The Impact World this Week: 10 October 2024
Your quick guide to the most interesting news snippets about social enterprise, impact investment and mission-driven business around the world from the Pioneers Post team. This week news from Social Nest Foundation, British International Investment, Sitawi in Brazil, Democratic Finance Scotland and the Social Business Wales Awards.
Spain: Seaweed-based seafood alternative food startup BettaFish won €10,000 this week at The Gap in Between, a conference organised by Social Nest Foundation. The German enterprise was selected from 20 finalists in the Startup Challenge after convincing the judges that it could have a significant impact on systemic challenges facing society. The conference brought together 1,000 people in Valencia to explore collaboration between impact startups, corporations, investors and civil society.
Brazil: A framework aiming to drive more capital towards biodiversity and climate solutions was published this week by Sitawi, a Brazilian organisation dedicated to boosting impact investing, and nature-restoration charity Conservation International Brazil. The Biodiversity Conservation Investment Blueprints outline three tried-and-tested models that investors can adopt easily and quickly to invest in businesses and projects that tackle Brazil’s urgent biodiversity crisis, while making a profit.
Scotland: Community organisations will be able to receive support to improve their economic resilience thanks to the new Democratic Finance Scotland programme. The three-year, £1.34m scheme, delivered by Development Trusts Association Scotland and Scottish Communities Finance, will support community-led organisations to diversify their income streams – including community shares, community bonds and funding opportunities for renewable energy projects – so they don’t depend on grants only. The programme recently received a £400,000 grant from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
Wales: The winners of the Social Business Wales Awards 2024 have been announced. Snapping up the “Social Enterprise of the Year” award was the Community Impact Initiative, a social enterprise that regenerates local communities by restoring derelict properties, and in the process employs and upskills local people and increases community pride. “One to Watch” was Down to Zero Ltd, which helps local people to fight climate change, and nonprofit law firm Qualia Law CIC received the “Social Enterprise Innovation of the Year” award.
Movers and shakers
- British International Investment, the UK’s development finance institution, has appointed Leslie Maasdorp as its new CEO. Maasdorp joins after nine years as CFO of multilateral bank New Development Bank, and will succeed Nick O’Donohoe, who is retiring after seven years in the role.
