Nestlé and Ashoka have today invited submissions for its 2018 Creating Shared Value (CSV) Prize, worth up to CHF 500,000.

The CSV Prize is open to social enterprises, commercial enterprises and nonprofit entities. Applicants have a chance of winning a cash prize of CHF 400,000 to help grow their business further, a pitch opportunity at the World Water Forum in Brasil in 2018 and a prestigious Ashoka Fellowship.

The Prize, launched in 2010, is a business-oriented initiative to help address challenges in nutrition, water and rural development supporting Nestlé’s purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future.

This year, Nestlé has partnered with Ashoka, the world’s leading network of systems-changing social entrepreneurs, in a global search for innovations to tackle those challenges.

“This union will foster powerful co-creation with social entrepreneurs, and deepen the social impact on the communities and beneficiaries they serve”, Olivier Fruchaud, Director of Ashoka Switzerland.

According to the Managing Director of Nestlé Ghana, Mrs. Freda Duplan, the CSV prize is a great avenue created by Nestlé to include nationals in making valuable inputs in decisions that help build inclusive and resilient communities.

“I urge Ghanaians to seize this opportunity to bring forth brilliant ideas that will help contribute to a better Ghanaian Society. 2017 happens to be the 60th anniversary of both Nestlé Ghana and the Republic of Ghana. It will be a life changing experience to have a Ghanaian win the CSV prize with a brilliant project focusing on either Nutrition or Water or Rural Development.”

Innovative businesses and social enterprises are invited to apply by 31st October 2017 via www.changemakers.com/creatingsharedvalue or nominate top innovators by emailing csvprize@ashoka.org. The best 5 initiatives will be invited to attend the CSV Forum 2018, in Brazil, where the winner will be announced.

For more information on the CSV Prize and the previous winners, please visit: http://www.nestle.com/csv/what-is-csv/nestleprize or on Ashoka www.ashoka.org