MINSK, 15 April (BelTA) - The applications for the national round of the international contest Entrepreneur of the Year will be open until 30 May 2014, BelTA learnt from the organizers of the contest.

To participate in the contest one should be a citizen of Belarus who started a Belarusian company or who is a business partner with at least a 20% stake in a Belarusian company, or a member of top executive management. He should be the person who has been in charge of the development of the enterprise for at least the last three years and has been actively involved in the management of the business. The company should exist in the market for at least five years and have revenue exceeding $1 million annually over the last two years.

The final stage of the national contest will be held in Minsk in late November 2014. The independent jury will name winners in a number of nominations. The winner of the national stage of the Entrepreneur of the Year contest who will be representing Belarus in Monte Carlo in June 2015. The international contest Entrepreneur of the Year is held annually according to the international program Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

The national jury of the contest includes well-known businessmen and entrepreneurship experts. Members of the jury believe that the contest will bolster the development of companies and help them become part of the international business community. Sergei Rumas, Chairman of the Board of the Development Bank of Belarus, expects that the participation in the contest will become a new landmark, a stimulus for further growth.

Another member of the jury - Oleg Khusayenov, Director General of Zubr Capital, Chairman of the Board of the Atlant-M holding company, and winner of the national round of the 2009 Entrepreneur of The Year in Russia contest - encourages entrepreneurs “to expose themselves to the world”. “The companies are like children. When they appear, their parents try to protect them from the outer world and “keep them in the shade”. But when children become older, parents bring them to school. The same about companies: at a certain stage of development they need more publicity as it gives them an impetus for further development,” Oleg Khusayenov said.

Aleksei Zhukov, Director General of the Alutech Group of companies, believes that the contest is a wonderful opportunity to promote a businessman and, consequently, to promote his company. “Besides, the contest gives businessmen an opportunity to win the recognition of their colleagues,” Aleksei Zhukov noted.

EY Managing Partner for Belarus Pavel Lashchenko emphasized the role that entrepreneurs play in the modern world as they create millions of jobs and make the world a better place. “We believe that it is high time Belarus told the whole business world about our entrepreneurs, about people who inspire others by their achievements and set an example for future generations,” Pavel Lashchenko said.

The Entrepreneur of The Year Award presented by the EY company is the first and the only international prize of the kind. The contest recognizes the contribution of the leading entrepreneurs to the national and international economy. It is expected to boost business activity and economic growth in the participating countries and to set role models for the present-day and future businessmen. The contest has been held since 1986. Today 60 countries hold national elimination rounds. Russia has been partaking in the competition since 2003, Kazakhstan since 2007.