London, 18 November 2014:
The Financial Times and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, today launched the 2015 edition of the Transformational Business Awards, a major global programme that highlights ground-breaking, long-term private sector solutions to today’s development challenges.
The 2015 FT/IFC Transformational Business Awards mark a decade of collaboration between FT and IFC on global awards initiatives that have had a substantial impact on the way financial and non-financial institutions approach sustainable investment. These initiatives began in 2006 with the FT/IFC Sustainable Banking Awards, which evolved into the Sustainable Finance Awards in 2011 and the Transformational Business Awards in 2014.
The 2014 awards attracted 237 entries from 214 organisations in 61 countries. For 2015, special attention will be given to privately-led public-private partnerships and other initiatives that address structural challenges in rapidly growing urban areas, including infrastructure, housing, energy, transportation, food/water, employment, education and health; the use of technology to empower the underserved; and efforts to reverse social and financial exclusion and environmental degradation. The programme is open to all financial and non-financial private sector organisations.
John Thornhill, deputy editor of the Financial Times and co-chair of the Transformational Business Awards judging panel, said: “We are excited about these awards because they highlight the role of cities as catalysts for economic development, and the importance of the private sector in finding solutions to structural challenges in urban areas. We are delighted with the impact of our decade of collaboration with IFC and look forward to seeing the outcome of our latest joint programme.”
Jin-Yong Cai, IFC’s Executive Vice President and CEO, said: ”We are enthusiastic about the second edition of the Transformational Business Awards and eager to see entries coming in. The awards programme provides a valuable platform for private sector companies in emerging markets to showcase innovations that address key developmental issues in a sustainable way.”
The 2015 awards will reward innovation, impact, replicability and commercial viability on a transactional basis across the following categories:
·
Achievement in Urban Transformation, with a focus on the following themes:
·
Building Cities
·
Planning Cities
·
Powering Cities
·
Feeding Cities
·
Livable Cities
·
Achievement in Information and Communications Technology
·
Achievement in Transformational Finance
·
Achievement in Inclusive Business
Entries are being accepted until March 15, 2015. Entry forms and criteria
will be available soon at
www.ft-live.com/transformationalbusiness
. The winners in each category will be announced at a ceremonial dinner at the InterContinental London Park Lane on 11 June 2015.
The dinner will conclude the second
FT/IFC Transformational Business Conference
, a major one-day summit that will gather policy-makers, business leaders, investors and strategists from around the world to discuss the most effective solutions to the key social and environmental challenges facing developing economies.
About the Financial Times:
The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business news organisations, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing essential news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community, the FT has a combined paid print and digital circulation of 690,000 (Deloitte assured, Q3 2014). Mobile is an increasingly important channel for the FT, driving 60 per cent of subscriber consumption, almost 50 per cent of total traffic and 20 per cent of new digital subscriptions. FT education products now serve two thirds of the world’s top 50 business schools. For news about the FT follow @FTPressOffice.
About IFC:
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. Working with private enterprises in about 100 countries, we use our capital, expertise, and influence to help eliminate extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. In FY14, we provided more than $22 billion in financing to improve lives in developing countries and tackle the most urgent challenges of development. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org