Banpu Public : 21/04/2015 Banpu grants support for 10 social enterprises in Banpu Champions for Change 5

Banpu grants support for 10 social enterprises in Banpu Champions for Change 5 21/04/2015 Banpu Public Company Limited, a leading Asian energy company, led by Ms Udomlux Olarn, Head of Corporate Affairs (center), has granted financial support to 10 finalist social enterprise teams that recently participated in Banpu Champions for Change program under its partnership with Change Fusion for the fifth consecutive year. The finalists will now have the opportunity to attend business and financial planning workshops, learning how to run their businesses sustainably. Ms Udomlux Olarn, Head of Corporate Affairs, Banpu Public Company Limited, said, "Banpu stands by its business credo; an industry will be strong only when it is developed in tandem with social and environmental responsibility. Having seen the importance of social enterprise, we initiated the Banpu Champions for Change program in 2011 to support young people with potential and creativity to drive social change by implementing their own social enterprise-based initiatives." "For Banpu Champions for Change 5, we will focus on providing fundamental business skills for these social enterprises in order to equip them with knowledge to sustainably grow their social enterprises. "The 10 teams will gain experience and be inspired by industry experts during the upcoming workshops to ensure that they will successfully build and grow sustainable businesses. Banpu strongly believes that "education and learning" powers constructive change and sustainable development of people and society," said Ms. Udomlux Olarn. In 2015, Banpu Champions for Change 5 has selected 10 teams from a total entry pool of 52 teams to receive financial grants of 50,000 Baht for an initial execution period of three months from April until June. Only four teams with the most outstanding business performance and tangible social contribution at the end of the three month period will then be selected to receive a further 200,000 Baht grant each to continue the further phase implementation. The 10 finalist teams under Banpu Champions for Change 5 represent various business initiatives including organic and environmental-friendly health products, farmers' business support, education for the blind, a program to help reshape the social attitudes of younger generations , diabetes community support, mass transportation betterment, and youth-based volunteer network for non-governmental organizations and social work organizations. About Banpu Champions for Change Program The "Banpu Champions for Change" program began in 2011 as an evolution of the support for developing young social entrepreneurs. The program aims to allow young people with potential and creativity to drive social change by implementing their own social enterprise-based initiatives which incorporate business, society, environment, and financial management into profitable activities using ethical business management principles and practices. About Banpu Public Company Limited Banpu Public Company Limited is a leading energy company in Asia. Its coal and related energy businesses span across eight countries: Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Australia, China, Mongolia, Singapore and Japan. "Do by Heart" is the fundamental shared value at Banpu. Its social responsibilities are what everyone at Banpu does 'by heart', which is based on "sincerity", "serious concern", and genuine "good will". This corporate value has instilled in Banpu's people a level of great pride while motivating them to keep on developing and upgrading the company's CSR activities in order to achieve the ultimate goal of ensuring sustainable benefits for the community and society where it operates. About Change Fusion Institute Change Fusion Institute is a non-profit institute under the Thai Rural Reconstruction Movement Foundation under the Royal Patronage that aims to grow social entrepreneurs for creative and sustainable change. It aims to support and invest in social enterprises, and also facilitates a better ecosystem for them in Thailand and in Asia. Its portfolio social enterprises are working in various areas such as web and mobile tech, sustainable agriculture, sustainable tourism / community-based tourism, affordable healthcare, community-scale alternative energy, fair trade and more.