Calling all students turned entrepreneurs! If you are a student with your own business, your day just got a whole lot better, because you have a chance to win $20,000 at Global Students Entrepreneur Awards in Canada.

About Global Student Entrepreneur Awards

The global competition is for undergraduate students, held by a non-profit organization, the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. It will provide Pakistani students with a platform to showcase their business ideas on a global platform. With over a thousand competitors from around the world, the competition is cut throat.

Naturally, in order to select the best of the best; students from Pakistan will first be competing on a local level, the finalists will be going global in 2018.

Applying is as simple as filling this form on their website: https://surveys.eonetwork.org/view.php?id=500772

The deadline is 30th November 2017

The shortlisted ideas will be competing in the local competition in Karachi, in January 2018. Top 3 ideas will be awarded prizes.

After competing at the local level, the competitors will take it to the national level. The second phase of the competition will be held in either Lahore or Karachi, in February 2018. 

*The traveling and lodging expenses for the candidates will be borne by EO

The winner of the national competition will be flying to Toronto, Canada to compete with 60 other international individuals.

The winning prize? A hefty check of $20,000.

There is, however, a certain eligibility criterion in order to compete.

  1. You must be enrolled for the current academic year in a university/college as an undergraduate or graduate* student at the time of application. Full-time enrollment is not required; part-time enrollment is acceptable.
  2. You must be the owner, founder or controlling shareholder of your company and principally responsible for its operation. Each company can be represented by only one owner/co-founder.
  3. Your business must have been in operation for at least six consecutive months prior to the application.
  4. Your business must have generated US $500 or received US $1000 in investments at the time of application.
  5. You should not have been one of the top six finalists from any previous year’s GSEA Global Finals Competition.
  6. The age cap for participation is 35 years of age.

Note that Graduate students are eligible to apply only if they have continually enrolled in a university following their undergraduate degree and not left school to work on their business or to seek other employment.

Exceptions can be made for students who have taken up to 12 months’ break before beginning their postgraduate education.