The Foundation Act for the SDG Impact Accelerator (SDGia) Foundation and the SDGia Second Phase Project Document was signed. Having started its activities under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Foundation had Limak, Eczacıbaşı, Özaltın and IC Holding as its founders.

The signing ceremony on 6 January 2020 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was attended by Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Ambassador Faruk Kaymakcı, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs & Director for EU Affairs, Ebru Özdemir, Member of Limak Holding’s Board of Directors, Serhat Çeçen, Deputy Chairman of IC Holding, Devrim Çubukçu, Advisor to the Chair of Eczacıbaşı Group Board of Directors, İrem Özaltın, Member of Özaltın Holding’s Board of Directors, Claudio Tomasi, UNDP Turkey Resident Representative and Joshua Setipa, Managing Director of UN Technology Bank for LDCs.

It was stated at the ceremony that: “We are starting now one of the most innovative initiatives of the Ministry in support of international entrepreneurs who can make an impact on development. The number of those entrepreneurs who are of high social awareness, and can use technology effectively to resolve global problems is increasing across the world. We can create, by assistance from the private sector, those platforms to support young and dynamic pioneers of change. This is why we are here today. Limak, Eczacıbaşı, Özaltın and IC Holding as leading corporations of the Turkish private sector in the field of SDGs unify their forces under this Foundation to support our country’s work on development.”

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu attended the ceremony, emphasised the importance of the project, and joined with the project partners for a family photo-shoot.

Ebru Özdemir, Member of Limak Holding’s Board of Directors, said at the ceremony: “We believe the private sector should be more involved in development, and put in more resources. By resources, I do not mean only “financial resources”. I refer to knowledge, experience, human resources, methods of doing business and network. We are founding the SDG Impact Accelerator Foundation so that SDG Impact Accelerator can achieve more diverse, inclusive, striking work in the years to come, and embrace many more private sector companies from various sectors.”

Devrim Çubukçu, Advisor to the Chair of Eczacıbaşı Group Board of Directors, said: “Our Foundation aims to support entrepreneurs who contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, develop innovative solutions to the needs of people with low income, and bring together other solution partners. We do hope that our Foundation will be the meeting platform of architects who will build a modern future. We frankly believe that every small step of ours will trigger new ones, and our country will by its unique human resources fuel the excitement and inspiration for the global race in creativity and innovation.”

İrem Özaltın, Member of Özaltın Holding’s Board of Directors, one of the founding partners of the Foundation said, “We are aware that we need partnership of the public sector, private sector, civil society and even the citizens in order to reach the Sustainable Development Goals and achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

Serhat Çeçen, Deputy Chairman of IC Holding said, “I strongly believe that these Goals which we must achieve for a sustainable future, will be fully embraced and supported by all representatives of the private sector, through the Foundation and its activities.”

The pilot work under the SDG Impact Accelerator received 150 applications from 35 countries, and selected entrepreneur teams participated in the acceleration programme organised in Turkey. Those entrepreneurs who developed digital ID and new generation portable non-sewer toilet solutions for refugees, and successfully completed the programme, met with investors and partner entities at the United Nations General Assembly in New York and at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva.

The programme in 2020 will be receiving entrepreneurs who develop products on financial inclusion, health and agriculture technologies, and the field work will be held in Bangladesh and Uganda. Turkey has already allocated 1 million USD for the second phase of the programme. Other partners of the project including United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Food Programme (WFP), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Qatar Fund for Development, Limak and Eczacıbaşı have provided funds of 775,000 USD to date. The Foundation created by private sector entities intends to institutionalise and expand the programme in line with our country’s entrepreneurial and humanitarian goals of foreign policy.

www.sdgia.org