The 2010 European Enterprise Awards (EEA) closes to new entries Friday, December 4th.
Run by the European Commission Enterprise and Industry Directorate-General in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland, the awards aim to recognise successful promoters of enterprise and entrepreneurship in Europe, raise awareness of the value of entrepreneurship and encourage and inspire potential entrepreneurs.
Participation in the EEA awards is open to national, regional or local authorities, or public-private partnerships from anywhere in the EU in five awards categories: Promoting the entrepreneurial spirit; Investing in skills; Improving the business environment; Supporting the business environment and; Responsible and inclusive entrepreneurship. The awards are running for the fourth year, with last year’s competition attracting entries from 350 national, local and regional authorities in 25 countries.
Gillian Slattery, Regional Development Executive of Enterprise Ireland who is coordinating Irish entries commented; “We are delighted to be working on this event with the EC. Now more than ever, Ireland needs to show its entrepreneurial spirit and it’s important that we recognise those who support this aim. We have been very impressed by the quality of entries so far, but would encourage further entries before Friday.”
The competition recognises aspects such as the originality of initiatives, the impact they have on the local economy, the improvement of local stakeholder relations and potential transferability of the project to other regions in Europe.
A maximum of two nominees will be selected per country and go forward to the European competition. Winners will be announced in May 2010 and all nominees will be invited to attend the awards ceremony, which recognizes the winners for their efforts and gives them the opportunity to present themselves in an international environment.
Entry forms and further information can be obtained from Gillian Slattery at Enterprise Ireland at gillian.slattery@enterprise-ireland.com or the EU website: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/smes/awards/
Interested applicants can send applications or queries directly to Gillian Slattery of Enterprise Ireland at gillian.slattery@enterprise-ireland.com.