Published: August 21, 2024 | Updated: 21st August 2024
Dorset-based charity SAMEE, which supports disabled individuals in starting their own businesses, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Zero Project Award 2025.
The charity was selected from 522 nominations across 90 countries and is one of only five UK entries to make the shortlist.
The Zero Project Award, which focuses on Innovative Solutions in Inclusive Employment and Information and Communication Technology, has recognised SAMEE for its Supported Self Employment Internship.
This unique programme helps disabled people develop the skills needed to run their own businesses, combining business training with work placements and year-long mentoring support.
Sam Everard (pictured right), CEO and founder of SAMEE, expressed her excitement about the nomination: “We already have seven people on the internship, many with complex neurodivergent challenges. The work rotations are with relevant employers, so they can build on their self-employment skills linked to their career aspirations.”
She added: “I cannot believe that a small charity like ours has reached the global shortlist.
“It’s incredible! But most important to me is that our project is now recognised as being aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD).”
The Zero Project Awards team acknowledged SAMEE’s achievement, stating: “By addressing the needs and rights of persons with disabilities, you are contributing to the global effort to create a more just, equitable, and inclusive society – a world with zero barriers.”
In the coming weeks, experts will vote on all shortlisted nominations to determine the winners of the Zero Project Award 2025.
The awardees will be announced on December 3, 2024, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, with all shortlisted innovators invited to attend the Zero Project Conference 2025 at the United Nations Offices in Vienna, Austria.
