New 11 March deadline for Stelios Bi-Communal Business Cooperation Awards applications

Due to increased interest, the application process for the Stelios Bi-Communal Business Cooperation Awards has been extended until Tuesday, 11 March, 2025, allowing more Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot entrepreneurs to participate in this bi-communal initiative.

Now in its 15th year, the awards continue to foster cooperation between entrepreneurs from both communities, a press release notes.

As every year, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Founder and Owner of the easy family of brands (www.easy.com & www.easyHistory.info) and Founder & President of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation (www.steliosfoundation.com.cy), will honour bi-communal entrepreneurship through the Stelios Bi-Communal Business Cooperation Awards.

This year, he is increasing the total prize fund to €410,000, which will be awarded to 20 Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot entrepreneurs.

Since the program's inception in 2009, the total value of awards granted, including this year’s amount, has reached €4,800,000.

The Award Ceremony will take place on Friday, 11 April, 2025, at 11am at the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation Headquarters, located at 5 Markou Drakou Street, Nicosia. Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou will present the awards to the winners, and the event will be honored by the presence of the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides.

The Bi-Communal Business Cooperation Awards competition will once again focus exclusively on business collaboration between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. A key innovation this year is the structure of the awards:

Ten winning bi-communal business teams will share a total of €410,000, distributed as follows:

• Gold Award: €100,000 (€50,000 per entrepreneur - member of the bi-communal team).
• Two Silver Awards: €50,000 each (€25,000 per entrepreneur - member of the bi-communal team)
• Seven Bronze Awards: €30,000 each (€15,000 per entrepreneur - member of the bi-communal team)

Applications for the Stelios Bi-Communal Awards will be accepted until Tuesday, 11 March, 2025. Interested teams should visit the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation website (www.steliosfoundation.com.cy) to access and download the application form, which must then be submitted via email to marios.missirlis@stelios.com.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot business owners whose ventures have an annual turnover of at least €10,000 and employ at least one staff member in addition to the owner. Applicants must also provide evidence of a joint venture operating within both communities. Previous winners and candidates for the Stelios Awards are welcome to apply again, provided they meet all criteria.

About the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation

The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, a non-profit organisation, dedicated to supporting charitable activities in the countries where Sir Stelios and his family have lived and worked: Cyprus, Greece, the UK, Ireland, Monaco, and France.

In Cyprus, the Foundation’s notable initiatives include the Bi-Communal Business Cooperation Awards and the Youth Entrepreneurship Awards, both offering financial support to winners. In addition, the "Food from the Heart" initiative provides food to thousands facing economic hardship. The Foundation also extends financial aid to vulnerable groups, those impacted by major disasters, charitable organisations, and students through scholarships for university-level studies, the press release concludes.