ASEAN Social Enterprise Development Programme 2021

Application Deadline:31 March 2021

The ASEAN Foundation, with support from GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and SAP, launches the ASEAN Social Enterprises Development Programme (ASEAN-SEDP). This programme will provide social enterprises in ASEAN with access to more significant opportunities to improve their ventures through mentorship, facilitation, trade of knowledge from a network of the region’s social enterprises, financing, and access to market places.

This programme aims for better economic progress in the ASEAN region while also impacting the poverty alleviation, working in line towards achieving SDGs. ASEAN-SEDP is designed to build a greater socio-economic condition of the ASEAN region through social enterprises empowerment. In reference to the values of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), this programme aims to engendering a culture of social entrepreneurship to youths in ASEAN. 

Along with creating a culture of social entrepreneurship, this initiative will become a meaningful partnership model among the different stakeholders at the ASEAN level that work together in achieving sustainable development goals that bring tangible impacts to the development of social enterprises in ASEAN.

The ASEAN-SEDP will play a significant role and will contribute to achieve the ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, particularly in supporting the realisation of the ASEAN Strategic Action Plan for SME Development 2016-2025 and ASEAN Work Plan on Youth 2021-2025.

Objectives

The ASEAN Foundation with the support of GIZ and SAP will be implementing the ASEAN Social Enterprise Development Programme (ASEAN SEDP) with the following objectives:

1. To sustain youth entrepreneurship through structured capacity building and mentoring programmes;
2. To empower youth-led social enterprises across the ASEAN region through (1). Promoting productivity, technology and Innovation; (2). Increasing access to finance; (3). Enhancing market access and internationalisation; and (4). Promoting entrepreneurship and human capital development;
3. To achieve SDG 1 – No Poverty, SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-Being, SDG 4 – Quality Education, SDG 5 – Gender Equality, SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, and SDG 13 – Climate Action through social enterprises empowerment with specified targets detailed in the challenges Section

Eligibility & Qualifications

Social enterprises from ASEAN countries who are implementing projects and creating products solving challenges related to the SDGs mentioned above with the following qualifications are eligible to apply:

1. 50% of the Social Enterprises team members are aged between 18 to 35 years old.
2. A team must comprise at least 2 members with at least one team member having ASEAN nationality.
3. As part of promoting ASEAN identity and encouraging cross-national and cross-border cooperation, it is desirous that a team consists of at least one member having different ASEAN nationality and/or reside in a different ASEAN country.
4. All team members must be currently residing in the following ASEAN countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
5. If selected, each team must be fully committed to participating in the full cycle of the programme
6. The social enterprise must be in the early stage of the implementation; its project is local and has been in an operation for more than 5 months (preferable); and it has actively been seeking professional support for scale-up and growth and/or funding.
7. Some team members must have good English as the programme will be in English

Process & Timeline

Stage 1 – Call for Applications (February – March 2021)

Social enterprises express their interest and nominate their team to join the Programme through the Call for Applications.

Under this stage – there will be a Regional Capacity Building and Mentorship

Stage 2 – Shortlisting (April 2021)

The ASEAN Foundation team will contact the shortlisted applicants and schedule an interview.

Stage 3 – Interview and Assessment (April 2021)

All applying social enterprises will be evaluated and selected based on a set of assessment criteria. See Assessment Criteria for detail. The programme will be targeting a total of 20 selected social enterprises from ten ASEAN Countries, two for each country. Selection process will involve panellists from varied stakeholders. At this stage, all panelists will also decide the three best social enterprises who will receive the seed grants, apart from capacity building and mentorship programme.

Stage 4 – Capacity Building and Mentorship (May – September 2021)

In this stage,  a Regional Capacity Building and Mentorship will be conducted.

Benefits of the Programme

Capacity Building

Network to the marketplaces

The programme will provide access to all selected social enterprises to customers/clients worldwide, including those based in Southeast Asia. Mentors will support providing this access and ensure that all selected social enterprises can initiate sales or connection with prospective customers/clients. The support is provided during a second batch of mentorship

Opportunities

Updates with the most relevant grants, Events and Prizes to accelerate growth of their project

Visibility

Showcase their initiatives and products in a platform of ASEAN Scope

How to apply

All interested social enterprises are required to apply to the programme by completing the application form on the following link by 31 March 2021:http://bit.ly/ASEAN-SEDPform. Applications submitted to other channels will not be considered. Incomplete completion of the form will not be further processed for shortlisting.

For inquiries, please contact aseansedp@aseanfoundation.org

Official Website: ASEAN Social Enterprise Development Programme