Winners will share interest-free funding of € 1.250.000, mentoring and business support services
ATHENS, FEBRUARY 15th 2016 – Application for the Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award 2016 is still open, with less than one month remaining until the closing date. New and existing entrepreneurs can submit their business plan to the award website (www.hellenicaward.com) up to 10th March, 2016 and compete for a place among this year’s winners who will share interest-free funding up to € 1.250.000 and a wide range of business support services (legal, accounting, marketing, technology, communication and human resources management) and dedicated mentorship from a business professional.
In the two months since the launch of this year’s Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award, there have been 250 business ideas submissions, which will be evaluated by the judges of the Award.
The Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award is administered on behalf of The Hellenic Initiative by the Libra Group which has committed €10 million to the programme. Between one and five winners are declared each year. Since the inaugural award in 2013, interest-free funding has been provided to 11 winning companies, all of which are trading successfully and have created many hundreds of jobs in Greece.
What are the criteria for participation in the Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award?
The award’s aim is to stimulate entrepreneurship and support the most promising new businesses in Greece. The programme targets both experienced and budding entrepreneurs in Greece, whose business plans demonstrate innovation, job creation, financial discipline and sustainability. Applications from existing – non listed – companies will be accepted so long as the new business idea does not derive directly from its core activity and cannot be adequately financed from the company’s existing resources.
Finalists will be announced in May 2016 and winners will be announced in early June 2016.
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About The Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award:
The Hellenic Entrepreneurship Award was founded in 2012, to support established and budding entrepreneurs by providing funding, support services and mentorship for start-up businesses. The Libra Group has committed €10 million to the programme which will help entrepreneurs in Greece to generate economic growth in their homeland. The award partners are Piraeus Bank Group which has contributed to the training and education of participants since 2014 through its subsidiary, Excelixi Center of Sustainable Entrepreneurship; the Australian based property investment and development company, Jalouise Pty Ltd., and Mr. Dimitri Goulandris.
Amongst the winners’ supporters are Antidote, Kick Athens, Lykourezos Law Offices, Microsoft, People for Business, Reed Smith, SAP Hellas and White Room.
www.hellenicaward.com
About The Libra Group:
The Libra Group is an international business group comprising 30 subsidiaries active across six continents. The group has principal operations in shipping, aviation, real estate, hospitality and energy as well as a range of diversified investments. The Social Responsibility department of the Group takes numerous initiatives around education, entrepreneurship and philanthropy worldwide, including Libra Internship Program, which supports about 100 young people per year, many of whom come from non-privileged communities. The Libra Group is owned by the Logothetis family. For more information, visit the website: www.libra.com
About The Hellenic Initiative:
Our Mission: Investing in the future of Greece through direct philanthropy and economic revitalization. We empower people to provide crisis relief, encourage entrepreneurs, and create jobs.
We are The Hellenic Initiative (THI) – a global movement of the Greek Diaspora.
Visit our website: http://www.TheHellenicInitiative.org/
http://onegreece.org
Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thehellenicinitiative
Follow us on Twitter: @THI_OneGreece
For further information please contact:
Christy Sotiriou
V+O Communication, Athens
Office: +30 211 75 01 213
Email: csot@vando.gr
