Social Entrepreneurs Awards

In line with PPR’s corporate values of entrepreneurship, boldness and adventure, three or four social entrepreneurs in France and abroad are selected every year for the economic viability and the social added value of their projects in favour of women.

The project proposer is expected to demonstrate his/her entrepreneurship spirit and previous entrepreneurial experience.
In addition to a fellowship grant of €15,000, the winning social entrepreneurs receive guidance from PPR senior executives. PPR corporate sponsors contribute their business and marketing expertise, share their insight on market analysis and positioning, and provide the social entrepreneur with open access to their business network in order to facilitate the implementation of his/her project.

Selection of the Projects

Selection Process
Selection Criteria of the Project Leader
Selection Criteria of the Project

What is a Social Entrepreneur?

Social entrepreneurs develop business projects of general interest and/or pursuing a socially beneficial goal. Such projects reconcile economic efficiency and social utility, private initiative and solidarity: fight against exclusion, create or preserve quality jobs, enhance the value of a region, secure a fair income for producers, build social cohesion, etc. Both dimensions are frequently combined with a third goal of participatory governance: involvement of stakeholders, limited returns on capital, profits reinvested into the project, etc. Social entrepreneurs explore innovative forms of entrepreneurship, seeking and finding groundbreaking opportunities.

A MENTORING TO OPEN NEW PERSPECTIVES

Jean-Pierre Clair (for AIL 46), Rachel Liu and Antoinette Giorgi (for Ideo), Olivier Desurmont (for Sineo), Thomas Granier and Séri Youlou (for Voûte Nubienne/AVN) received their awards from the hands of PPR Chairman & CEO François-Henri Pinault on 12 February 2008.

In addition to the financial grants awarded, the winners also benefitted from “shadowing” by a PPR Senior Executive sponsor who provided business guidance for an entire year. The sponsoring period has even been extended for some of them, and La Voûte Nubienne continues for instance to be sponsored by CFAO Chairman Alain Viry.

In June 2009, the Foundation extended its partnership with La Voûte Nubienne with an expertise transfer project developed jointly with PPR UniverCité. Six PPR high potential executives were invited to work on an audit for La Voûte nubienne (AVN). Their assignment started in Paris on the occasion of a first meeting with the Management Team. It continued in Boromo, Burkina Faso, where they met with Burkinabe masons trained by AVN, clients and local staff, providing them with the opportunity to better assess all the impacts of this project. Backed by this unforgettable human experience, the PPR executives finalised the audit intended to help La Voûte Nubienne duplicate its model.

Discover the four 2008 award winners:

Examples of supported projects

© 2009 Fondation d'Entreprise PPR pour la Dignité et les Droits des Femmes