Deadline: February 28, 2022
Applications are open for the Mastercard/Entrepreneur Middle East Women SME Leaders Awards 2022. As a celebration of women business leaders across the Middle East and Africa, Mastercard has partnered with Entrepreneur Middle East to present the first ever Women SME Leaders Awards 2022.
The awards will recognize and further empower women-owned and run SMEs across the region. They will highlight the individuals and enterprises that are shaping the future of this dynamic region and will culminate in a virtual awards ceremony on March 29, 2022.
Categories
Industry Related Awards
- The Designer: This award category is to recognize the woman SME leader in the design industry, spanning design, fashion, architecture and arts.
- The Logistician: This award category is to recognize a woman SME leader that has made a notable impact within the logistic and transport sector.
- The F&B Leader: This award category is to recognize a woman SME leader in the food and beverage sector who had made a considerable impact in that industry in MEA. This category also includes foodtech food production, cloud kitchens, delivery solutions and aggregator businesses.
- The Retailer: This award category is to celebrate a woman SME leader in the retail sector. The winner for this category should show outstanding leadership skills, healthy busines growth and – for those with teams – creating a diversified working environment.
- The Educator: This award category is to recognize a woman SME leader in the education sector.
- The Real Estate Leader: This award category is to recognize a women SME leader in the real estate or property development sector in the MEA region. This impact could include development of properties or running a successful real estate business.
- The Health Custodian: This award category is to recognize a woman SME leader in healthcare who has made a positive business impact in the MEA region.
- The Hotelier: This award category is to recognize a woman SME leader in hospitality that has made significant contribution in the hospitality, and the entertainment sector.
- The Techie: This award category is to recognize a woman SME leader in the technology sector who has made a positive contribution to the industry in MEA – This includes running a tech business, or creating a digital products and solutions.
- The Professional Service Leader: This award category is to recognize a woman SME leader who has made a positive impact in the professional services sector. This includes finance, insurance, banking, law, management consultancy and other relevant fields.
- The Investor: This award category is to recognize a woman SME leader in the field of investment and venture capital who has a successful track record of profitable investments either in commodities, stock, securities or is leading a venture capitalist firm.
- The Fashion & Beauty Leader: This award category is to recognize and highlight a woman SME leader in the fashion and beauty sector.
- The Media Leader: This award category is to recognize a woman SME leader in the media industry.
Personal Achievement Awards
- The Executive: This award category is to recognize a woman SME leader who has launched a successful business within the past 12 months in any sector.
- The Sports Leader: This award category is to honor a woman SME leader in the sports industry.
- The Artist: This award category is to honor a woman SME leader in arts and culture who has made a significant positive impact on the arts and culture scene within the region.
- The Leader of Tomorrow: This award category is to recognize woman SME leader below the age of 30 who through her talents has achieved significant milestones whether in her career, in the society and the people around her.
- The Humanitarian: This award is to honor a woman SME leader who has made a substantial positive impact on society through charitarian work, help needy people, creating job opportunities, or providing a framework for a better education and healthcare.
- The Visionary: This award category is to recognize a woman visionary –either from the private or public sector– that has led initiatives which has significantly impacted the women-run and owned SME ecosystem in the region.
- The Change Maker: This award will go to a woman that has made an outstanding contribution to creating an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities for women in the workplace in the past three decades and has helped women to break the glass ceiling.
Small Size Businesses Award
- Home-based Business of the Year: This award category is to recognize a company business led or founded by a woman and run exclusively from her place of residence and has been operating for more than two years. The winner of this category should show a significant growth in terms of revenue and the value created.
- Momtrepeneur of the Year: This award category is to recognize a mother who has starter a small business or is part of a small size business. The winner for this category should show significant positive impact of their role on the business and its growth.
Eligibility
- Open to women SME leaders across all walks of life (a small enterprise in trading has a turnover of less than AED50 million and employs between 6 to 50 people) – individuals and organizaitons – to take part.
Application
- To nominate, answer all of the required questions as clearly and concisely as possible.
- Also include a statement of not more than 1000 words on why you deserve to win the award.
- If you’d like to send documents supporting your nomination, collate them in a single PDF file not larger than 10MB and email it to [email protected]
- You will receive a confirmation once your nomination has been received.
For more information, visit SME Leaders Awards.
