Ben & Jerry’s company has announced a competition for socially responsible European entrepreneurs. The Join Our Core contest encourages them to put their business ideas forward for the chance to get a €10,000 cash prize, mentoring and make their names appear on tubs of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

Photo: Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, from www.bmmagazine.co.uk

Entrants will have to pitch their business idea to a judge panel of industry leaders that include Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield, as well as representatives from Ashoka, VSO and the Fairtrade Foundation. The first 100 entrants, who submit their application before March 15, will get the equivalent of a year’s supply of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

‘When we set-up the company in 1978, Ben and I always believed giving back to the community was as important as making great tasting ice-cream,” says Jerry Greenfield. “That’s why I am really excited about this competition, to find business models with those same values that still lead us today.”

The contest is a great opportunity for young entrepreneurs with a passion for sustainability and changing the way business is done in Europe, says BM Magazine.

Entrants can apply till April 15. 25 entrepreneurial semi-finalists will be invited to present their ideas to the judging panel in London in May, while the 15 finalists chosen by the panel will be taken to Africa this summer for the last stage of the program. They will share social business ideas, live with vanilla farmers and help local development projects in their community.

Five overall winners will receive a €10,000 cash prize and will be featured on a Ben & Jerry’s tub. The Join Our Core community will choose five winners that scoop a ‘People’s Choice Award’and a €1,000 in cash each.