm CET).
Has your women-led SME received financing to green your operations or end products? Has your financial institution provided financing to women-owned SMEs to green their operations? We want to hear your stories.
Case studies that are submitted to the GGKP Case Study Competition should feature either 1) SMEs that have been able to access – and apply – financing for sustainable solutions or 2) financial institutions that have provided investment solutions for an SME to green their operations.
These investment solutions may include those that exist through green and sustainable finance, i.e. financial instruments designed to unlock finance for SMEs to invest in low carbon, green growth, and climate resilient development. For example:
- A technical assistance facility;
- Risk capital;
- Sustainable private equity/venture capital;
- Climate change regulation that spurred the development of new products and services for SMEs;
- Public finance for direct financing, refinancing, mechanisms to mobilize private investor capital and capital markets activities; or
- Fintech applications as an access to finance.
The above financial products would then have been channelled to support companies that create sustainable products, services and solutions. The role of the specific financing used in the success of the innovative business models or sustainable businesses need to be emphasised.
Submission Guidelines
Case studies on women-led SMEs or green finance institutions based in the Asia Pacific should be submitted as a 2-page Word or PDF document. There are no restrictions on font size, style etc.
Please send case studies to [email protected] by 27 November 2019 (5:00pm CET).
A selections committee comprised of professionals working in the financial sector will evaluate all submissions and the winner will be announced on 28 November 2019.
How will the winning case study be recognised?
Winners will be invited to join the Grow Green Girl Workshop, a four-day workshop focused on access to finance for female-led startups, and strategic communications training for female founders. The workshop will be held with colleagues at the UN Environment Programme’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (UNEP ROAP) in Bangkok, Thailand on 8-11 December 2019.
The winning case study as well as the results of the Grow Green Girl Workshop will be highlighted on the Green Industry Platform and the Green Finance Platform, on social media, and through the GGKP's monthly Knowledge Update newsletter. A video of the workshop, including the training that was delivered, will be featured on the GGKP's YouTube channel so that women-led businesses around the world have the opportunity to learn from the experts about how to access finance for female-led SMEs.