Young Entrepreneur Prize 2022
Young Entrepreneur Prize 2022
Rules
General regulations for the competition
1 - Objective of the competition
The objective of the competition, submitted to students, is to award the best entrepreneurial project in connection with France or Switzerland, whatever the field of specialization: service, product, trademark, etc.
It will therefore be necessary to show a capacity for imagination, creativity and dare to present innovative ideas. The French Foreign Trade Advisers in Switzerland wish to discover and promote these young talents, as well as to share their experience with them.
It will therefore be necessary to show a capacity for imagination, creativity and dare to present innovative ideas. The French Foreign Trade Advisers in Switzerland wish to discover and promote these young talents, as well as to share their experience with them.
2 - Organisation of the competition
The general organisation of the competition is co-ordinated by the French Foreign Trade Advisers Committee. Schools selected by the French Foreign Trade Advisers Committee, which are representative of the sectoral and geographic category of Swiss industry, involved in this event are:
- Hochschule of Saint Gallen
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) or any other agreed school from Zurich
- Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne
- Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne
- Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI) in Lugano
- Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI) in Manno
- University of Geneva
Each school must select a maximum of two or three projects. A grand jury will then choose the award winner who will receive the Young Entrepreneur Prize. The language of correspondence is the Swiss national language, but the projects can be presented in one of the following national languages: French or English.
3 - Registration conditions
The term “student” means a physical person, man or woman. He/she must be a student registered at one of the above-mentioned schools for the year during which the prize will be awarded. The nationality is not important. A certificate from the school should be included in the registration form. Participation in the competition can be on an individual basis or as part of a team. Each team will be represented by a maximum of four people. A participant, whether competing on an individual basis or as part of a team, may only present one single project. Candidates must read the general regulations before signing the registration form, which should be sent to the person in charge of the competition at their school. Submission of a registration form by a candidate implies his/her unconditional acceptance of the clauses and conditions contained in the regulations governing the competition and the decisions of the jury.
4 - Participation of schools and companies
Each school selected by the French Foreign Trade Advisers, and having accepted to take part in the competition, must appoint a coordinator to serve as the contact person for the Advisers at the school. In turn, the French Foreign Trade Advisers will designate one of their members for each of the schools selected to serve as the contact person for the school. In January, February, an information meeting could be held at school by the French Foreign Trade Advisers, which students may attend if they wish. During this session, one of the Advisers will present and explain the competition, with the responsible of the school. Each student will be expected to describe the project and marketing parameters, situate it in its competitive environment, estimate its potential, calculate the investment and justify all the components of the project. The competition organizers have the right to refuse any idea, without having to give a reason for their decision. If a student participating in the competition wishes to be put in touch with a French or Swiss company, the French Foreign Trade Advisers will try, as far as it is possible, and with the help of the school, to introduce them.The school and its teaching staff are free to provide assistance to the students carrying out a project.
5 - Selection of school winner
Each participating school will select, internally, two or three projects to be presented to the Grand jury. This selection will take place at each school.
6 – Grand jury
To choose the winner, the French Foreign Trade Advisers will appoint a grand jury that will include a majority of French Foreign Trade Advisers. The president of this Grand Jury will be the current president of the French Foreign Trade Advisers, with a casting vote in the event of two equal candidates.
7 – Prizes
The Young Entrepreneur Prize will not be attributed systematically. It must be awarded for an exceptional project.
The winner will receive:
- Support for its development during 12 months by one or more C.C.E.F. members with a value around 10'000 CHF
- A reward in cash of 10’000 CHF.
The other projects that will have participated in the grand jury, will receive a lump sum of CHF 100.- per person. The grand jury, the announcement of the winner and the prize giving ceremony will take place the same day, in May and the French Foreign Trade Advisers reserve the right to communicate on this event. A photo and curriculum vitae may be requested from the participants.
The participants undertake to testimony during the presentation of the award of the following year.
8 - Property rights and communications
The awarded projects (participants and/or school winners) remain the full property of their authors. If they are called upon to collaborate with one or several companies they must first undertake formally, at the risk of their projects being declared null and void, to define the ownership of their projects with the company(s) with which they intend to collaborate. After deliberation by the school juries of the schools and the subsequent grand jury, the projects will be returned to their authors.
All candidates in the competition will have to take the necessary measures to protect their projects before the closing date for the submission of their work at the schools. The French Foreign Trade Advisers decline all responsibility in the event of damage resulting from negligence on the part of the candidates regarding the protection of their work.
The French Foreign Trade Advisers are authorized to report on the award-winning projects, as well as on the identity of their authors, by any communication means of their choice, including press articles, brochures and exhibitions at public events of their choice, without any limits in time.
This authorization is valid provided the name of the author (or authors) is mentioned.
The prize winner will be permitted to add the words “Winner 2021” of the Young Entrepreneur Prize on documents relating to the prizes.
9 - Responsibilities of the French External Trade Advisers and the organizers
The French Foreign Trade Advisers reserve the right to shorten, extend, postpone, modify or cancel the competition for any reason whatsoever. They undertake to inform the candidates, but the French Foreign Trade Advisers will in no way be responsible for any consequences such action may have.
Whatever the objections raised, the French Foreign Trade Advisers, the participating schools, the members of the grand juries, and the participating companies will not, under any circumstances, accept responsibility vis-à-vis any physical or moral person.
The interpretation of these regulations comes under the exclusive competence of the French Foreign Trade Advisers.
10 – Timetable
March 2022 - Launch of the competition in the universities
25 April 2022 - Deadline for submission of project in the universities
25 April to 20 May 2022 - Selection of projects in the universities
23 May 2022 - Deadline for submission of projects to the Grand Jury
1st June 2022 - Deliberation by the Grand Jury to select the winner out of the projects presented by the universities
Official award of the prize in presence of the French authorities and business leaders.