World Environment Center Launches “Power to Grow: The Innovation Challenge Fueled by La Red de Innovación e Impacto,” a U.S. Department of State Program to Support Micro-Enterprises in Central America
Power to Grow: The Innovation Challenge Fueled by La Red de Innovación e Impacto
March 12, 2018 /3BL Media/ - The U.S. Department of State, World Environment Center (WEC), Le Groupe-conseil baastel Itée (Baastel), and RioSlum Studio are proud to announce the opening of applications for “Power to Grow: The Innovation Challenge Fueled by La Red de Innovación e Impacto” (Power to Grow). Power to Grow is a search to discover and reward organizations that are empowering micro-enterprises in Central America.
Up to 95% of companies in Central America are Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The success of these companies and the prosperity of communities are inextricably linked. However, many struggle to grow and remain competitive in the global marketplace.
Power to Grow selects innovative candidates to join forces with La Red member organizations towards:
- Accelerating innovation and job creation opportunities for Central American micro-enterprises in the agriculture, agro-industry, and textiles sectors;
- Building capacity of micro-enterprises to expand to new regional and international markets, with a focus on the U.S. market; and,
- Generating economic prosperity across Central America.
Awardees will each receive a comprehensive support package, up to $43,000 to promote their solution, and partnership with a current member organization of La Red de Innovación e Impacto. Working together, the awardee and La Red member will leverage shared experience and knowledge, benefit from cross-sector collaboration, and forge a coalition to empower micro-enterprises.
The following La Red members and projects have been selected from current La Red member organizations to partner with the new Innovation Challenge applicants:
- Cleaner Production Center of Nicaragua (CPmL-N): to bring prosperity for small farmers and agroindustrial microenterprises in Nicaragua through sustainable practices and strengthening for new markets.
- Lutheran World Relief (LWR): Mobile Cocoa: Regional Cocoa Flavor Map.
- Centro Nacional De Producción Más Limpia De Panamá (Cnp+L)/ ConeP: to increase productivity and efficiency and provide market access for dairy micro-producers within supply chains.
- Travolution: first Central American community-based tourism encounter.
- Vista Volcanes: training program on organic agriculture for the “4 pinos” cooperative suppliers.
- Wakami/Comunidades de la Tierra: to open opportunities for microenterprises in the Central America region through the export of textile products.
Micro-enterprises can power growth and prosperity across the region. Visit powertogrow.wec.org to learn more and apply.
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About La Red
The U.S. Department of State has funded the World Environment Center (WEC) and its partners, Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltée (Baastel), and RioSlum Studio, to select organizations who are accelerating business development and promoting sustainable economic growth in Latin America. The Program, La Red de Innovación e Impacto (La Red), was established in 2014 and is a collection of 30 innovative solutions from 11 countries in the region.
About World Environment Center
WEC is an independent, global non-profit, non-advocacy organization that advances sustainable development through the business practices and operations of its member companies and in partnership with governments, multilateral organizations, non-governmental organizations, universities and other stakeholders. WEC’s mission is to promote business and societal value by advancing solutions to sustainable development-related problems.
About Le Groupe-conseil baastel ltée
Baastel is recognized for its quality services in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Results-based Management (RBM), strategic planning, project and program management, and building individual and institutional capacity in these areas. Baastel’s outstanding reputation in the field is built on a record of international and national successes, and expertise that is backed by attention to detail, quality, transparency and neutrality.
About RioSlum Studio
RioSlum Studio offers branding, design, messaging, and strategy services to daring companies with bold vision. We build compelling brands that evoke emotion, demand attention, and attract business. We launched RioSlum Studio to ensure all companies, from one-person startups to global corporations, have access to the high-quality branding and communications services they need to command global attention.
