Four winners of DIeteren Group's Impact Project: Targeting responsible entrepreneurship

Co-founded with Funds for Good and in line with the Group’s values, the project aims to shine a light on courageous, daring,and entrepreneurial projects following the Group’s support for Denis Van Weynbergh in the Vendée Globe 2024. Today the community of entrepreneurial minds is broadening its reach with 4 new projects: Refoodgees, Better, Spinwood and Filons vert!

Comprising members of Funds for Good, D’Ieteren Group’s team and the skipper Denis Van Weynbergh, the jury weighed upon 9 entrepreneurial projects aiming to have an impact on society. The selection criteria was centred around innovation, feasibility and a project’s capacity to provide tangible solutions to the current social and environmental challenges. The prize-winners are:

• Refoodgees, the social and professional insertion restaurant which makes a difference (refoodgees.eu) thanks to the training of refugees and new arrivals in the catering industry. The funding will be used to develop their catering business.

• Better, the application that is revolutionising donations ((better-app.org) by simplifying the approach for individuals and businesses. The funding will make it possible to develop their activity in English in order to reach out to a wider corporate audience.

• Spinwood, the very early stage project of a young engineer who has developed a solution to enable professionals to dry wood ecologically thanks to a system of solar panels. The funds donated will enable this entrepreneur to develop his project.

• Filons vert, the agro-ecological market gardening project run by two female bio-engineers in the Brabant Wallon region. The contribution will be used to finance an irrigation system based on rainwater recovery, and to develop an educational center to raise awareness of the challenges of sustainable agriculture.

The four selected grant-winners will receive a financial donation from the Group, together with additional skills support from D’Ieteren Group’s workforce. Entrepreneurs will also benefit from and some valuable networking opportunities, which will enable them to overcome challenges and maximise their chances of having a positive impact on society.

Initiatives supported by D’Ieteren Group through this high-impact project reflect a common vision of entrepreneurship: the latter must champion positive and lasting change. By selecting these four prize-winners, the jury has not only recognised the importance of their projects but also confirmed the Group’s desire to help entrepreneurs realise their dreams, whilst having a positive impact on society.

In 2024, D’Ieteren Group is proudly displaying its commitment through Denis Van Weynbergh and his IMOCA being selected for the Vendée Globe. In this non-stop, unassisted, single-handed adventure, the entrepreneurial Belgian skipper will be the face of entrepreneurship as a vehicle for social and environmental transformation. As such, he hopes to inspire a new community of entrepreneurial minds to chase after their dream with both passion and commitment!