1.What is Mashroo3i?
Mashroo3i Youth Business Awards engages young Bahrainis in an attractive business plan competition. It is designed to help contestants learn all about making business plans and prototypes and to inspire them to choose business as an option for their future careers.
Please refer to About Mashroo3i Page for more details.
2.How long has Mashroo3i been running so far?
Mashroo3i first launched in 2012, and continues to run successfully each year.
3.What is unique about Mashroo3i?
Mashroo3i gives the participants an opportunity to learn what it takes to turn their ideas into a viable business. Through its journey they will also learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurial success and will gain practical experience.
In addition, the competition provides participants with a chance to build their network in the business world, starting with mentors and with all the different parties involved in this initiative.
4.Who can join Mashroo3i?
To be able to participate you need to be:
1- A Bahraini National
2- You can only participate as a team of 2 – 5 members
3- All team members should be between 15 and 26 years of age.
4- You have a successful business idea, courage and commitment to participate.
Please refer to About Mashroo3i page for more details
5.Can a previous participant of Mashroo3i join the competition once again?
Participants in previous editions of Mashroo3i can participate in the current year but only with new business ideas.
6.How many members can be part of one team?
Members of a team can range from 2 to 5 persons. You must be a team to participate. Therefore, you cannot participate as a single individual
7.Will contestants in a high school level (15 – 18 years old) compete against those in a university level (18 – 26 years old)?
The competition this year is arranged in 2 paths, which will allow contestants aged 15 – 18 years old to compete separately from those aged 18 – 26 years old.
For more details please refer to the Competition Structure Page.
8.Can i participate as a team of mixed age groups (some members are below 18 and other above)?
Yes you can, but in this condition the team leader MUST be from the elder age group (18 – 26 years old) and the team will then enter the competition in the advanced track.
9.Do I need to pay anything to enter the competition?
There are no fees to enter Mashroo3i Youth Business Awards. Tamkeen will bear all expenses related to the Business Plan & Prototype creation throughout the competition.
10.How can I register in Mashroo3i?
1- Visit Mashroo3i website www.tamkeen.bh/Mashroo3i
2- Click on the Registration Tab. You can opt to fill the application in Arabic or in English.
3- If this is the first attempt to register you will be required to create an account. If you already have an account, you will be asked to provide your account login details.
4- Read and accept the competition rules and guidelines and then press (Apply for Mashroo3i). Remember that you will always have the option to save your application and complete it at a later time.
5- Follow the directions given which will take you through the below steps:
- Submit your team members’ details and appoint the team leader. You will need to upload a CPR copy and a singed guardian consent form for those below 18 years of age.
- Fill the Business Idea Model provided
- Submit a 60 – 90 Seconds video explaining your business idea
6- Once the thank you message appears that means that your application was successfully submitted. If you were shortlisted, you will hear back from Tamkeen before Nov 25th.
7- Keep in mind that once the application is submitted, you will not be able to add additional members or to change your application.
Please refer to Mashroo3i Registration Video for more details.
11.Are there any restrictions on business ideas submitted to Mashroo3i?
When registering for Mashroo3i it is important to keep in mind that the selection committee will be looking for original, innovative and realistic business ideas that can be turned into real successful ventures. For this reason merchandising & franchising ideas will not be accepted.
As for ideas related to the production of food, direct selling of pets or hazardous products, those will only be considered as concepts but not as actual products.
12.What should I present in the submitted video?
The purpose of the video is to give the potential participating team a fair chance to convince the selection committee about how successful their business idea is and to show them how passionate and keen the team is to participate. Keep in mind that the video must be no longer that 60 – 90 seconds in duration.
In the video, the team can stress on one or more of the below points:
- Teams’ consideration of the work scope and how to consolidate the main areas of the business
- Uniqueness of the idea
- Value proposition
- Revenue stream
- Market segmentation
13.How will my business idea be protected from plagiarism (or copyright infringement)?
Your personal information as well as your business idea details will be saved in a confidential manner with Tamkeen and will not be used without your permission.
14.What is the selection criteria to join Mashroo3i?
After registering through www.tamkeen/Mashroo3i.bh you will go through the below screening system:
1st Screening: You will be evaluated based on the merits of your online business idea and video submission by the screening panel
2nd Screening: The team leader will be invited for an entrepreneurial aptitude personality assessment and an interview if required.
In general the best entries will be shortlisted on the basis of profitability, feasibility and innovation, as well as the entrepreneurial potential of the team leader
Please refer to the Competition Structure Page for more details.
15.How will I be notified if I was selected to join Mashroo3i?
If you were shortlisted to join Mashroo3i, the team leader will receive an email informing him / her about their selection. The team leader will also be contacted through the contact numbers provided in their application by Nov 25th.
16.What is my expected level of commitment throughout the competition phases?
Once the team is shortlisted to enter the Business Planning phase of the competition, all team members will be expected to attend the bellow events:
1- An intensive 4-day training program (4 hours per day) between Nov 29 and Dec12 2015.
2- 1-hour weekly meeting with your mentor to develop the teams’ business plan every Saturday between Jan 16 and March 12 2016.
3- The business plan presentation on the 25th or 26th of March 2016
After the presentations, if your team was among the 30 teams joining in the Prototype Phase, you will be expected to:
1- Attend 1 hour weekly meeting with your mentor to develop your business prototype. Those sessions will be arranged from April 2-30, 2016. It’s important to highlight that during this phase the contestants will be required to work closely with a number of suppliers, which may require additional time outside their weekly meetings with their mentor.
2- Be available at all times in your stand during the 2 days public exhibition (12 hours per day) which will be held in one of the active shopping malls in the kingdom on the 12th and 13th of May 2016.
3- Attend the final awards ceremony on May 14th 2016.
Please refer to the Competition Structure Document available on the Competition Structure Page for more details.