By developing and setting-up a European-level award scheme, SEED aims at rewarding excellence in ICT-enabled innovative products and services for the ageing population. Through its carefully conceptualised, multi-stakeholder driven and peer-review based award concept, SEED is set out to highlight the opportunities that a growing ageing population can generate. The award scheme is designed to effectively address a wide range of stakeholder groupings throughout Europe, thereby shedding light on innovative solutions that have already shown positive impacts for the target group of older people. Solutions may be found in enterprises, social innovation initiatives, local and regional governments and other stakeholder groupings.
Awards categories are:
(1) Public Authorities
(2) Non-for-profit Organisations
(3) For-profit Organisations
For the first edition, the European Silver Economy Awards have been able to attract a high number of innovators dedicated to supporting and improving the quality of life of older people with the help of ICT. 95 applications from 22 countries have been submitted for consideration of being honoured as the first Silver Economy Awards’ winners. The laureates have been selected following a three-staged selection process, involving over 40 Silver Economy experts. The 1st Awards Ceremony was held on 3rd May 2018 in Brussels, kindly hosted by the European Committee of the Regions. Long-term sustainability of the Awards scheme depends on a number of aspects that received specific attention right from the beginning of the SEED project, throughout the whole project duration and beyond. Sustainability starts with the sustainable design of organisational processes as well as the online platform. Of utmost importance is also the availability of a legal entity that takes over the responsibility for the Awards scheme after the end of the SEED project. With the official handover of the Awards Scheme to the Covenant on Demographic Change in September 2018 and the stated commitment from its board members, a huge milestone was reached when it comes to the sustainability of the Awards scheme.
