The annual EDHE Champion Awards 2025

  • Launch Date:
    Wednesday, 16 June 2025

  • Deadline Date:
    Friday, 22 August 2025

Introducing the new EDHE Champion Awards 2025 recognise team(s) with exceptional commitment to entrepreneurship development in higher education and within a specific university. This award recognises team(s), not just individual leaders, that have significantly contributed to the institutionalisation of entrepreneurship within their higher education institution. The awards celebrate institutions, leaders, and teams that significantly foster innovation and entrepreneurial thinking.

A pivot from the former EDHE DVC of the Year Award to the EDHE Champion Award seeks to acknowledge all contributors within the university ecosystem working alongside the DVC to ensure the advancement of entrepreneurship development. It is important to note that the EDHE Champion Award does not translate to an institution being elected University of the Year or their students winning in their respective EDHE Intervarsity or Absa-EDHE Innovation Challenge categories. Equally, the performance in these categories does not translate to any university individual or team receiving this award.

As such, the Process aims to:

  • Acknowledge overall entrepreneurial advancement activities undertaken by the university to support entrepreneurship development at their institution and within the ecosystem.
  • Encourage the participation of all institutions in entrepreneurship development and advancement, regardless of the resources available to them or the historical presence of entrepreneurship at the institution.
  • Encourage collaboration across TTOs, Research and Entrepreneurship Centres or Hubs.
  • Inspire collaboration across departments and/or schools/faculties to embed entrepreneurship into the curriculum and provide an entrepreneurial path for innovations from other schools.
  • Celebrate universities with emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem support and/or exceptional performance in entrepreneurship development.
  • Celebrate teams going above and beyond to support student entrepreneurs and strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The individual submitting a nomination for the EDHE Champion Awards 2025 – hereafter referred to as the Nominator – should be a representative of the university with substantive insight into the institution’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. The nominator must possess a clear and informed understanding of the university’s strategic efforts, activities, and collaborative initiatives that contribute to entrepreneurship development.

Eligible nominators may include:

  • Members of senior university leadership (e.g. Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Deans, Directors)
  • Academic staff engaged in entrepreneurship curriculum or research
  • Entrepreneurship support professionals, such as managers of innovation hubs, incubators, TTOs, or Centres for Entrepreneurship
  • Leaders involved in strategy, student affairs, or external engagement
  • Student leaders or alumni with demonstrable involvement in institutional entrepreneurship activities

To ensure the credibility and substance of the nomination, the nominator should:

  • Have a comprehensive awareness of the university’s entrepreneurship development strategy, structures, and activities;
  • Be able to articulate specific team contributions, partnerships, and ecosystem-building initiatives that reflect the institution’s entrepreneurial progress;
  • Provide evidence-based motivation, backed by examples or data where relevant;
  • Ideally, be someone who has worked alongside or observed the nominated team’s efforts in advancing entrepreneurship.

While individuals may nominate their institutions, all nominations must reflect collaborative, team-based contributions aligned with the objectives of the EDHE Programme and the broader vision for university entrepreneurship in South Africa.

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