{"id":340,"date":"2026-04-20T09:54:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T09:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovatebiz.co.za\/?p=340"},"modified":"2026-04-20T09:54:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T09:54:09","slug":"final-call-for-entries-wilderness-impact-challenge-offers-usd-100-000-for-impact-led-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/innovatebiz.co.za\/index.php\/2026\/04\/20\/final-call-for-entries-wilderness-impact-challenge-offers-usd-100-000-for-impact-led-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"FINAL CALL FOR ENTRIES: WILDERNESS IMPACT CHALLENGE OFFERS USD 100 000 FOR IMPACT-LED INNOVATION"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The countdown is on for the <\/strong>Wilderness Impact Challenge<\/strong><\/a>, with less than one month left to submit entries for this pioneering conservation and community development initiative. With a USD 100,000 prize available to bring the winning idea to life, Wilderness is calling on innovators, entrepreneurs, engineers, system-builders and community leaders from around the world to put forward practical, scalable solutions that strengthen Africa\u2019s conservation economy and support long-term coexistence between people and nature.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018What we have found up to now, is that conservation progresses further when it is economically meaningful for the people closest to it,\u2019 said Vincent Shacks, Wilderness Group Head of Impact. \u2018This edition highlights practical, empowerment\u2011driven solutions that help local businesses grow, improve livelihoods, and integrate conservation into local economic systems. When communities gain opportunities through conservation, both people and wilderness benefit.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Challenge will award USD 100,000 to the initiative with the greatest potential for impact, enabling the implementation of the winning concept. The final selection will be made following a thorough review by Wilderness\u2019 Impact team and an expert judging panel comprised of members of the Wilderness Trust board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rooted in Wilderness\u2019 three core Impact pillars \u2013 Educate, Empower and Protect \u2013 the 2026 edition will focus on the Empower pillar, prioritising approaches that address underlying economic barriers to conservation, favouring durable, locally grounded models over short-term interventions. In this context, the conservation economy<\/a> is defined as the network of people, enterprises, skills and systems that enable wild places to be protected while supporting secure, dignified livelihoods. This includes value chains, services, technologies, financial mechanisms and governance structures that connect nature to economic participation and allow communities to benefit directly from conservation-compatible activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Challenge is open to individuals, teams and organisations worldwide whose solutions address real economic constraints within conservation landscapes. While proposals must demonstrate relevance to regions where Wilderness operates, initiatives should be designed for local implementation with the potential to scale and adapt across Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Conservation must evolve in step with the realities on the ground,\u2019 added Charles Douglas, Chairman of the Wilderness Trust. \u2018By championing empowerment and economic participation, this Challenge provides a platform for ideas that are not only innovative, but implementable and built to last. We look forward to seeing the final wave of submissions and the impact they have the potential to unlock.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the deadline of 30 April 2026<\/strong> fast approaching, this marks the final countdown call for entries. Individuals, teams and organisations are encouraged to seize the opportunity to bring forward solutions that can shape a more resilient and inclusive conservation economy across Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information, watch the Impact Challenge video here<\/a>, and to submit an entry, visit www.wildernesstrust.com\/impact-challenge<\/a>, or contact info@wildernesstrust.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The countdown is on for the Wilderness Impact Challenge, with less than one month left to submit entries for this pioneering […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/innovatebiz.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/innovatebiz.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/innovatebiz.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/innovatebiz.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/innovatebiz.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=340"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/innovatebiz.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":342,"href":"https:\/\/innovatebiz.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340\/revisions\/342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/innovatebiz.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/innovatebiz.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/innovatebiz.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}