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TOP 50 Competitions for SMEs
24.02.2011
infoDev (www.infodev.org), a Global Partnership Program of the World Bank Group, with funding from the Government of Finland under the joint program on Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy, is launching a competition to award 50 of the leading SMEs from its regional incubator networks with opportunities to expand their international business linkages. Winning the infoDev Top 50 competitions will provide these SMEs with a boost in their quest to gain access to finance, technology know-how and markets beyond their national borders.
Deadline for Application is March 14, 2011.
The prize winners will benefit from a number of opportunities:
- Global recognition as one of the leading companies among more than 20,000 companies in the 300+ global incubator network spanning almost 90 countries that make up the infoDev incubators network.
- Funding to participate in the 4th infoDev Global Forum on Business Incubation and Technology Entrepreneurship, due to take place in Helsinki, Finland, 30 May – 2 June 2011 (http://www.infodev.org/en/Topic.20.html).
- Free-of-charge participation in the SME Fair at the Global Forum and networking opportunities with peers, financiers and corporate partners such as Venture Capitalist, Angel Investors/networks, donor agencies, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders.
- As part of the networking opportunities, infoDev will provide an introduction to angels/mentors from organizations such as the Angel Capital Association (ACA) and the European Business Angels Network (EBNA).
- infoDev will also provide a matching service to introduce the selected SMEs to established incubators in their potential export markets. These will be drawn from infoDev’s own network as well as those of others such as the European Business Network (EBN) and that US-based National Business Incubators Association (NBIA) and other potential partners.
- As part of the “Top 50”, SMEs will be automatically eligible for other prize and grant opportunities, including the services of incubators in their target markets and potential VC funding.
Entrance Requirements
- Recipients should be the founder or manager of an SME located in a developing country;
- Preference will be given to SMEs that are already affiliated with an incubator in infoDev’s six regional incubator networks (see www.idisc.net), or that has graduated or applied to join.
- Preference will be given to SMEs active in the three fields that are the focus of this year’s Global Forum, namely Mobile & Internet Applications, Climate Technologies and Agribusiness.
- The SME can be at any stage of enterprise development (idea, prototype, revenue, profitable, expansion) and will be evaluated according to market potential, level of innovation, management team, potential socio-economic impact and match of the needs with the types of resources infoDev can help the SME link into.
- Please note that infoDev will only award up to five SMEs from any given country.
Application Form
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