The Capricorn Foundation has announced the successful conclusion of entries for phase two of its Food Waste Challenge (FWC).
In line with its vision to be Connectors of Positive Change, the foundation previously called for innovative solutions that can create or expand self-sufficient social enterprises (businesses) to address the issue of food waste in Namibia and create employment for Namibians when it officially launched the challenge in April 2023.
In a press release on Thursday, Rikus Grobler, the manager of the Capricorn Group’s Innovation and Challenge Project, stated that the FWC was based on an open innovation platform, offering a cash prize of N.dollars 100 000 from the Capricorn Foundation, as well as a branding refresh and marketing package worth N.dollars 50 000 from Synergi Marketing. Business Box Windhoek and the Gondwana Care Trust were also project partners.
The Capricorn Foundation sought ideas that would use social entrepreneurship to radically reduce food waste, while also creating employment opportunities, with the result of new possibilities in addressing the most vulnerable people’s basic need for food security, while positively impacting society to improve the quality of life for many Namibians.
“We are excited to announce that we have received 277 registrations for the challenge and that 152 submissions were formally entered,” Grobler said.
He stated that the majority of the entries came from Namibia and Botswana, and that many were from students and young adults with diverse ideas, some of which focused on technological solutions, using food waste as compost to grow and produce other value-added products and animal feeds, collecting and distributing food, raising food waste awareness, and others on specific communities and areas.
“The Capricorn Foundation verified that they are now busy with round one evaluations conducted by seven internal Capricorn group judges to get to the top five entries or semi-finalists, which will be announced on 07 June 2023,” he said.
The five semi-finalists will then be coached and mentored by Business Box from 08 to 16 June 2023 to prepare and polish their business pitches for the final round titled “The Eagles Den” on 22 June 2023, where they will present their business proposals to the judging panel in a live environment, he said.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency