BiD Challenge - Winners 2007

The BiD Challenge challenges entrepreneurs from all over the world to develop and implement innovative business plans with growth potential. In this way, the competition aims to contribute to economic growth and employment in developing countries. Since 2005, the BiD Challenge supported the start-up of over 60 businesses and the creation of more than 1000 jobs in Africa, Asia and the Americas. Worldwide over 800 professionals were engaged in the competition as screener, coach or jury member. The BiD Challenge is supported by over 60 companies and organisations from all over the globe.

First prize winner in the category Start-up Businesses is Australian Ben Cole. He received an amount of €20,000 for his business plan “Fresh Facemasks”. Cole aims to produce protective and comfortable commuter facemasks for the Vietnam market, where people suffer from high pollution. With his business, Cole will provide a supportive and empowering workplace for women living with HIV and AIDS.

In the category Established Businesses the first prize of €20,000 went to Laure Yosse from Cameroon and her business plan “Organic Health Snacks from Exotic Fruits”. The business organizes farmers to produce organic fruits to be processed into healthy snacks for the world market. Many Cameroonian farmers will benefit from the business.

Parallel to the International competition, 7 national BiD Challenge competitions were launched this year on a national level by local partner organisation in Peru, Argentina, Colombia, India, the Philippines, Kenya and Tanzania. The 2 main prize winners of each national competition were invited to come to the Netherlands to compete in a separate category for the Satellite Awards. In this category the main prize went to Tanzanian Victor Mfinanga and his business Shambani Graduates Enterprises Company Ltd .The business collects fresh milk form about 100 Maasai cattle keepers and processes it into high quality milk products before selling it to the local market.

Starting in 2008, the BiD Network Foundation will serve incoming business proposals on a daily basis, in stead of only once a year, and the application–assessment timeline will be reduced from 8 to 1 month.

For an overview of all winners click here.