The SEED Practitioner Labs for Policy Prototyping (PLPP) bring together policy-makers, eco-inclusive enterprises and other relevant stakeholders (such as enterprise support organisations, networks, and financial institutions) to design policy instruments.
The policy solutions developed are designed to serve the needs of eco-inclusive enterprises, and tackle policy challenges specific to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in green sectors.
View SEED policy briefs and policy prototyping solutions from previous labs in the SEED Library.
The SEED Policy Prototyping process
The Labs work towards innovative, tailor-made policy solutions that enable small and growing eco-inclusive enterprises to start, scale, and maximise their environmental, social and economic impacts.
1 | CHALLENGE IDENTIFICATION
Identify challenges facing growing eco-inclusive enterprises
In a first phase, together with our partners, we map key stakeholders and actors (policy makers, change makers, enterprise support organisations, enterprises, and implementing partners), their relationships, and existing policy mechanisms to provide a snapshot of the policy-making landscape in the target country. At the same time, we identify sector-specific challenges and opportunities to support the growth of eco-inclusive enterprises.
Outcomes: At the end of this phase, we publish an input paper mapping the policy landscape, key stakeholders, policy gaps and potential points of intervention. We then identify challenge hosts to drive the policy prototyping process on topics relevant to their work.
2 | KICK-OFF LAB
Co-create policy instruments for green and inclusive enterprises
The Kick-Off Lab is a two-day workshop designed to co-create policy prototypes to the identified policy gaps and challenges.
The prototyping process is facilitated by hands-on and collaborative SEED prototyping tools and makes use of the expertise of participants. All prototypes are challenged and validated by enterprises, who join to share their experience and ensure that prototypes are relevant and accessible.
At the end of the Kick-Off Lab, challenge hosts come away with a clear action plan for the next stages of prototype refinement and partner engagement.
Outcomes: The first innovative policy instrument prototypes are developed.
3 | REFINEMENT
Refine prototypes based on multi-stakeholder feedback
Challenge Hosts seek additional insights and validation of the prototypes. Through iterative testing with eco-inclusive enterprises and user groups, these policy solutions are refined and validated. Together with SEED, challenge hosts also identify potential collaboration and partnership opportunities for piloting of the policy prototype.
Outcomes: Refined and validated solution prototypes ready for the Scale-Up Lab.
4 | SCALE UP
Pitch prototypes, develop roadmap & fortify partnerships
The Scale-Up Lab brings together policy makers, challenge groups, potential implementers and financers to develop a roadmap for implementation and mobilise support for the prototype.
Outcomes: Refined prototypes are presented to policy-makers and implementers. Partnerships are mobilised and potential sources of funding are identified to support the next steps of prototype piloting and scale-up.
5 | PILOT IMPLEMENTATION
Delivery of policy solutions for eco-inclusive enterprises
After the Scale-up Lab, SEED supports challenge hosts to finalise policy briefs that contextualise the prototypes within national and international policy frameworks, and identify potential social and environmental impacts of the policy. Further efforts to mobilise support from other governmental and non-governmental stakeholders towards the pilot roll-out will be explored.
Who participates in the SEED Labs
Participants in the SEED Policy Prototyping Labs are policy-makers and implementers of national and regional public initiatives. Prototype development group members and group hosts are chosen based on their expertise and commitment to driving the innovation of policy instruments which support eco-inclusive entrepreneurship in strategic sectors.
Go4SDGs & SEED Regional Policy Labs
SEED together with Go4SDGs are holding two Regional Practitioner Labs for Policy Prototyping (Policy Labs) - Africa & Asia. The labs will showcase break-through replicable policies and policy programmes to stimulate the development of innovative policy instruments that create enabling environments for green and social impact enterprises. The process facilitates the replication and adaptation of nationally designed & tested policy solutions in the region, based on the theory of change that replication is an effective and efficient way to solve similar problems across geographies. Stakeholders in the policymaking process are engaged through design-thinking tools that facilitate the synthesising of elements and conditions critical for replication and adaptation. Find out more here.
Gain sector-specific insights from our SEED Policy Briefs
Our Policy Briefs provide policy-makers and practitioners an overview of the business conditions, challenges and enablers of eco-inclusive enterprises in strategic sectors in emerging markets.
The briefs guide policy action that drives environmentally and socially responsible economic growth from the bottom up.
VIEW SEED LIBRARY FOR MORE »
Driving collaboration around core topics
We are committed to green and inclusive change driven by the efforts of small and growing enterprises positioned directly within communities in developing countries and emerging markets. These eco-inclusive businesses possess the proven transformative power to lead Climate Action and the transition to a Circular Economy while achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals. Discover more about our perspectives on these core topics and collaborate with us on ways to ensure that eco-inclusive entrepreneurship is at the centre of local, regional and international agendas.
Biodiversity based Entrepreneurship
To amplify the impacts of smaller actors in the conversation of biodiversity, SEED supports a number of enterprises that work on ecosystem protection, fortifies their innovations, and helps them to replicate or scale these across contexts. Read More»
Climate Change Adaptation
SMEs play an integral role in helping their communities cope with the effects of climate change through their innovative products and services. SEED supports them to develop and scale their adaptation related activities. Read More»
Green Finance
To reduce the financial gap faced by eco-inclusive enterprises, SEED joins with various stakeholders and conducts researches to innovate and design climate finance approaches for SMEs.
Green Recovery
A "green recovery" that is resilient, digital, green and inclusive needs to engage eco-inclusive SMEs in order to strengthen global value chains and to create employment serving in particular women, youth and informal workers in heavily affected underserved communities. Eco-inclusive enterprises are essential in localising a "green recovery" providing green and inclusive jobs, basic services and green products. Read More»
Circular Economy
To preserve valuable natural resources for future generations and conserve biodiversity, we need to drive the transition to a more circular economy. Resource efficient, closed-loop, circular economic models reincorporate materials into production cycles to reduce resource exploitation and ensure that we are able to live healthier, more sustainable lives.
Sustainable Development Goals
Eco-inclusive entrepreneurship supports poverty eradication and sustainable economic development. Although significant progress towards UN Development Goals have been made, further support is needed to enable these enterprises to more effectively and efficiently deliver their products and services for the achievement of the SDGs by 2030.
Mirko Zurker
seed.uno