Ben & Jerry’s Join Our Core Competition Launched

Ice-cream company Ben & Jerry’s is searching for young, socially responsible entrepreneurs who are creating new models for sustainable business which will help make a difference in communities.

Those aged between 18 and 34 who have a sustainable business model that demonstrate the following are being encouraged to enter the Join Our Core Competition:

• Strong financial sustainability - long-term demand from local people and business for the product or service.
• A positive social impact - the business model leaves society better off for the next generation.
• Environmental awareness - the business ensures the local and global environment is looked after.
• An innovate idea - the approach is substantially different from similar initiatives in the field.

Winners will be assessed in London in spring 2012 and then travel to Uganda in the summer to take part in ten days of social business knowledge sharing and local development projects where they will live and work with local farmers.

The Prize package is as follows:

• Early Birds Prize - The first 100 competition entries will win a year’s supply of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, redeemable at major retailers only for the value of a standard 500ml pint.
• People’s Choice Award - Five winners from the 15 finalists will be chosen via a public vote to receive a People’s Choice Award. Each winner receives a cash prize of €1,000. Winning the People’s Choice Award doesn’t affect the chances of winning the overall Join Our Core competition.
• Winners - There will be five overall winners who will each receive a cash prize of €10,000. Winners will also have their business idea promoted on a tub of Ben & Jerry’s in 2013. The five winners will be chosen, one from each of the countries involved: United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Winners will also receive six months’ mentoring from Ashoka, the company what coined the term ‘social entrepreneur’. The mentoring will be delivered through telephone and online meetings and will look at any challenges facing the business and provide advice to help the business grow and develop.

The prize money can be used to help with the start-up costs associated with launching a new socially aware business operation anywhere in the world.

The early bird deadline for the first 100 applicants is 15 March 2012. The final deadline for submitting competition entries is 15 April 2012.

(Source:  Grantfinder)