Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, Founder and Owner of the easy family and Founder and President of the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, is once again awarding the Stelios Bi-Communal Business Cooperation Awards. This year, the total prize amount has been increased to €410,000, supporting 20 Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot entrepreneurs.
In a press release on Thursday, the foundation says that the Stelios Bi-Communal Awards, now in their 15th year, have become a landmark institution in Cyprus. With the addition of €410,000 this year, the total prize money awarded since the program’s inception has reached €4.8 million, it adds.
A key innovation of this year’s awards is that 10 winning bi-communal business teams will share a total of €410,000, distributed as follows. The Gold Award is €100,000 (€50,000 per entrepreneur – member of the bi-communal team), the two Silver Awards are €50,000 each (€25,000 per entrepreneur – member of the bi-communal team), and the seven Bronze Awards are €30,000 each (€15,000 per entrepreneur – member of the bi-communal team).
Applications for the Stelios Bi-Communal Awards will be accepted from January 2, through February 28. 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.
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 of the Stelios Awards are welcome to apply again, provided they meet all criteria.
The winners will be announced by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou in April 2025. The award ceremony will take place at the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation Headquarters, in Nicosia.
Commenting on the Awards, Sir Stelios stated that “economic cooperation between the two communities in Cyprus is fundamental for building mutual understanding and trust, ultimately contributing to lasting peace on the island.’’ He also expressed his pleasure to see how warmly both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots have embraced them.
