Are you currently a student actively running a business? Then this is for you.
You can win the first prize of US$20,000 in cash and a total value of over $40,000, which includes a travel/lodging expense paid trip to compete in GSEA Finals in Bangkok, Thailand. If you take second place, you stand to win US$10,000 and while a third place will earn you US$5,000.
These awards are being given by Entrepreneurs Organisation, the promoters of the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA).
The Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) is the premier global competition for student entrepreneurs who actively run a business. EO GSEA nominees compete in qualifying competitions for the chance to advance to the Global Finals, held in May 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand. With more than 1,700 competitors from more than 30 countries, EO GSEA is an exclusive opportunity for student entrepreneurs to make connections, find resources, and grow their businesses!
Apart from the prizes, you stand to gain in the following ways:
- Access to successful entrepreneurs. Feedback. Mentorship.
- Refined elevator pitches. Going head to head with other business owners and answering tough questions about their business to our judges helps competitors improve their pitch skills and enhance their ability to communicate the value proposition of their business.
- Expanded networks. Competitors will meet other student entrepreneurs from around the world, as well as Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) members and our honored guests.
- Media Exposure. Competitors will receive local and national media attention for themselves and their business.
To apply successfully, you must meet the following criteria:
- You must be an undergraduate (bachelors) student at a recognized university or college for the current academic year and enrolled in school at the time of application.
- You must be the owner, founder or controlling shareholder of their company and principally responsible for its operation.
- The business must be structured ‘for-profit’ and have generated US $500 or received US $1000 in investments at the time of application.
- Your company must have been in business for at least the past six consecutive months.
- You must not have been the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards winner in the past and/or were not one of the top six finalists from the previous year’s GSEA Finals Competition.
In Africa, the local qualifying competitions will be held in Kenya on February 29, 2016; Lagos, Nigeria on March 7, 2016; Cape Town, South Africa on February 26, 2016; Tanzania in January 2016; Zambia on March 12, 2016, and Zimbabwe on February 26, 2016.
The Global Finals will take place in Bangkok, Thailand in May 2016
Deadline for the application is January 15, 2015
The winner of the 2015 edition is 24-year-old Steinar Henskes, a student at Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. He is the CEO of Bird Control Group, a company that designs animal-safe lasers that keep birds away from commercial facilities such as airports. The product has already been recognized by the World Wildlife Fund for innovation, effectiveness, and animal friendliness.
