Announcement: ecabit network to launch Y2i (Youth 2 Innovation) contest in January 2009

Y2i leaflet.pdf

The Eastern European and Central Asian business incubators network ecabit (www.ecabit.org) announces the upcoming launch of the 2009 Y2i (Youth 2 Innovation) contest on innovative ideas in business and incubation management addressing young people up to the age of 30 years. According to Y2i Project Manager Radu Big (CDIMM Baia Mare, Romania, a member of infoDev's Global Network of Business Incubators), the contest aims to support innovative thinking and acting among young people in both entrepreneurship and business incubation.

During the contest, participants will be given the chance to receive an evaluation of their innovative ideas from an international team of consultants from within the ecabit incubators network. The three winners will be given the chance to present and discuss their plans with potential business partners and investors during infoDev’s 3rd Global Forum on Business Incubation in Brazil in May 2009.

The contest will assess innovative ideas in the following three categories:

• Business Incubatee Innovation: projects submitted by active or future entrepreneurs that are a tenant of a business incubator and participate in an incubation program, or are applying for participation.
• Business Incubator Innovation: project proposals on innovative business incubation submitted by young experts that are working in a business incubator.
• Business Innovation: projects submitted by active or future entrepreneurs that are not yet a tenant of a business incubator.

The evaluation jury will focus on the relevance of the innovation, its feasibility including potential and risks, and the current planning stage of the innovation. Innovation is defined as a product and service or process innovation. Applicants will be requested to provide references and additional planning information on demand during the evaluation stage.

Eligible candidates are young people from the age of 18 up to 30 from Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries. According to Mr. Radu Big, the objective is to extend the scope of the contest in 2010 and allow all members and partners of infoDev’s Global Network of Business Incubators to participate.

Application details
Full information and application documentation will be available here and on the Y2i website by the beginning of 2009. Important dates to keep in mind for the Y2i contest:

• January 15, 2009: Registration deadline
• February 15, 2009: Final deadline for submitting proposals
• March 16, 2009: Y2i winners announced! 

For further details, please contact with Mr. Radu Big at radu@cdimm.org.