High North Center for Business and Governance has opened the nomination to the High North Young Entrepreneur Award 2024!
The High North Young Entrepreneur contest is an international pitch competition of Arctic-related business ideas of young entrepreneurs and start-ups. The goal of the contest is to promote the potential and opportunities of the High North for young people and to encourage them to develop their business ideas for the sustainable North.
The contest final event is a part of the program of the annual High North Dialogue conference in Bodø, Norway. The award for 2024 is handed out during the High North Dialogue Conference in Bodø as a part of the Arctic Congress Bodø 2024 – held from 29 May to 2 June 2024.
At the final session, three finalists have an opportunity to pitch their business ideas to the conference participants on site to win NOK 50 000 funding for their business.
The deadline for nomination is 20 April 2024, 12.00 CET.
You can apply if:
- You have an individual start-up or you are a part of a company
- Even just with a good start-up idea as individual (registered company is not required)
- You or your company can be located in any country and sphere and your idea is focused and related to the Arctic
- All projects from Northern area are eligible
- Projects from areas outside the Arctic need to show relevance to the Arctic
- The company is not older than five years of the start-up date
- The applicant can be the idea generator or the one who will execute the idea in practice or any other person, related to the idea
- The applicant’s age is up to 40 years old
Projects from Bioeconomy, clean energy, health and welfare, ocean, smart society, creative industries, tourism, and the green shift areas are especially encouraged to apply.
Key Evaluation Criteria
- Relevance to the North
- Quality of the project application and business plan elements
- The innovativeness / originality of the idea
Try to tell why your idea is unique, important, and doable.
How to apply?
- You can apply via the application form here
- Please, follow the prescribed limitation in characters, given in the application form
- You are allowed to send one attachment, which can contain the elements of a business plan, including marketing plan and financial aspects
Contest background
The idea of the contest came after the High North Dialogue conference in 2017 when the prominent investor Scott Minerd of Guggenheim Partners received the High North Hero Award, in recognition of his efforts to highlight the economic potential of the Arctic by promoting long-term investment in the region. Scott Minerd donated the award money to support young entrepreneurs and their business ideas. Accordingly, Nord University Business School in cooperation with Bodø Science Park launched the High North Young Entrepreneur contest for young entrepreneurs and start-ups from all over the world.
The first contest took place in 2018 during the High North Dialogue conference session where three young entrepreneur groups presented their Arctic business ideas to an audience of prominent experts with competence in High North issues. The final session was recognized as an important part of the conference, and we, therefore, decided to continue with the High North Young Entrepreneur contest for the years to come.
From 2018, Innovation Norway Nordland supports the High North Young Entrepreneur initiative including the funding of the prize for the winner in the amount of NOK 50 000.
To get more information please visit the High North Dialogue webpage.
Source: High North Dialogue
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