Citi calls for applications for 8th Annual Micro Entrepreneur Awards

Applications will be accepted from June 1 - July 31, 2011

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The annual Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards (CMEA) programme today announced that it has initiated a call for entries from micro entrepreneurs across the country. Conceptualized by Citi India, the Awards programme, now in its eight year, has grown to become a global initiative that recognizes and honors exemplary micro entrepreneurs who have overcome economic and social challenges to successfully build self-sustaining micro enterprises. More than 6000 micro-entrepreneurs, from around the country have participated in the previous seven editions and the 77 winners have been awarded over Rs 1 crore. 48% of these winners are women.

Citi India is partnering with Friends of Women’s World Banking, India and MicroSave for this year’s program, which is implemented annually with grant support from Citi Foundation, USA. The program aims to:

• Identify, recognize and honor micro-entrepreneurs and community based enterprises who have overcome poverty to exhibit superior performance, create jobs and add value to society
• Invest in the skill and knowledge of these micro entrepreneurs, so as to support the development of state-of-the-art micro enterprises, and the creation of role models who will inspire and mentor future generations of entrepreneurs
• Analyze and disseminate best practices in micro entrepreneurship, across a wider audience

The Awards are classified into two categories, namely, the Individual Micro Entrepreneur and the Community Owned Enterprise. Within the Individual category special recognition awards will be given for Youth Entrepreneurs, Green Entrepreneurs and Innovative Enterprises. The winning nominations will be selected from across five regions: East, North, North East, South and West and Central.

The 10 winners of the Citi Micro Entrepreneur Awards 2011 will receive a cash prize, a trophy and a citation. They will also be profiled in the annual Citi Micro Entrepreneur Award publication and receive trainings in business development, to enable them to manage their enterprises more efficiently.

NGOs, MFIs, Banks and other organizations working in the sector can nominate micro entrepreneurs that they support and work with. The application form can be downloaded from www.microentawards.in or sought from the CMEA secretariat at info@cmea.in; +91 522 2335734/4063773. The last date for submission of entries is July 31, 2011.

About Citi Foundation:
The Citi Foundation is committed to the economic empowerment and financial inclusion of individuals and families, particularly those in need, in the communities where we work so that they can improve their standard of living. Globally, the Citi Foundation targets its strategic giving to priority focus areas: Microfinance, Enterprise Development, Youth Education and Livelihoods, and Financial Capability and Asset Building. The Citi Foundation works with its partners in Microfinance and Enterprise Development to support environmental programmes and innovations. Additional information can be found at www.citifoundation.com.

About Citi
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com.

Committed to India for over 108 years, Citi takes pride in being a premier locally-embedded financial institution backed by an unmatched international network. Citi's presence in India spans 42 Citibank branches across 30 cities and over 650 ATMs. With capital invested of over US$4 billion, Citi is the single largest foreign direct investor in the financial services industry in India and offers consumers and institutions a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management.  Citi is an employer of choice to approximately 7500 employees in India. Citi's franchise in India includes businesses such as equity brokerage, equities distribution, private banking (Citi Private Bank) and alternate investments and private equity (CVCI). In line with our commitment to make a positive difference in the communities where we work, Citi India's citizenship programmeme targets its strategic efforts in the priority focus areas of Financial Capability & Asset Building, Microfinance & Microenterprise, Small & Growing Businesses, and College & Careers.  Additional information may be found at http://www.online.citibank.co.in/press-room/citi-in-india.htm