Benefits for the winner of the competition

Nationally
As the “Social Entrepreneur of the Year”, the winner receives national recognition for his/her efforts through the media coverage received. This visibility also increases possible support at the national level for the winner of the competition.

Globally
The winner is also included in the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship’s global network of outstanding social entrepreneurs, providing him/her with the possibility to strengthen and expand their already high-performing organizations. Support is not in the form of grant-making.

Acceptance into the network provides successful social entrepreneurs with financial and technical support for the activities listed below. The Foundation tailors a specific resource mobilization strategy that responds to the individual entrepreneur’s current and long term needs, and then mobilizes its vast network of contacts and resources to support each one.

Networking and resource mobilization opportunities for selected social entrepreneurs include:

The Social Entrepreneurs' Summit
Every year, the Foundation provides an opportunity for the selected social entrepreneurs to come together to share knowledge, experience, exchange best practice and benefit from cutting-edge knowledge in social enterprise planning, management, as well as communications and other aspects that they identify as critical to their enhanced performance. Part of the Summit program is dedicated to linking social entrepreneurs with other important groups, including leading business entrepreneurs, representatives of multinational corporations, other social investors, policy-makers and academia. This cross-fertilization is essential to raising awareness of social entrepreneurship and clarifying its contribution to national and global development.

Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum at Davos, and at the Forum's Regional Meetings:

Social entrepreneurs in the global network may be invited to the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The Foundation works in close collaboration with the Forum to ensure Davos participants benefit from social entrepreneurs' know-how and insights derived from galvanizing communities to successfully carry out pioneering initiatives that have improved economic opportunity and quality of life. Schwab selected social entrepreneurs have inspired world leaders in business and government through concrete examples of the creative human spirit put to the service of social regeneration. The Forum connects the community of social entrepreneurs with corporate and government leaders that legitimize and facilitate their work.

The World Economic Forum also organizes regional meetings in Latin America, Europe, Africa, China, South East Asia, the Western Pacific and North America, bring together key leaders from business, politics and civil society to advance their respective economic and social agendas. Social entrepreneurs from these regions make important contributions to the outcome-centered discussions and task forces on topics such as health, education and the digital divide. They also benefit from linkages with leaders in their own countries to whom they would not otherwise have access.

Participation in the Young Global Leaders (YGL) Community of the World Economic Forum:

Every year, the Forum selects a community of proven global leaders under 40 years of age who have achieved national and global recognition for their accomplishments in the field of government, business, media or academia. The network leverage catalysed by bringing the YGL and social entrepreneur communities together have proven to have significant impact for both groups.

In addition to joint events at the Forum’s meetings, once a year the YGL community has their own Summit. The winner is given the opportunity to participate in this Annual Meeting of YGLs and benefit from the synergies of these two interconnected groups.