The Directorate-General of the European Commission for the Single Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs are accepting applications for the Essay Competition, concerning Youth 2021, and give the opportunity to young people aged 18-25 years old to share ideas and opinions with individuals and key players from the field of entrepreneurship and SMEs.

The theme of this year's competition is: "What do SMEs need to become sustainable and resilient in the context of COVID-19 and other global challenges? Think about the competencies and skills needed in the future for an entrepreneur, and outline three promising and sustainable start-ups for 2030."

Instructions for participation and applications for the Essay Competition

-Essays can be submitted by people aged 18-25 from EU Member States or countries participating in COSME.

-Essays should not exceed 2500 words in length and the language of writing should be in English.

-Only one entry per person will be accepted.

The deadline for the submission of applications for the Essay Competition is September 26, 2021.

The three candidates selected to participate in the final will be announced in October before the European SME Week. They will then compete in the grand final in Portoroz, Slovenia as part of the SME Assembly, presenting their essays. As stated in the announcement of the Ministry of Development, the selection of the final winner will be made through a public vote.

Awards

-Trip to Portoroz, Slovenia for the SME Assembly with all expenses covered for the three finalists. There the participants will present their essays to more than 500 representatives of the SME Assembly.

-Training before the official presentation of the essays at SME Assembly 2021.

-Promotion of essays through communication channels.

For any clarifications or questions, interested parties can contact: smeweek@loweurope.eu .