Entries open for the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards

The GSEAs are being brought to South Africa student entrepreneurs in association with Student Village. Filling in a entry form will put you in line to win some great prizes, extend your network and expose you to ideas and input from your peers around the world.

Says Student Village CEO Ronen Aires: “Student Village is a great example of how entrepreneurs can start small and build big futures. This awards programme can be a real tool in helping you as a student entrepreneur get ahead too. It will help you formulate your business plans, fine-tune your strategies, and build an extended network for you of other entrepreneurs. I'd strongly encourage all students that own and run businesses to get their entries in.”

You'll need to hurry, though, as entries for South African student entrepreneurs close on 15 October 2009.

What are the GSEAs?
The GSEA programme is the premier award for undergraduate students that own and run businesses while attending college or university.

Nominees compete against their peers, other student entrepreneurs from around the world. Since its founding in 1998, the GSEA programme has celebrated the success of hundreds of student entrepreneurs. The GSEA programme is an Entrepreneurs' Organisation programme, in partnership with Mercedes-Benz Financial.

Who is eligible to be nominated?
The criteria are:

• The student must be an undergraduate student at a recognised University or College for the 2008/2009 academic year.
• The student must be the owner, founder or controlling shareholder of their company and principally responsible for its operation.
• The student's company must have been in business for at least the last six consecutive months.
• The student must have not been the GSEA winner in the past and/or were not one of the seven finalists for the 2008 GSEA Global Finals competition.

Note: If you have recently graduated and/or are about to graduate and have taken courses during 2009, before the application deadline, you are still eligible for GSEA.

What are the benefits of competing in the GSEAs?
Competing in the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards brings you unlimited value!

• The competition! Improving your “pitch” skills, getting better at communicating the value proposition of your business, and being able to answer the tough questions about your business are all part of GSEA.
• Fun! Connecting with your peers - other student entrepreneurs from around the world, as well as EO members and high level networking at the GSEA Global Finals!
• Exposure! Local and national media attention for you and your business!
• Did we mention PRIZES! $10,000 cash prize, plus tens of thousands in business products and services donated by EO members including web services, printing, PR, consulting and more! Over $150k in total!

How is a student nominated for the GSEA programme?
Nominating a student (or nominating yourself!) is easy!

• Browse to www.gsea.org, click the 'Nominate' button and complete the online nomination form.
• After we have received the nomination, we will contact the student entrepreneur nominated, to complete a more detailed application.
• A student entrepreneur is considered fully nominated once we have received the completed online application.

Questions?
Contact the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards by email at or visit the website at www.gsea.org for the latest information, news and updates about the GSEA programme.


About Student Village:
Established in 2001, Student Village is the leading provider of youth marketing solutions on South African campuses and the most credible source of information on what's hot and what's not in the 18 to 25 target market. It is also the go-to source for all information linked to graduate recruitment and career development. www.studentvillage.co.za is the largest student social networking portal in Africa, and www.gradx.net is a leading source of information on graduate recruitment and career development.