Open Ocean Project – Pitching 4 Sustainability ‘Off the Grid Integrated Aquaponics with Prawns’ proposal earns Rodney Bonne top prize |20 April 2022
Winner Rodney Bonne making his presentation (Photos: Joena Meme)
Rodney Bonne is the grand winner of the Pitching 4 Sustainability competition after he impressed the panel of judges with his project proposal entitled ‘Off the Grid Integrated Aquaponics with Prawns’.
The competition where entrepreneurs present their business concept to a panel in the hope of winning a cash prize or investment capital, was part of activities under the Open Ocean Project (OOP) which seeks to enhance the visibility of Seychelles as an ideal destination, promoting its pristine environment, its strong stand for sustainability, as well as its beautiful versatile features to host sports events and finally showcasing its rich cultural heritage.
It falls under the Tourism 3.0 Concept which is a fusion of sports, culture and tourism enveloping the sustainability agenda.
As for the event held last Wednesday at the Savoy Resort & Spa Resort, it was aimed at promoting a more sustainable culture for existing and potential entrepreneurs by offering them the opportunity to participate in the pitching, mentoring and networking session, as well as the possibility of receiving funding for their entrepreneurial venture.
Its main objective was to encourage and boost further investments in the sustainability sector and to contribute towards the economic and social needs of Seychelles.
A total of five entries were placed in front of the jury panel and the contestants had three-and-a-half minutes to impress the judges on the value of their business ideas.
They were rated from one to 10 and the criteria included the overall concept, pitching skills and abilities, value proposition, creativity and viability, the market and its size, competition and competitive advantage, leadership team and background, level of impact, financial resources, and etiquette of presenter.
Tina Hoarau came out as the competition’s runner-up, finishing ahead of Daniel Marie who was third overall.
Judge Nalletamby, who is also the principal secretary for Investment, described the pitching as an amazing event as the contestants displayed a high level of professionalism and entrepreneurship, accompanied by passion and enthusiasm.
He advised those who did not win to not lose hope of pursuing their projects based on the outcome of the night.
The event was a joint collaboration between various partners including Sustainability for Seychelles (S4S), Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) Seychelles, Enterprise Seychelles Agency (Esa), TourBookers, department of tourism, Cable & Wireless, and German Ocean Foundation.
Roland Duval
