EmprendedorXXI, La Caixa’s awards for entrepreneurs, opens the fourth edition call for candidatures
The call for candidatures for the EmprendedorXXI awards opens this April. They are promoted by "la Caixa" and co granted by the Empresa Nacional de Innovación (ENISA), a corporation wholly owned by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce managed by the Directorate for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which provides finance through participative loans. The call is opened to identify and award innovative SMEs with high potential of growth from all Spain less than 5 years old.
The competition is divided in two phases: one regional and a second, national. In the first phase, the 17 regional winners compete to get hold of the national award. It is the only prize of these characteristics with a regional phase and that is implemented thanks to the impulse of over 30 local and regional authorities linked to entrepreneurship and the creation of companies.
The Catalan candidatures, can be sent until April 21st
In the regional phase, which will be celebrated throughout April, May and June, the winning company will receive a cash prize of 10,000 euros. Also, it will be granted to take part in the course Ignite Fast Tracking Innovation of the University of Cambridge, and will have the possibility of traveling to the main world innovation pole, where it will be able to get in touch with international companies and know first hand business, collaboration and innovation opportunities.
The candidatures’ call in Catalonia is open until April 21st 2010.
The national phase, next June in Barcelona
Among the regional winners, a jury will choose three companies which will compete for the national award next month of June in Barcelona coinciding with BIZ BCN (world week of entrepreneurship and innovation). The winning company will obtain 30,000 euros; the second company, 15,000 euros; and the third, 10,000 euros. These amounts are accumulative to the one perceived for having gained the regional phase.
As novelty of this fourth edition, the two finalists and the winner will take part in a program of the University of Cambridge, and MBA students will carry out two-month stays in the different companies to develop a work of strategic consulting accordant with the project needs.
Over 300 companies took part in the previous edition, which reflects the apogee of the entrepreneurship in Spain. Among the participants activity we find companies from the following sectors: TIC (32%), services (29%), biotechnology (18%) and internet (12%). The employment created by these companies is over the 2,100 jobs.