Call for applications: Cartier seeks Exceptional Entrepreneurs for the 2013 Cartier Women's Initiative Award

PARIS, France, February 27, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Cartier Women's Initiative Award (http://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com) is a business plan competition aimed at supporting creative, financially sustainable and responsible women-led companies, in all countries and industries.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/cartier.jpg

Created in 2006 by Cartier in partnership with the Women's Forum, INSEAD business school and McKinsey & Co., the Awards will be given this year to six Laureates in the following categories: Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa, North America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Applications will be accepted until March 8, 2013.

Entrepreneurs are invited to submit a short business plan using the online application form. The projects must be between one and three years old.

Call for applications

http://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com

APPLY NOW!

The Cartier Women's Initiative Awards are looking for committed female entrepreneurs heading initiatives with the potential to grow significantly in the years to come. To apply for the 2013 edition, fill out the application form on http://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com.

All applications must be submitted online in English.

Application deadline: March 8, 2013 at 10am Paris time (CET).

As it cannot be extended, please verify the corresponding deadline in your time zone.

What can you win?

Eighteen finalists* representing the best projects worldwide will be selected in the first phase of the contest. They will receive coaching and media exposure and will be invited to France for the Finale week which includes a presentation in front of the international Jury, entrepreneurship workshops and the Global Meeting of the Women's Forum.

The six Laureates nominated for the Awards receive one year of coaching, US$ 20 000 in funding, media visibility and networking opportunities.

Eligibility Criteria

The business project to be considered for the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards must be:

• An original for-profit business creation,

• In the start-up phase: between one and three to four years of operation,

• The main leadership position must be filled by a woman.

The competition is open to women from any country, nationality and industry.

Application Form

The questions that feature on the application form are detailed below for reference:

-About the team

Contact details and resumes of lead entrant and team members.

-About the business

• Executive summary of the business project (900 words)

• At what stage of the project development are you? (100 words)

• What exactly is your product or service? (300 words)

• What is your sales and distribution strategy? (300 words)

• What is your market? (150 words)

• Who are your main competitors? (150 words)

• Who are the people composing the team? (150 words)

• What impact will your business have on the society and/or the environment? (100 words)

• Financials (400 words)

-Appendix and supporting documents

Logo, photos of the product, patents, articles…

Download the full list of questions online.

*Until 2010, the prize awarded 15 finalists and 5 laureates

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Cartier International.

CONTACTS

Cartier Women's Initiative Awards

Tel: +33 1 58 18 10 28

[email protected]

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=394 (The 2012 Laureates. From left to right: Gabriela Flores (Bolivia), Ting Shih (United States), Cécile Réal (France), Julienne Ingabire and Elizabeth Scharpf (Rwanda), Iba Masood (United Arab Emirates), Lianna Gunawan (Indonesia).© Cartier, 2012)