Out of a mass of various innovation and SMEs prices, one award stands out since 5 years now: the INNOVATION AWARD of the Initiative Mittelstand. With the INNOVATION AWARD 2008 of the Initiative Mittelstand not only the companies are awarded but their innovative products, solutions and services for the SMEs. Moreover, there is no prize money waiting for the applicants but PR- and Marketing-services of a total value of 150.000 Euro, that professionally support the awarded companies to efficiently bring their innovative products to the market. For the first time the INNOVATION AWARD of the Initiative Mittelstand is carried out this year under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart. As the unique Innovation Minister of Germany, the topics Innovation and SMEs that are in focus of the INNOVATION AWARD are especially in its interest and he thus highly welcomes this award.
The application is open to all companies of the IT and communication branch, regardless of size, within 33 categories. The INNOVATION AWARD includes this year new categories such as Green IT or On Demand that specially takes up up-to-date topics and trends of the IT and communication branch. In each of the 33 categories a winner will be nominated. To better guarantee a qualified winner selection in the face of a multiplicity of incoming applications, the jury this year enforced itself even more prominently with professors, branch experts and academics. Relevant for the jury`s selection is especially the benefit that SMEs have of the submitted product. Companies can apply free of charge, easily and fast via the online application form www.imittelstand.de/. For the application process it`s enough to enter the most important product and company data. The closing date for applications is February 15th 2008. The awards show takes place as every year with a media efficient event at the CeBIT, the world-wide largest IT and communication fair.
“With a successful participation, companies can pep up their marketing- and PR and present their innovative and forward-looking products to a broad public. This helps to increase the degree of awareness, as well as to boost the competitive position and operational efficiency”, motivates Rainer Kölmel, CEO of the Huber Verlag für Neue Medien GmbH, company that carries out the Innovation Award.
This year the Innovation Award reaches an enormous coverage thanks to an increasing number of media partners. Amongst the partners are Internet World Business, Initiative D21 e.V., Markt und Mittelstand, Channel Partner, Marketing-Börse, ebigo, do it.online, Innovationsreport, PC Professionell, IT im Unternehmen, Mittelstand Direkt, biz-awards, Marktplatz Mittelstand, Förderland, brainGuide, VDEB Verband IT-Mittelstand e.V. and Software-Marktplatz / nomina.