Next steps with new business model
Sheltersuit wants to set up a sustainable product line from its own workshop. The jury praised the business plan written for this purpose. The idea is to expand the commercial line under the Sheltersuit name. Sheltersuit's atelier employs people with a distance to the labour market. Often with a migration background. At Sheltersuit, they gain work experience, receive training such as Dutch lessons and build a social network.
Setting up its own product line will allow the Sheltersuit brand to launch its own products. The first product will be a sustainable backpack made from residual materials. The more bags are sold, the more jobs become available. More Sheltersuits can also be made this way.
The best according to the public
There are three prizes to be won at the IGNITE Awards. There is a prize for best plan, runner-up and a public award. In the weeks leading up to the awards ceremony, it was possible to vote via the website. Most of the preferential votes for the audience award went to Sheltersuit. A victory to be proud of. The public prize also entitles the company to an amount of 5,000 euros. This will allow even faster development of new products by the Sheltersuit Factory.
About IGNITE
IGNITE is an initiative of The Anton Jurgens Fund. This foundation supports initiatives that make social impact. Every year, the fund helps 20 new business plans with an investment. These can be companies from the Netherlands but the fund also helps entrepreneurs in, for example, West Africa and Indonesia.
This year, IGNITE's jury consisted of Frans van Schijndel, Barbara Lemstra (Commissioner Oost NL), Siep Wijsenbeek (Director FIN) and Jacoline Plomp (Senior Impact Expert).
The judges were impressed by all eight contestants who went through this extraordinary journey, including the four who are not on the stage today. Still, we have to make choices and we did.
Source: IGNITE Awards Website
CodeGorilla wins first prize
Big winner of the IGNITE Awards was CodeGorilla. Founder Diem Do thus receives a sum of 100,000 euros to further develop her company. CodeGorilla trains jobseekers to become developers and then helps them find work. They meet the high demand for programmers and solve a mismatch on the labour market. People can continue to participate in society in the future. This means this company has a rightful social impact.
The finalists also know each other outside the pageant. Winner Diem Do will in fact take part in the Sheltersuit Sleep Out to be organised on the Oude Markt in Enschede in March 2020. By doing so, she is committed to putting homelessness issues on the map. Support her via her own action page on the Sleep Out website.
Thanks for voting!
The audience award could only be won by Sheltersuit Factory because of the many votes from its supporters. Thank you immensely to everyone who voted. Without these many votes, the prize money of 5,000 euros would not have come to the studio in Enschede.
Keep the website of Sheltersuit for more updates around our commercial products.
