By Kabeer Yousuf — MUSCAT: April 11 - A nation-wide awareness campaign on the most coveted title for the SMEs in the country, the Entrepreneurship Award, an outcome of the Royal Directives at the conclusion of the Saih al Shamikhat symposium on SMEs and organised by Riyada (the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises), will begin on Wednesday.
Aiming at reaching out to the thousands of SMEs across the country, the various sessions of the bi-annual event will educate the contestants in terms of the rules governing the award, categories, criteria and registration process to provide potential participants with an interactive platform to enhance their understanding of the award and the necessary requirements to register for the same.
A number of micro, small, and medium enterprises owners are expected to attend these workshops. The timeline of the award, which includes the duration of the awareness campaign, registration and evaluation processes, a part of the final selection and closing ceremony, will be shared with attendees.
“The purpose of the award’s awareness workshops is not only to interact with entrepreneurs, but also organisations and entities to attract their attention and participation,”said Badriya al Hinai, the Project Manager of the award adding that the previous years’ winners will share their success stories and inspire the present potential contestants.
The Entrepreneurship Award was first launched in 2014 aiming at promoting the entrepreneurial culture of Omani society and develop the performance and competitiveness of micro, small, and medium sized enterprises.
Themed “Success is a Shared Responsibility”, this year’s award workshops will primarily focus on motivating people to prepare for the competition beforehand and spread awareness about the gains the participants will receive. Education campaigns will be held in different governorates of the Sultanate including Muscat, Suhar, Buraimi, Sur, Nizwa, Salalah, Ibri, Rustaq and Musandam.
The Entrepreneurship Award which has been recognised by the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management), a not-for-profit foundation, established to support sustainable economic development collaborates with various local organisations and people from several establishments.
The Entrepreneurship Award also focuses on enhancing the culture of entrepreneurship in the Omani society taking part in the country’s several initiatives and efforts to diversify its economy and supporting both public and private sector.
The award also aims on strengthening the performances of micro, small and medium enterprises whilst building their capabilities to prepare them for a competitive market. It aims to boost the caliber and competitiveness of SMEs as well as distinguish institutions and individuals offering their support to them through appreciation and deliverance of an opportune environment to network and exchange knowledge in this field of expertise.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
