Organized with the aim of inspiring young people a spirit of enterpreneurship and giving them the opportunity to gain a full-fledged entrepreneurship experience by starting their own businesses, “birFİKRİNmiVAR?”enterpreneurship competition has started. Offering awards amounting to TL 1.000.000 as a first in an entrepreneurship competition, “birFİKRİNmiVAR?” is organized with the major sponsporship of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, TOBB, under the leadership of LabX and Özyeğin University and with the support of WMG-Warwick University, Young Executives and Businessmen Association (GYİAD), Microsoft and UK Trade and Investment.
The competition held for a third time this year was introduced with a press conference held at Hilton Hotel on 25 December 2009, Friday. Among the participants of the press conference were M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, the Chair of TOBB, Hüsnü Özyeğin, Chair of Fiba Holding’s Executive Board and Özyeğin University’s Board of Trustees, Ali Sabancı, Chair of TOBB’s Young Entrepreneurs Board, Pınar Eczacıbaşı, Chair of Young Executives and Businessmen Association’s Executive Board, Prof. Dr. Erhan Erkut, Rector of Özyeğin University, Fuat Sami, General Manager of LabX and Mustafa Çağan, General Manager of Microsoft. The press conference offered detailed information about the competition and drew attention to the important issues young people must consider when developing their own business ideas. Furthermore Ahmet Bahadır Özdemir, the previous year’s winner and General Manager of a company with a capital of TL 300.000, shared his own entrepreneurship adventure with the participants.
Highlighting that they give utmost importance in increasing the number of woman and young entrepreneurs, Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Chair of TOBB, said “I believe that enterpreneurship is vital for development of our country. The only way to provide employment opportunities to our 6 million of unemployed people and 700 thousand of young people entering into the labor market each year is to increase the number of enterpreneurs and enhance the volume of the private sector. If we are to enrich and develop our country and provide employment for the unemployed, then we must inspire and encourage entrepreneurship.”
Hüsnü Özyeğin, Chair of Özyeğin University’s Board of Trustees, also underlined the fact that young people’s projects constitute an important step towards turning the crisis into an opportunity; and stated that as Özyeğin University they are pleased to provide an educational opportunity through “birFİKRİNmiVAR?” to young people with a spirit of entrepreneurship from all over Turkey.
Ali Sabancı, Chair of TOBB’s Young Entrepreneurs Board, GGK, said: “Increasing the rate of entrepreneurship contributes to the economy. The more the rate of entrepreneurship increases, the more the income per capita increases. As TOBB GGK our priority target is to increase the rate of entrepreneurship in Turkey.” Ali Sabancı also stated that through “birFİKRİNmiVAR?” entrepreneurship adventure, they have created a unique entrepreneurship platform for young people who say “I have an idea but no capital”.
As a first, “birFİKRİNmiVAR?” entrepreneurship adventure will be open to all national and international students studying and faculty members working in higher education institutions in Turkey and abroad. The deadline for applications is 28 February 2010. Applications from Turkey are invited at www.birfikrinmivar.com and applications from abroad are invited at www.doyouhaveanidea.com.
Awards of TL 1.000.000 for birFİKRİNmiVar? finalists
birFİKRİNmiVAR? Entrepreneurship Adventure offers unique opportunites to young people with its awards amounting to TL 1.000.000. Awards include angel investor capital up to TL 300.000 for the company to be established by LabX, TL 300.000 of contribution for office space, incubation center and network in the UK by WMG-Warwick University, an inital capital of TL 20.000 and Executive Education Scholarship of TL 50.000 by ÖzyeğinUniversity, participation and presentation opportunity in the EU VC Summit 2010, where the world’s most reputable venture capital companies meet, by Microsoft, and a 1-week business trip to the UK with all expenses covered by UK Trade and Investment.
Furthermore all companies conforming with Microsoft’s program criteria will be awarded with BizSpark program membership. The second and third winners will also be entitled to higher education scholarship of TL 45,000 and TL 30,000, respectively by WMG-University of Warwick and Executive Education Scholarship of TL 30.000 and TL 10.000, respectively, by Özyeğin University.