Students worldwide: Win up to 10,000euro for your social enterprise ideas

Global Prize winners 2010

Here's a competition for the students of the world. 
The importance of social entrepreneurship is being recognised worldwide and is becoming ever more prevalent in the 21st century. More competitions than ever before are being created to support the entrepreneurs out there that want to make their mark and change the world for the better. If you are one of them then listen up.


The Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition is a leading edge international social business plan competition. If you are a student in higher education, in any academic institution worldwide, you are eligible to take part! So here's what you need, all applicants must be in interdisciplinary groups with a great business idea aimed at reducing poverty in the developing world. You may have a new renewable energy concept, a plan for implementing sustainable farming in Africa, or a method of producing clean water for all. Whatever your idea it must be viable, whilst also making a real positive impact on the lives of those in countries that are less fortunate.


What is the application process?
GSEC applications go through two rounds of reviews between November-December 2011 to determine the semi-finalist GSEC teams. Semi-finalist teams are then selected and paired with mentors in December. All semi-finalist teams travel to Seattle for GSEC week, Feb-27th- March 2nd 2012, at the University of Washington. The 2012 prizes will be announced in the summer of 2011.


Am I eligible to enter?

• You must be in interdisciplinary teams
• You must be enrolled in a higher academic institution anywhere in the world
• You must have an innovative and viable business idea for tackling the issue of poverty in developing countries
• Teams may be comprised of students from different institutions

What must my business plan include?

As well as information on your business idea, your business plan must demonstrate the Social Return on Investment and also provide a social impact assessment. You business plans will be assessed on the following criteria:

1) effect on the quality of life and poverty alleviation in one or more developing economies

2) financial sustainability

3) feasibility of implementation.

What are the prizes?

The most innovative business ideas will win massive cash prizes to fund the launch of their social ventures or develop them further. 

• Grand Prize: 12,500 euro
• Information communication and technology prize: 10,000 euro
• Global Health Prize- 10,000 euro
• NCIIA Invention to Venture workshop scholarships (only US teams are eligible)

How do I apply?

Review the Rules & Eligibility and the Submission Requirements prior to entering. You can then apply online from July 1st 2011. You can then enter HERE after July 1st 2011.

DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 9TH 2011 (8AM Pacific Standard Time)

Entries open July 1st 2011

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The Pitch: Be a part of Britain's biggest small business competition

Fancy entering Britain's biggest small business competition?
Win a £50,000 prize package!
For a fourth year, small business competition 'The Pitch' has returned, giving entrepreneurs across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland the chance to pitch for funding for their business. In touch economic climates, new entrepreneurs are facing more struggles than ever before in launching their business ventures. Having the idea is not always enough, and it is for this reason that competitions such as The Pitch have been created to give that little extra nudge in the right direction. Although entries for the English heat have now closed, the other three heats are still open until June, July and August.


In each heat, candidates will be required to pitch their business to a panel of judges, who will rate you by your passion, commercial viability, potential for expansion, innovation and much more. The pitch final will take place on 18th November in central London, and will feature the winners of each heat plus a wildcard contestant. The final pitches will be delivered to a panel of judges and an audience of hundreds. The evening will allow for some fantastic networking, gives a chance to meet the other finalists and hear from expert business speakers.


What is the prize?
Winners of The Pitch will receive a prize package unlike any other. Entrepreneurial support organisations have gathered together to create an all round, must have business start-up support prize. A breakdown of the prize package is as follows:

• £6000 worth of advertising packages with Yell
• 12 months free mentoring with serial entrepreneur Karen Darby
• Social media training from BuzinessZone.co.uk
• A bespoke tailored business suit from A Suit That Fits
• £4000 worth of advertising with Business Matters
• Market Research from Trends Research
• Face to face business plan support from Business Plan Factory
• PR coaching from Paula Gardner of Do Your Own PR
• Website user experience testing package from whatusersdo.com
• Consultancy services from Sift Groups
• Package of top business books worth £100

Once you have caught your breath, I am sure you will realise the unbelievable value given by this competition. It is every entrepreneurs dream!

How do I apply?

The application process starts with an application form. Begin by filling out this short form found HERE to receive the application form.

When are the deadlines?

England: CLOSED 

Wales: 12th June

Scotland: 18th July

Northern Ireland: 21st August

Here is a short video from BusinessZone.co.uk featuring last years The Pitch 2010, giving you an idea of what to expect for 2011!

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Win a £15,000 bursary and a place on an MSc in Coaching and Behavioural Change

Win a £15,000 bursary and a place on an MSc in Coaching and Behavioural Change


Competitive advantage is key for any business, right? However with recent budget cuts for business, organisations are scrimping and saving anywhere they can - which usually means major cutbacks on training and development. Therefore if you want to stand out and a step ahead of the rest today, professional training in coaching in a corporate environment will be a very valuable asset to have. Coaching and motivating teams is a key player in securing organisations competitive advantage, whether it be your own organisation or one in which you work for.

Telegraph jobs have teamed up with Henley Business School for the second time to offer a £15,000 bursary for the winners to complete an MSc in Coaching and Behavioural Change. Corporate Coaching is seen to be in growing demand recently, especially with the fastening pace of the 21st century business environment. Ms Bossons, coaching programme director at Henley, said that coaches were being sought out by more senior managers struggling with the demands of the recession and, more recently, the slow economy recovery.

"It is help with difficult decisions; people decisions; stressful things. It is clear thinking space to help people take emotion out of decisions often involving other people." (Telegraph.co.uk)

Why has Find my Funding decided to feature this competition?
Although this competition does not directly result in funding for your business, we feel that investing in ourselves is just as important for developing successful and sustainable businesses. This competition provides those that may not normally have the funds to be able to invest in their own human capital, complete a course of study and learn valuable lessons about management and coaching along the way. We feel that the skills that you would gain over this period would add immeasurable value to your future businesses, enabling you to manage and coach your team all the way to entrepreneurial success!

What is the competition?
The challenge is to write an essay of no more than 750 words answering the question, "Is a coach a business leader's best friend?"

How do I apply?

Entrants must submit their 750 word essay to henleycoaching@telegraph.co.uk. A CV must also be attached with details of the applicants career history, academic qualifications, and a cover letter explaining their reasons for applying to the bursary must be included. 

Am I eligible to enter?

This competition is open to anyone living in the UK aged 18 years or over, however you must not be an employee of Telegraph Media Group, Henley Business School, their agents or anyone else professsionally associated with the competition. 

Further details of the competition

Once the application deadline is reached, the top 5 most original and exceptional answers will be shortlisted and these applicants will attend an interview at Henley Business School. The winner will receive the £15,000 bursary and be enrolled on the MSc Coaching and Behavioural Change course beginning autumn 2011 or spring 2012. The winner will be announced on July 31st, an interview will be arranged with the Telegraph newspaper shortly after.

For more information on this course, please visit www.henley.com/coaching

DEADLINE: MIDNIGHT JUNE 27TH 2011

 

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Social entrepreneurs: Compete for £50,000 funding!

Hot off the press: New competition for social entrepreneurs to win £50,000 funding for their business to be launched at the end of May

Calling all Social Entrepreneurs in the UK! We have an unbelievable opportunity for you all to compete for £50,000 funding for your business in a brand new competition hosted by Village Capital London. This competition will be a 12 week development process, where you will be given access to resources and skills to develop your early stage social enterprise.

New 'Hub Venture Labs' will be launched by Venture Capital London, which will act as an incubator space for social ventures to develop their ideas, find support from mentors and gain valuable feedback. Not only will you benefit from this fantastic support, at the end of the 12 week process two lucky winners from the group will be picked by your peers to win the £50,000 prize to fund your businesses.

Am I eligible to apply?

This competition is for early stage Social Enterprises. The criteria is as follows:

• Have a real positive impact on society, the environment or the world
• You must be a passionate and driven individual dedicated to bringing about positive change
• You will need to be available to participate in the 12 week competition
• Your business must have commercial viability. Show evidence that there is a real need and you have thought it through in detail

So how has this competition come about?

"Merism Capital, the UK social impact seed fund, has signed a partnership with US-based Village Capital, a leading incubator programme in the social enterprise space, to run the first Village Capital programme in Europe." Mersim Capital

A few words from the organisers

“I’m a big admirer of Village Capital’s track record of attracting and training great social entrepreneurs. Village Capital London will help to grow the pool of entrepreneurs equipped with the skills needed to build successful social businesses. Being able to leverage Village Capital’s network and experience will provide a fantastic boost to the whole of the impact investment sector in the UK so we’re really excited about launching Village Capital London.”

“Building a successful business is all about relationships,” added Stephen Rockman.  “In addition to their relationships with investors, entrepreneurs also need to build peer support networks for validation and collaboration.  This programme is a great opportunity for them to do just that.”

- Stephen Rockman, founder of Merism Capital.

How do I apply?

Details of the application process will be announced at the end of May. So watch this space and we will update our readers as soon as we hear!

If you want to read further information on this competition, visit the Mersim Capital website HERE

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Poster design competition to inspire disabled entrepreneurs

WIN two free gold tickets to London Seminar in disabled entrepreneur poster competition

Its time to get your creativity hats on for a chance to win two free gold tickets worth £167 each to attend a top business seminar in London in Autumn 2011. Think of the life-changing networking that can be done there!

What is the competition?

James Caan and the EBA have announced a poster design competition to inspire disabled students to think about business and to visit www.disabledentrepreneurs.co.uk. The challenge is to design an inspiring, eye catching poster that will be distributed around special needs schools in the UK. Your poster can be designed in any format,  for example you can draw, use Paint or Photoshop programmes.

Why have we featured this competition on Find My Funding? 

Although this competition does not directly provide funding for your business, we feel that the benefits from the prize will be fantastic for you and your enterprise. As mentioned above, the lucky winners will walk away with two gold tickets to a business seminar in London. However this is not just any seminar, this is the 'EBA Total Mastery' One-day seminar with James Caan and the EBA team of Millionaire mentors.'

How you will benefit

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from the very best people in business today, to network and make connections with highly skilled and like-minded individuals, and who knows- you may meet your next investor!

How do I apply?

Create your poster, and post to:

shanebratby@msn.com
14 Sussex Gardens
Denaby Main
DN12 4HR
United Kingdom

DEADLINE:13TH JULY 2011

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Win £50,000 ad campaign to get your business recognised!

What is Venture Candy?
Venture Candy is the brainchild of Metro newspaper, and now in its second year it is well on its way to supporting enterprise and helping entrepreneurs transform their business into big brands! Entrepreneurs can submit their business applications online under 5 categories, and the top 3 from each category will be selected to be featured in Metro itself, where readers will select the people and products they want to see succeed. The public get to call the shots on this one!


Venture Candy then rewards these talented, successful businesses with the exposure and profile they need to get ahead. The winners receive a host of valuable business assets ranging from mentorship, publicity, advertising, contacts and professional services, all of which give them the business foundations they need to grow and become the next big thing in business!


What is the prize?
The 5 winners will win a unbelievable £50,000 ad campaign, marketing, branding, mentorship and IT help from The Hub.


The top 100 will have their businesses reviewed by a panel of investors with the potential to be invested in privately, giving you that funding that you may be looking for to expand your business.


What are the 5 categories that my business can list under?

• Design and technology
• Fashion and interiors
• Food and drink
• Health and beauty 
• Green

How do I benefit from winning this competition?

Venture Candy is all about assisting you, the bright and talented entrepreneurs of the UK in gaining the exposure to make your brand grow massively. If you believe your business really has what it takes to be the 'next big thing', and all you need is a little push in the right direction then this competition is the one for you! 

How do I apply?

You fill in the application form found HERE . Good luck!

DEADLINE: 25TH MAY 2011

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Competition:Win £1000 for your biotechnology business

2005 competition winners

What is Biotechnology YES?

Biotechnology YES (Young Entrepreneurs Scheme) is a competition developed to raise awareness of the commercialisation of bioscience ideas among postgraduate students/postdoctoral scientists in UK Universities. Your team can win £1000 towards your business. The competition is now in its 15^th year, and gives early researchers the edge in entrepreneurial skills and future career prospects.     

What does the competition involve?

Firstly you will have to apply online via the application form. Participants then compete in teams to develop a hypothetical business idea with the help of expert mentors in biotechnology. The competition is run over 3 days (Wenesday-Friday), in which you will attend presentations from leading figures in the biotechnology industry, prepare and oral business plan, and pitch to the panel where two teams will progress to the final. The winners of the competition win £1000, other prizes are also available.

Do I have to pay to enter this competition?

No, this competition is free to enter – travel, accommodation and meals are provided. However if you or your team is selected you will be required to pay a £250 deposit, which will be refunded to you if you attend your workshop. The purpose of this is to cover any expenses if your team drops out or does not attend.

How do I enter?

To enter, fully read and understand all the details of the competition on the website and apply via the form HERE

DEADLINE: 27^TH MAY 2011

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Win £1000 with the Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award

What is Shell LiveWIRE?

Shell LiveWIRE is the UK's largest online community of young entrepreneurs (ages 18-30), and not only provides fantastic advice and support but offers entrepreneurs the chance to win £1000 for their business. This award stands out from the crowd due to the fact the money is a grant - meaning there is no need to pay a penny back. This is the perfect competition for cash strapped young entrepreneurs eager to get their businesses off the ground.

How do I apply?

The application process is tough, however you would expect nothing less as you are effectively pitching to investors for funding for your business. They want to know that your idea/business is innovative and has commercial viability before they hand over the cash, therefore you will need to fill out an intense written application. This application breaks your business down into sections and requires you answer questions about your concept, your market research and your future plans.

Each month, the top businesses or ideas are short-listed to be in for a chance at winning one of the 6 monthly awards. If you are short-listed you will be required to create a 1 minute video pitch about your business that will be judged by the community of entrepreneurs and by a judging panel. These video pitches can be in any style you like as long as they put across to the investors exactly what your business is.

Your video will go live on the Shell LiveWIRE website and the race is on to gain the most votes from the public, so start sharing your video on social networking websites and telling friends and family. The videos with the highest votes will then be watched by the expert judging panel, who will choose the top 5 entrants that will receive the £1000 grant funding package and the title of 'Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award winner!'.

You have nothing to lose by applying, and it is a fantastic way of kick-starting your innovative business! Apply here today

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