聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has begun accepting applications for the BDC Young Entrepreneur Award, which is open to Canadian business owners from ages 18 to 35. Deadline for entry is March 18 at noon, Eastern Daylight Time, with a grand prize of $100,000 and a second place prize of $25,000 in consulting services from BDC.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In total 11 finalists will be up for the grand prize including one finalist from each province and one for the combined territories.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The BDC was created in 1988 and over the years has recognized over 300 young business owners. The current BDC Young Entrepreneur Award has been posted online since 2012 where a national committee votes, while 50 percent of the total vote comes from the public through an online forum.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The challenge the BDC is posing to business across Canada is to identify a turning point for your business, maybe you need a larger space, more employees, making an investment, entering a new market, etc鈥� Once you identify this turning point which could mean expanding your business to another level, you must propose a solution for how to overcome the turning point.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Applicants must identify and provide a solution in order to take their company on a new course of growth. Finalists will be asked to submit a video outlining the specifics, but unlike previous years not all entrants must submit a video.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t has never been easier to apply: entrants need only fill in the contest application form and submit a high resolution photo. For the first time in 2015, only the provincial finalists will be asked to produce a video,鈥� the BDC writes.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Applications must be submitted online through a laptop or desktop computer, entries cannot be sent in through mobile devices. More information can be found at bdc.ca/yea.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Finalists will be announced June 3, voting will begin between June 3 and June 17, with winners to be announced on June 22.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In 2013, Joel Pinel of WOW Factor Media, a Saskatchewan entrepreneur, applied and won. Encouraging others to apply for the competition he said, 鈥淥nce in a while, something great happens to ordinary people.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥ne of the greatest experiences of my life was being part of the contest. BDC provided young, deserving Canadian entrepreneurs with an unbelievable opportunity.鈥�
