Ben & Jerry's Join Their Core Competition

by Startacus Admin

Although they’re primarily known for their wonderful ice creams, Ben & Jerry’s have also become synonymous with encouraging and nurturing social businesses and projects.

One way that they have done just that is through their Join our Core competition and since they’ve just launched this year’s comp, we thought we’d give you all the lowdown on what it’s all about this time around.

In this year’s Join Our Core programme, they’re looking for innovative business ideas from applicants aged 18-40 who are living in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands or Sweden. Those ideas should have the potential to deliver a positive social and environmental impact and at the same time the potential to be financially sustainable. Projects and ideas should be significantly different from similar businesses in their particular sector. 

Now here’s where it gets even more interesting! All applicants must be able to commit to running a crowdfunding campaign from mid May with a goal of raising at least €20,000.

Why? Well because those fab Ben & Jerry’s folk will train up five finalists from each country to run the most amazing crowdfunding campaigns to help get their ideas off the ground. There’ll be marketing training to help with the preparation and planning of the campaigns, promotion of the campaigns themselves to Ben & Jerry’s fans online and also at offline events. All in all - everything will be done to ensure the lucky finalists have the optimum chance of success with their fundraising missions.

Up to 2 overall winners will then be selected and Ben & Jerry’s will commit to funding 20% of the crowdfunding target ( up to the value of €10,000). As well as that they’ll receive mentoring support from the Unilever Foundry for three months.

Pretty good prize, don’t ya think?

Fancy your chances? You’ve got until 5pm on 16th March 2015 to get your entry in. Here’s a link where you can do just that!

Even better, there is an early bird option with a deadline of 5pm on 2nd March 2015 - the first 100 entrants who apply by that date will receive some ice cream prizes and some fab Ben & Jerry’s merchandise.

Now then! What are you waiting for?

Best of luck to any of you who enter!

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Published on: 19th February 2015