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Entries have opened for the dotCoop Global Awards for Cooperative Excellence.
Created to recognise the application of co-operative values and principles to drive co-operative and business success, the awards encourage co-ops from all sectors to examine their processes and help others understand how the movement can best use its differences to impact business and the community.
To recognise the efforts of members and staff during the International Year of Co-operatives, the awards criteria has this year been opened up to allow entrants to share information about their 2012 activities and their plans for the Co-operative Decade.
The winning entries in each category will receive USD 2,000 to help them travel to Cape Town to accept their award and to share their expertise with other co-operators at the ICA Global Conference and General Assembly in November 2013.
Categories are organised so co-operatives of every size have an opportunity to win. Winners and those recognised for honorable mentions have come from every continent and co-operative sector. And, the organisers say a new application form has been developed to make the entry process easier and encourages entrants to keep responses brief.
dotCoop CEO Carolyn Hoover said: “Global Award winners in 2011 came from all over the world and from a variety of sectors. We had some great feedback from the judges and entrants in 2011 and have worked on streamlining the entry process for everyone.”
Organisers are also seeking sponsors for the awards, who will be recognised at the ICA General Assembly and associated with the awards until 2015. A panel of judges that represent the global co-operative movement are also being sought to look over entries, for consideration send a curriculum vitae to dotCoop by 15 February.
• The dotCoop Global Awards site is now accepting entries online: www.globalawards.coop. The deadline for entries is 31 July. For updates and answers to questions from other entrants, follow the awards on Twitter at @dotCoopAwards.
Picture: dotCoop award winners at the ICA General Assembly in Cancun in 2011.
