The jury of the Groninger Ondernemingsprijs (Groningen Entrepreneur Award) announced 10 nominees this week. Out of those, three finalists will emerge in September and the winner will be announced in November this year.
The nominees in alphabetical order are: 365 Werk (Groningen), Bakkerij Haafs (Groningen), Boikon (Leek), EAZ Wind (Hoogezand), Gadero (Groningen), Heiploeg (Zoutkamp), Paragon/Whimzees (Veendam), Qbit (Groningen), Solarfields (Groningen) and Witec (Stadskanaal).
Old and new economy
The Groningen Entrepreneur Awards Foundation aims to stimulate the local economy by showcasing successful local businesses, as well as providing them with an interesting and relevant network to expand their business even further.
“There’s a great mix of companies, both in terms of location and industry”, says jury chairman Patrick Brouns. “Half are from the municipality of Groningen and the other half from the province. The new economy is also well represented, with companies from wind and solar power, cyber security and online sectors. We also see ultramodern companies, giving a new twist to traditional products and services.”
Pitch presentations
The ten nominated companies will be interviewed by industry experts from De Haan Advocaten & Notarissen, BDO Accountants & Adviseurs and Rabobank Stad en Midden Groningen. Based on their findings three finalists will be preselected by the jury, but the final top 3 will be decided after pitches from all ten nominees on September 26. The winner will be announced during the award ceremony in MartiniPlaza Groningen, on Wednesday evening November 27.