Are you an entrepreneur? Get up to $100,000 in this year’s Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship
0Are you a high performing African entrepreneur with a track record of business excellence and high social impact? Do you share our core belief that business is development and that entrepreneurship is the key to Africa’s economic resurgence? Do you see yourself as an icon of entrepreneurial success in Africa? If so, then this year’s African Awards for Entrepreneurship may bear your name!
The Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship (AAE), indubitably ‘the Oscars’ of business and entrepreneurship in Africa, is pleased to announce the 2012 Awards Programme. African Leadership Network (ALN), the premier network of Africa’s new generation of leaders, is pleased to partner with Legatum Group, a leading Private Equity firm and previous hosts, to bring you the Awards this year. As in previous years, the programme will recognize and award exceptional entrepreneurial leaders who serve as role models to Africa’s aspiring entrepreneurs and who demonstrate business excellence, innovation and profitability.
Since inception in 2007, AAE has attracted more than 7,000 applications from leading African businesses and has given out prizes in excess of US$ 1.4 million to 25 leading companies. Aside from the generous prize money, the incredibly high beam of spotlight provided by the Awards, as well as the unrivalled access to a network of top entrepreneurs and funding resources, has spurred previous winners unto even more glorious heights in their respective industries.
Unlike in past years when the AAE was limited to only enterprises with revenues from US$ 1M to US$ 15M, this year, entrepreneurs with a range of business sizes from as small as US$ 500k to as much as US$ 50M or more in revenue may apply for the Awards. Please download the 2012 application form in either English or French and send in your completed entry to info@africaawards.com. The deadline for entries is 31 August 2012. AAE 2012 especially welcomes women entrepreneurs to apply.
If you would like to nominate an applicant, please download the English or French nomination form and send it toinfo@africaawards.com with the subject “Nomination for AAE 2012″.
2012 PROGRAMME
The objectives of the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship are:
- To promote the value of entrepreneurship as a driving force of today’s Africa
- To celebrate the standards of business excellence within Africa
- To encourage business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs to embrace the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship
- To build strong networks of African entrepreneurs as a source of learning and sharing of best practice
- To attract more venture capital inflows towards good businesses across Africa
The awards will be open to firms originating from Africa that are independent and not a subsidiary of a larger organization, and are fully registered in the home country.
The 2012 Awards will have the following four categories:
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Lifetime Achievement Award (New!) Citation and trophy awarded to a senior African business leader who has served as an entrepreneurial icon for several decades and has left an enduring legacy of entrepreneurial success in Africa. |
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Transformational Business Award (New!) Citation and trophy awarded to notable business leader who has had a major socio-economic impact in Africa by building a business with revenues greater than US$ 50M. |
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Outstanding Mature Business Award (New!) First Prize: US$ 100,000 prize to a business leader who has built a company with revenues between US$ 5M to US$ 50M Runner-up Prize: Additional US$ 50,000 to the first runner up. |
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Outstanding Small and Growing Business Award (New!) US$ 50,000 prize to a young, remarkable African business with revenues between US$ 0.5M and US$ 5M. |
What makes an AAE winner?
The Africa Awards will be judged by an international panel of leading business experts, employing a rigorous and transparent selection process. Winning companies will be selected based on their ability to operate truly sustainable and innovative businesses, and will demonstrate excellence in:
- Overall profitability, return on investment and growth
- Long-term business strategy
- Leadership, culture and values
- Investment in employees
- Innovating to address a market need
- Making a contribution to the community
Who is eligible?
Entry is open to all Africa-based entrepreneurs with firms that:
- Have revenues over US$ 500, 000
- Have been profitable for at least two years
- Are independent (not a subsidiary of a larger organization)
- Have employed a significant number of people
- Are fully registered in their home country and free of legal actions.
If you are interested, please download the application for English or French and send in your completed entries toinfo@africaawards.com.
