A new enterprise competition in Romania promises to reward ten companies with a totall of EUR 350,000 as start-up funding. The Fabricat în Ţara lui Andrei/Made in Andrei's Country competition invites ideas for businesses which can develop local communities and is open to all – entrepreneurs, sole proprietors, companies and NGOs. The competition is backed by Romanian oil and gas company Petrom, which run the Tara lui Andrei/Andrei's country promotional campaign.

As well as funding, the winning ideas will receive professional help in developing the businesses. The competition is running in 28 communities: Merişani, Băbana (Argeş), Zemeş, Moineşti, Comăneşti (Bacău), Suplacu de Barcău, Abrămuţ (Bihor), Corbu (Constanţa), Moreni, Gura Ocniţei, Măneşti, Şelaru (Dâmboviţa), Independenţa, Schela ( Galaţi), Clejani, Ghimpaţi, Bucşani (Giurgiu), Bustuchin, Hurezani ( Gorj), Icoana ( Olt), Băicoi, Boldeşti- Scăeni, Telega (Prahova), Marca (Sălaj), Siliştea, Poeni (Teleorman), Guşoeni (Vâlcea) and Burcioaia (Vrancea).

Those interested can register from January 29 to March 4 on the competition website. A jury will pick out 20 finalists in March, which will receive some funding and professional advice on developing a business plan. In November, the ten winners will be announced. These winners will get funding and expert advice to support the setting up of the businesses. The support will focus on three main areas; financial management, legal, marketing and distribution.

The competition's main aims are to creates jobs and solve problems in Romanian communities. Mona Nicolici, Community Relations Manager at Petrom  said that she hoped the event would “educate participants in the spirit of social entrepreneurship, then give them the funding to set up a sustainable business.”

The competition is organized in partnership with NESsT, an international organization specializing in the development of social enterprises in developing countries. NESsT provides advice on the selection and development of social businesses in the first years of existence.

Liam Lever, liam@romania-insider.com