1. International mentorship

An appropriate expert in the winner’s field will be chosen to mentor them for at least 6 months and up to a year. They will have a face to face meeting in their first trip and then maintain regular meetings by phone and email. The finalists will be asked to think of a particular project or aspect of their business that they would like their mentor to help them with (to be agreed by BC and mentor). This plan will be discussed and developed with Creative Business Expert Fran Medley, who will also be able to suggest other areas of interest. The mentor will provide advice from their own experience, contacts and networks and knowledge of the sector in the new market (eg. UK).

2. Exposure to new (UK/HK) market, culture and network

The winners will take part in two fully paid trips to a new market (UK or HK). During this trip they will meet leaders and entrepreneurs in their sector to understand the business culture better and make new contacts. They will also spend some time meeting with their peers in that country and be encouraged to join in the young creative entrepreneurs’ network which the Council has developed around the world.

3. Work Placement

During their second trip, winners will have the opportunity to do a placement for 10 days at their mentor’s company or another suitable organisation in the new market. This will be organised at a time suitable for them and could also coincide with a trade fair or industry event of interest. Winners can of course stay longer than a week, but will only be given subsistence and accommodation for 10 days. Alternatively they can have the value that such a trip (hotel etc) would cost to put towards staying longer in the new culture and doing something else of interest, provided it’s agreed with the BC first. Examples of this would be attending NESTA training or the B.Tween interactive conference in Sheffield.

4. Become part of the growing creative network under British Council Creative Entrepreneur Programmes

The winners will become a member of the extensive and growing young creative entrepreneur cluster that the British Council has brought together globally and have opportunities to network and share experience with peers in the creative economies in countries including Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Egypt, Estonia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela and Vietnam.