The International Young Interactive Entrepreneur (IYIE) Award is the sixth in this year’s series of the British Council competitions for young creative entrepreneurs. It is designed to champion and celebrate the importance of creative entrepreneurs working in the field of interactive entertainment and media.

In 2008, competitors from the following 8 emerging economies will participate in the IYIE: Brazil, Estonia, India, Indonesia, Poland, Russia, Slovenia and Turkey. Finalists for the Award will visit the UK in November to undertake a common programme where they will take part in valuable networking both with key UK interactive entertainment and media sector partners and amongst their IYIE peers.

The IYIE competition consists of two stages: the selection process in Poland and the world finals in the UK. In the Polish stage of the selection process a professional jury will select the best young entrepreneur / manager in the Polish interactive entertainment and media industry who will then compete for the title of International Young Interactive Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 in the world’s finals in the UK.

The IYCE awards are unique in rewarding entrepreneurial ability. We recognise that a finalist may be active as an interactive artist (game designer, multimedia designer, etc.), however his/her work as an artist should be secondary to their focus as an entrepreneur in the promotion of the interactive entertainment and media in their country. Artistic talent will not be factored into the judging procedure – finalists will be judged solely on the merit of their entrepreneurial abilities in the industry.

You will find the details of the judging process in the rules of the competition.

The winner of the world finals will win the title of International Young Interactive Entrepreneur of the Year 2008, as well as a financial award (value approx. Ł7,500) which will be used for a professional project whose nature will be agreed with the local British Council office. The aim of the Competition is to build relations between the winning country and the UK.

The financial prize is not the only benefit. There will be a 12 day tour of the UK national interactive sector, comprising visits, meetings, seminars, and events. The finalists will visit London and another UK city/region to meet leaders of the interactive sector and participate in a UK international trade event.

Candidates must:

• be aged between 25 and 35
• be a Polish citizen; proof of citizenship must be presented upon the Organiser’s request
• already work in the interactive sector (as defined below)
• be entrepreneurial and have shown their ability in the promotion of the interactive sector in their country, particularly in a commercial context
• through their character, drive and abilities, demonstrate their potential to be a future leader of the sector in their country
• be fluent in English
• be able to travel to the UK in November 2008 (if they win the Polish stage of the Competition).

IYIE candidates must already be active professionally in the local interactive sector, i.e.:

• Interactive leisure software publishers, developers and marketing specialists
• Interactive entertainment developers for the internet, digital television, radio and mobile phones
• Digital and interactive multimedia
• Internet multimedia and web design
• Interactive marketing
• Multimedia and interactive event production
• Experimental media
• Consultants providing specialist services in any of the areas outlined