What is it?

Életpálya Alapítvány (the Hungarian LiveWIRE Foundation), founded in 1993, helps young people (between 18 and 32) to start-up their own businesses in Hungary. Its objective is to provide support and access to guidance to young entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs. The head office is in Budapest, where the only 2 two employees work. But the foundation can count on its 50 voluteers a well. Életpálya Alapítvány adapted the LiveWIRE know-how in 1993, became in Hungary the exclusive representative of the Youth Business International Network in 2001, and founded YES! For Hungary. It works together with many other organisations focusing on the young adults, but also has its own educational programs. for specialized school students and other disadvantaged target groups.

Why is it needed? Around one of five young people is not in work, education or training. Youth unemployment costs the economy billions in lost productivity, while youth crime costs even more every year. They address this by giving practical and financial support to the young people who need it most. They help to develop key skills, confidence and motivation, enabling young people to move into work, education or training.

The results: Életpálya Alapítvány helped more than 15.000 young people during this period to start-up their own businesses. They microcredited 60 young entrepreneur. 800 young people took part in the competition 'The most promising entrepreneur of the year', where they won several prizes (money, mentoring, services). 150 short films on the finalist were made. They educated hundreds of disadvantaged youngsters (grouos of unemployed, women, specialised school students) how to become an entrepreneur. They run programmes that encourage young people to take responsibility for themselves - helping them build the life they choose. How it works? The centre office coordinates the system with only two employees. Életpálya Alapítvány relies heavily on its own 3-stage volunteers network. It has coordinators in the country, who are available during the whole year for the young 'wannabe-entrepreneurs', giving free advices (personally or via telephone/internet) about starting a new business and factors that should be considered. Then they could send the youngsters to the business consultants of the foundation - who are the practicing specialist of different territories in connection with entrepreneurship (e.g. accounting, finance, law, marketing). And finally, the mentors help them during the realizational period, when they are already operating their business.

Start-up services for the young entrepreneurs

• Get free help from coordinators, business consultants and mentors
• Download guides on 'Writing your first business plan" for free
• Apply for business funding (start up loans at low rate) is open for those who are unable to raise all the finances to start-up a business from other sources (for example banks, local finance providers, friends and family)
• Take part in the Most promising young entrepreneur of the year business plan writing competition
• Promoting business - social networking
• Take part in trainings, educational programs

They are ready share their experinces with others. For further information please contact:

Ágnes Kiss director of Életpálya Alapítvány

Office: 1143 Budapest, Gizella út 42-44.
Mobile: +36 -30-411-7151
E-mail: kiss.agnes@eletpalya.hu
Website: www.eletpalya.hu

Press Release Életpálya Alapítvány/ Hungarian LiveWIRE Foundation - We search for the most promising enterpreneur of 2011! Business plan writing competition

...They are more than we can imagine!

2011 was the 18th year when the Hungarian LiveWire Foundation traditionally searched for those 18-32 year old young people, who have a competitive idea, excellent professional knowledge and the potential ability to become a uccessful enterpreneurs managing sustainable enterprizes. Since 1993, we arrange this business plan writing competition year by year.

The candidates were selected though 3 steps: at the first round they had to fulfil the formal criterias of the business plan. After meeting the criteria of our mature evaluation system, 22 applications were accepted for the semi finals and 11 applications for the final, where the candidates had to present their plans for the jury. At the final the jury of eight professionals had a difficult task by choosing the best 3 applications of the 11 great ideas and candidates.

Tibor Opauszki and László Opauszki got the first place with a young enterprise. The TLSoft Intelligent Solutions Ltd. operates with webshops based on Magento and developing facebooks applications. They have international business linkages as well, exspecially in England.

Tamás Magda and Attila Balogi (photo) reached the second place. Their product is the gyakornok.com website, wich makes contact between the employers and the students who search trainee opportunities.

Petra Koós caught the third place at the competition, paralelly she is the most promosing woman enterpreneur as well. The name of her business idea is Genetrix. This will be a website presenting and promoting Hungary's thermal waters abroad.

The professional semi-final and final juries consisted of the following members: young enterpreneurs (earlier winners), senior consultants of the foundation, entrepreneurship university professors, senior advisors of Accenture Ltd. Hungary, the project manager and owner of Moha Entrepreneurial Incubator House, the Network CFO of Shell Hungary Rt. and the manager of HVG Publisher Company.

The main selection criteria were:

The 2 main sponsors of the competiton were Accenture Ltd. supporting the program with 1,5 million HUF and Moha Enterpreneurial Incubator House providing the locations of the program. 16 companies and persons offerd special prizes for the 11 candidates in the extract of more 2 million HUF.

Shell Hungary Rt. continuously support the initiative from the start. This year Shell Hungary Rt. provided petrol vouchers for five participants of the final in the amount of 30 thousand HUF each. Zoltán Barabás, the Network CFO of Shell Hungary Rt. and member of the final jury made a generous personal offering (an intensive mentoring for 3 month) for one promising young entrepreneur to embrace her idea.

For more details, photos and videos visit our website or our facebook site:
http://www.eletpalya.hu/magyar/fotoalbum/index.php
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001645591272&sk=photos

We are going to search for the most promising entrepreneur of 2012! Details soon.