The Entrepreneurship World Cup (EWC) is an international competition organised by the Misk World Forum in partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Network. It is for entrepreneurs from all over the world with all kinds of start-ups, whether in the initial, idea, or growth stage. The cup has around 100,000 entrepreneurs from 100 countries.

The competition delivers more than $1 million in cash total for the global winners plus $75 million worth of in-kind support for the top 100 global finalists, not to mention investment opportunities and awesome resources and perks from our leading partners. The 118 winners each year receive three major global awards for entrepreneurs in stages of idea and growth, 15 awards in the global finalist stage that will include awards to social and industry-specific companies, and finally 100 national awards.

How does it work?

The application to participate in the Cup this year is now open here and will be receiving applications until 12 July 2021. 

After the registration phase, the projects participating in the competition will enter a virtual training stage focused on strengthening the business vision, customer and industry knowledge, creativity and problem-solving skills.

In the month of June, the national competitions will be carried out in a virtual way and 100 new projects will be selected that will receive prizes and will advance to the third stage. Between July and September, the national winners will prepare for the final while receiving new virtual training and will be enrolled in the Starters Club.

Finally, the 10 finalists will go through the live training in the month of November to then compete in the grand final that will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Post EWC-Support

All National winners are enrolled in the Starters Club, providing a Global Peer Network, Mentorship and other support services to help members reach their full potential. Other partners may be engaged to provide post-EWC support.

Applications Now Open  

Applications for the Entrepreneurship World Cup this year are now open -- apply now for a chance to represent your nation on a world stage! 

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The Global Finals will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during the month of November 2021. In addition to the cash prizes for the top five finalists, the following in-kind prizes will also be distributed:

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• Shenzen Prize: The top 40 finalists will all receive a special “Shenzen Prize” package to help expand their companies into China. Presented by the Global Entrepreneurship Network in partnership with the Government of Shenzen through the International Youth Innovation Conference, the package includes:​

  • Investment and Financing Docking

  • Local Policy Consultation

  • Team Building and Recruitment

  • Intellectual Property Life-cycle Service

  • Technology Transfer Service

  • Free booth for exhibition at the International Youth Innovation Conference (IYIC) in Shenzen 2021

  • Global visibility
     

• Assistance to acquire land or to expand business in China

• EWC Global Finalist In-Kind Support + Services:  All 100 global finalists will receive a package of prizes valued at more than $20 million combined. The package includes offerings from:

  • GSVlabs: GSVlabs is providing $200,000 in free and discounted services to each global finalist from partners including Oracle, Shopify, Slack and Stripe – as well as access to mentors, investors, and hundreds of templates and guides.

  • Twilio: Twilio is providing credits to access its cloud communications platform that allows software developers to make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages, and perform other communication functions using its web service APIs.

  • HubSpot: HubSpot is providing credits to access Hubspot Growth, a full suite of software for marketing, sales, and customer service with a completely free CRM at its core.

  • GEN Starters Club: The Global Entrepreneurship Network is granting admission for each global finalist to its GEN Starters Club. Members receive access to global connections with experienced entrepreneurs, mentors and investors – offering weekly live workshops and other unique opportunities.

 

The EWC regional finals will be carried out virtually on 6 August 2021. Application closes on 12 July 2021.

To apply for the Entrepreneurship World Cup, please click this link or visit Entrepreneurshipworldcup.com to learn more about the competition.

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