Gulf News

Share your ideas at Biz for Good contest

IFZA’s competitio­n is open to all UAE residents aged 21 years and above

- Gulf News Report

Do you have a compelling business idea that’s good for the environmen­t or the community? Do you need support in launching it? Biz for Good, a pitch and vlog competitio­n, invites aspiring entreprene­urs, aged 21 years and above and currently residing in the UAE, to pitch their compelling start-up ideas through vlogs uploaded on their social media channels. As part of the criteria for judging, the idea needs to address a social need and provide an effective solution that improves the lives of people or the planet.

Biz for Good is powered by Internatio­nal Free Zone Authority (IFZA) in collaborat­ion with Nikon MEA, Rove Hotels and Letswork.

As a result of this partnershi­p, a total of three grand winners will be declared, each receiving a business licence with one visa allocation, financial support, start-up support that includes FlexiDesk, mentoring, website and marketing assistance from IFZA. Nikon MEA, one of the world’s foremost optics and imaging experts, will award a Nikon Z 50 as a prize for the highest scorer on the Creative Presentati­on criterion. To support the operations of the winners, Rove Hotels, an award-winning lifestyle hotel brand offering well designed hotels in connected locations, will be giving each of them 10 days of meeting room use across all the Rove properties. And Letswork is providing three months of membership for the three winners to access co-working spaces within their network and their community events and perks.

Strategic hub

“We believe that as a result of our current global situation, we have become more sensitive to our individual and collective responsibi­lity to care for each other and our planet. It is no longer ‘business as usual’. This is what inspired us to create ‘Biz for Good’, which is our vehicle to discover and empower people who want to turn awareness into action, for the greater good. We are committed to support our winners in every step of their journey in making their vision a reality. Ultimately, we also hope to spark further conversati­ons around entreprene­urs using their talent in contributi­ng towards Dubai’s goal to not only be a strategic hub for business but also to be a guiding force for humanity, for good,” said Martin G. Pedersen, Chairman of IFZA.

To join, interested candidates must submit their online applicatio­n via www.ifza.com/ bizforgood­uae and upload a video of their winning business idea on Instagram, Facebook and/or LinkedIn using the hashtag #BizforGood­UAE. They also need to keep their accounts public for the judges to view their video and to follow and tag the accounts of IFZA @ifzauae, Nikon @nikonmea, Rove Hotels @rovehotels and Letswork @Letswork.

Shortliste­d candidates will be contacted for Phase 2 that comprises a mentorship program by industry experts. The goal is to further equip the candidates with tools that will help them elevate their pitch for the final round.

As a result of this partnershi­p, a total of three grand winners will be declared, each receiving a business licence with one visa allocation, financial support, start-up support.

Business ideas

In this phase, shortliste­d candidates will be asked to submit their final entry which is a marketing video targeted at their customers or end users. Nikon cameras will be on loan for candidates to film their video and #RoveWithNi­kon studio will be available for free for a maximum of 2 hours of use per concept.

Candidates can upload as many unique business ideas as they want, with each of it having an equal chance to reach the finals. Deadline of entries is set on November 6.

 ?? ?? Biz for Good is powered by IFZA in collaborat­ion with Nikon MEA, Rove Hotels and Letswork.
Biz for Good is powered by IFZA in collaborat­ion with Nikon MEA, Rove Hotels and Letswork.

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