The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is hosting the CIPE 2012 International Youth Essay Competition. CIPE invites youth (aged 18 – 30) from around the world to tell their stories about democracy and entrepreneurship.

This year, they are accepting essays in any of these three categories:

1) Entrepreneurship and innovation: Beyond technology. 

What barriers do young entrepreneurs in your country face in translating their ideas into products and services? How do young entrepreneurs in your country foster new ways of acting and thinking? What supporting institutions do young innovators need to succeed?

2) Inclusive growth: Entrepreneurial Environment for scaling-up business. 

What challenges do youth-led businesses and entrepreneurs in your country face when they’re expanding their enterprises? What opportunities do youth-led businesses and entrepreneurs have to succeed in your country and what are some of the success stories? In your society, what tools or institutions do entrepreneurs need to grow small enterprises into larger and prosperous businesses?

3) Social transformations: The role of entrepreneurs in building democratic societies. 

How can entrepreneurship among youth strengthen newly formed or emerging democracies? How are young entrepreneurs from different backgrounds participating in your country’s democracy? In what ways are young entrepreneurs contributing to social transformations in your country?

The competition deadline is Friday, October 19, 2012.

Winners of receive a $500 honorarium, and CIPE publishes winning essays as part of its bi-monthly Economic Reform Feature Service paper series. One grand prize winner will be invited to an all-expenses paid trip to attend CIPE’s upcoming Democracy that Delivers for Entrepreneurs conference in the U.S. planned for April 2013. 

Rules and guidelines for the competition can be found here.