Awa Prize 2024 – Entrepreneurs with Impact

The Awa Prize is a competition organised by Enabel which highlights women entrepreneurs from Belgian development cooperation countries and their projects. In 2024, the Awa Prize awards entrepreneurs active in the cultural and creative industries.

The Awa Prize celebrates the work of women who have a positive impact on their communities through their business. Each year, les entrepreneurs from the Belgian development cooperation are awarded a prize.

Competition Categories

Candidates may choose to apply in one of the following categories:

• Start-up category
  • This award is for companies that have been in existence for at least one year and no more than three years when the Competition is launched.
• Scale-up category
  • This award is for companies that have been in existence for three years or more when the Competition is launched.
• Innovation category
  • This award is intended for any company that develops particularly innovative products, services and/or approaches.
• People’s choice category
  • This award is open to any company in the Start-up, Scale-up or Innovation categories wanting to compete for the People’s Choice via an online vote.

The First Prize

• Up to €50,000
  • Spent to support/coaching, based on your company’s needs.
• One week in Belgium
  • To meet entrepreneurship circles and inspire one another.

Target Countries

• Enabel operates in twenty-one (21) countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Jordan, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Palestine, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda.
• In principle, the Competition takes place in every country where Enabel is active. However, for this occurrence, the Competition will not be held in Gambia, Guinea Bissau and CAR, as Enabel is not yet sufficiently established in these countries to effectively support the deployment of the Competition and its activities.

Targeted Women Entrepreneurs

• The Competition is open to any woman (co-)founder and majority or equal partner in a company based in one of the selected countries.
• The company turnover for 2024 must be at least €1. Nevertheless, as the objective of the Competition is to highlight high-impact projects, the demonstrated and/or potential socio-economic benefits of the selected companies will be key selection criteria. The third edition of the competition will focus on the cultural and creative industries, with an emphasis on cultural and artistic enterprises that are part of a sustainable and resilient economic system.
• As participation in the Competition is entirely digital, candidates must have access to an internet connection. Candidates must also be able to understand and express themselves in French or English.

Conditions for Participating

• Members of the Selection Committee, members of the Jury, persons working for the Organiser or any person directly or indirectly involved in the implementation of the Competition may not compete.
• Participation in the Competition is strictly by name. It is strictly forbidden to apply under multiple names, with multiple email addresses or on behalf of other participants. Any duplicate submission by the same individual, under different company names, will result in the cancellation of their participation. Only one entry per entrepreneur is allowed.
• By accepting the Competition Rules, the entrant is informed that the Organiser may make all necessary checks regarding the identity, contact information and nationality of the entrants and the registration of their company. Any erroneous, incomplete or fraudulent information will result in the cancellation of participation in the Competition.
• Participation in the Competition is free of charge.
• The requirements for participation in the Competition are as follows (the information for verifying the requirement is in brackets):
  • officially be a woman in the country of nationality; (identity card or passport.)
  • be at least 18 years old and have reached the age of majority in the country of nationality; (identity card or passport.)
  • be of the nationality of one of the target countries; (identity card or passport.)
  • be a (co-)founder and majority or equal partner in a company based in one of the selected countries when the contest is launched in the participating countries; (official company creation document.)
  • declare commitment (founder and her team) to the project activities for a minimum of twelve (12) months after the day a potential prize is awarded; (part completed in the form.)
  • have a company that is active in the cultural and creative industries.
• Not having one 3 or more than 3 contests.
• NB: Winners will need to meet the requirements for a business visa to travel to Belgium. Enabel will facilitate the visa process and will cover any costs associated with obtaining the visa.
• Companies that have been formally carrying out the following activities for more than a year are eligible for the competition:
  • Cultural heritage: This includes the conservation, restoration and promotion of cultural heritage sites, as well as the production and sale of arts and crafts.
  • Performing arts: This includes music, dance, theatre, circus, opera and ballet.
  • Audiovisual and film: This includes the production, distribution and broadcasting of films, television series, videos and music.
  • Editing: This includes the publication of books, magazines, newspapers and comic strips.
  • Video games: This includes the design, development, publication and distribution of video games.
  • Fashion: This includes the design, production and sales of clothing, footwear and accessories.
  • Design: This includes products design, interior design, graphics and fashion design.
  • Architecture: This includes the design and construction of buildings and other structures.
  • Advertising: This includes creating advertising campaigns for goods, services and ideas.
  • Craft industries: This includes the production of handmade goods such as furniture, jewellery, pottery and textiles.
  • Digital cultural and creative industry: This includes the development and distribution of digital content, as well as the creation of mobile applications and games.
  • Cultural and creative tourism: This includes travel linked to culture, art and heritage.
  • Cultural and creative industries (CCI) education and training: This includes the training of CCI professionals and the teaching of arts and culture in schools.

For more information, visit Enabel.