Skip to content

Sapiens Natura Prize

An initiative by Social Business Earth (SBE) and the Social Business Innovation Lab (SBI-LAB) to support the most innovative social businesses, social enterprises and impact-driven companies from around the world in tackling urgent social and environmental challenges related to people and the natural world. The name “Sapiens Natura” originates from the words “sapiens” (as in “homo sapiens”) and “natura” (nature), from Latin. The two words together, Sapiens Natura, are here to be understood both in the sense of the wisdom of nature and of a humanity gaining sufficient wisdom to become the loving guardian, rather than the destroyer, of nature. The Prize allows social entrepreneurs to grow and scale their impact through their sustainable business models by accessing a grant and pro bono consulting.
The Prize is also focused on engaging personalities from the arts, entertainment and sport industries. Such personalities will play an important role in promoting social entrepreneurship globally as one of the most effective solutions to tackle social and environmental challenges.
The personalities in the arts and sports can support in three ways: 1. by promoting the social entrepreneurship model on social media; 2. by supporting an impact-driven startup in SBE’s portfolio, raising awareness on social media of the challenge it is solving and facilitating access to funds ; 3. by making a donation to the Sapiens Natura Prize.

Anyone can contribute to the prize including corporates, governments and foundations.

Sapiens Natura Prize
The Sapiens Natura Prize (SNP) will be offered in the form of a grant to three social startups that will be selected by the Evaluation Committee of the Social Business Conference (SBC). The prize amount will initially depend on how much funds will be raised. To learn more about the SBC please check out our webpage and our youtube channel.
What kind of businesses will the prize support?
The Prize supports impact-driven businesses that are in the early-stage phase. They have evidence of some traction and that their product or service is solving a real problem affecting humans or the natural world. They contribute to the achievement of one or more SDGs. They can operate in any sector (food, agriculture, water, education, environment…).
Do the impact-driven businesses have to be in a particular geographic area?
No. They can be anywhere in the world, but they need to be established legally and be run by a person who is 18 years of age or older.
Are there any requisites that the impact-driven businesses must have?
The impact-driven businesses can operate through one of the following business models: social enterprise (reinvesting part of the profit into the expansion of the company or to support initiatives that benefit the local community); social business (reinvesting 100% of the profit in the social /environmental mission of the company).
Some for-profit enterprises may be considered, if they create a positive long-lasting impact on a large scale. The business is scalable or replicable. It proposes new, original, and unique solutions to challenges and problems that can translate into benefits and advantages, positively impacting the lives of individuals, communities and the natural world.