The FNB Business INNOVATION Awards aim to recognise and celebrate the efforts of high-impact entrepreneurs who have embraced many challenges to create world-class, industry-disrupting and scaleable companies that continue to forge unique ways of doing business.

High-growth, founder-led entrepreneurs will be taken through a selection process based on their potential to become part of Endeavor’s international network. This process will result in the selection of finalists, from which the FNB Business Innovator of the Year 2018 will be chosen.

About Endeavour South Africa

Endeavor South Africa is the leading supporter of high-impact entrepreneurs around the world. By high-impact, they mean individuals with the biggest dreams, the greatest potential to create companies that matter and grow, and the highest likelihood to inspire others. They focus on the scale-up, not the start-up, because that is where Endeavor believes the highest job and wealth creation happen.

Selection criteria

The FNB Business INNOVATION Awards selection criteria, facilitated by Endeavor South Africa, are based on their entrepreneur selection model for scale-ups.

For Individuals:

• Leadership potential: Leaders with vision, energy and skills to take their business (and themselves) to the next level.
• Commitment: Entrepreneur must be willing to participate in a high-impact, detailed programme
• Ecosystem impact: will become role models by giving back (both financially and non-financially) to both Endeavor and the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.

For businesses:

• Turnover: Business must have a minimum annual turnover of R10m
• Ownership: Founder led business
• Scale and acceleration: The business is scalable
• Unique business: It cannot be easily replicated. It is not a “me-too business” such as a consultancy or agency.
• Inflection point: Businesses at a key infliction point trajectory.

Factors such as brand and reputation, stakeholder relations and goodwill, environmental sustainability, social responsibility and quality of governance are all taken into account.

​Note that businesses with a turnover between R8-million and R10-million will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

The Award:

WIN an all-expenses-paid trip to the Endeavor ISP in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Endeavor ISP is a platform where you will have the opportunity to pitch your business to a credible panel of global business leaders and mentors, meet top investors, and rub shoulders with your peers from around the world.

Pending feedback from the panel about your business and its capability to operate globally, you could walk away with the international recognition and prestigious title of an Endeavor Entrepreneur.

WIN an all-expenses-paid trip to the

Endeavor ISP in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Finalists will also have the opportunity to attend the ISP at their own cost.

Source: FNB Business Innovation Awards