Multiple entrepreneurial competitions and awards organized or supported by VLAIO and partners.
Aim to stimulate and recognize entrepreneurship and innovation in Flanders, Belgium.
Prizes include monetary awards, coaching, media exposure, and networking.
Beneficiaries include startups, SMEs, students, female entrepreneurs, and scale-ups.
Competitions are recurring, mostly annual or biennial.
Eligible organizations range from individual students to SMEs and mature companies.
Geographic focus on Flanders and Brussels, Belgium.
Some awards require minimum years of operation or prior support from VLAIO.
Specific awards target women entrepreneurs and young entrepreneurs.
Focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainability, social and ecological impact.
Broad sector coverage including blue economy, circular economy, fashion, technology.
Expected outcomes include business growth, innovation recognition, and networking.
Applications require dossiers, business plans, and sometimes interviews.
Evaluation based on innovation, financial performance, growth potential, and sustainability.
Prize amounts vary from €1,500 to €50,000 depending on the competition.
Support includes seed capital, coaching, and other non-monetary benefits.
Deadlines vary per competition, e.g., Start Academy deadline 18 Feb 2025, KMO van het Jaar 8 Sept 2025.
Multi-stage evaluation with juries and award ceremonies.
Compliance with local business regulations required.
Emphasis on sustainability and ethical business practices.
Online registration and dossier submission.
Evaluation by expert juries based on set criteria.
Awards promote gender inclusion and youth entrepreneurship.
Innovation and sustainability are key competitive factors.
Recipients include a diverse range of companies from startups to established SMEs.
Focus areas increasingly include sustainability and social impact.