Maxis announces first batch of winners with green-themed projects

• Recognised for their forward-thinking, sustainable solutions
• Second round of applications opened to identify three more candidtate

 Two companies have been selected to be the winners of the inaugural Maxis Awards, both of which topped the list of forward-thinking solutions towards nature conservation and environmental sustainability.

In a statement, the telco said Project Benih by Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre and Project ERTH by Blue Bee Technologies have chosen to be the top two winners.

Maxis said the Awards was designed to empower, recognise and support outstanding Malaysian social enterprises whose initiatives and contributions drive positive impact for fellow citizens. 

“We are thrilled to welcome our first two winners and look forward to supporting them to see-through their projects to impact Malaysian society and beyond. We also hope to see more local enterprises participating in the next round,” said Tai Kam Leong, head of brand and marketing, Maxis.

Project Benih is an initiative to mitigate the biodiversity collapse caused by forest loss witnessed across the world, Maxis said.

With digital solutions from Maxis, Project Benih will support its network of germination nurseries in bringing these trees from the rainforest to retail markets, supporting community-led restoration projects. 

Meanwhile, Blue Bee Technologies’ Project ERTH claimed to be the first on-demand electronic recycling solution in Asean.

With Maxis’ technological and marketing capabilities, it aims to promote proper electronic recycling practices, utilise a network of gig-economy freelancers to collect old, used or unwanted electronics directly from Malaysian households and businesses. 

ERTH will pay cash rewards or vouchers as a reward upon collection, and then reuse, repair or recycle the electronics to maximise their value, Maxis said.

The award winners will benefit from digital solutions, consultations and promotions funded by Maxis to bring winning ideas to life. 

Next round

The Maxis Awards is seeking up to three winning projects in its next round submissions, to be announced in Feb 2022.

Each winner will receive up to US$36,000 (RM150,000) in Maxis Business solutions such as cloud, e-commerce and IoT; technical expertise, and a financial grant to help cover operational needs of the initiative.

Interested Malaysian enterprises can submit proposals from now until Nov 28 on projects that could have a significant impact on the community and drive positive change. 

The proposals will be evaluated by a panel of Maxis judges based on a stringent evaluation process, Maxis said.

Shortlisted enterprises will then present their projects to the judges, and winners must fulfil criteria based on innovation, role of technology, and clearly demonstrating added value to the community either economically, socially, and/or environmentally, it added.

In total, Maxis is committing US$1.2 million (RM5 million) worth of support to help develop and promote the winning projects over the course of the next year – from the ideation stage up until the execution and marketing of their projects.

Click here for more information on Maxis Awards and how to enter a submission.