NINTH EDITION OF T-MOBILE TAKEOFFS TO HELP START-UP BUSINESSES

Up to 42 winners can win prizes worth nearly CZK 3.5 million

The national winner of the jury prize can win a prize worth CZK 750,000

Projects can be registered from 28 January until 4 March

This edition’s innovation: CMA prize for young talents

 

28 January 2019 – For the ninth time, T-Mobile will support start-up businesses within the T-Mobile Takeoffs (“T-Mobile Rozjezdy”) programme. Up to 42 originators of interesting business ideas can look forward to prizes in the total value of nearly CZK 3.5 million which include, among other things, financial support to start a business, packages of services and tangible prices that are necessary for doing business. Consultations by experts are also an integral part of the provided support. Projects can be registered from 28 January until 4 March at www.rozjezdy.cz.

“T-Mobile Takeoffs helps everybody who has an innovative business idea and plan,” says Martina Kemrová, Corporate Communication Manager at T-Mobile, adding: “Even if they do not win in the end, our participants often speak highly of the fact that their discussions with the jury, experts and other contestants help them clarify the objectives of their projects and also whether their idea stands any chance with customers.”

Everybody who is planning to start a business or is already engaged in business activities can send their application to enter the competition. The only decisive factor is the time for which the applicant has been doing business in relation to the idea they wish to register in the project – it cannot be longer than 12 months. Contestants can have a business identification number for a longer time.

Jury and prizes

The jury composed of experts, successful entrepreneurs and investors, such as Margareta Křížová and Martin Korman, will judge not only innovative ideas but also the implementation of the business plans. The national winner can look forward to prizes in the total value of approximately CZK 750,000. In addition to a financial donation of CZK 200,000 from T-Mobile, the prizes include an advertising and PR campaign in the aggregate value of CZK 285,000, consultancy and tangible prizes from the partners of the programme.

Consultancy focused on financial planning will be donated to the national winner by ČSOB. “We have decided to join T-Mobile’s project and thus support entrepreneurs at the start of their business activities. We are aware of the difficulties and obstacles that need to be overcome from the very beginning, that is from the inception of an idea of setting up one’s own business. Therefore, we focus not only on an offer of banking products for start-up businesses, but also on consultancy, which is no less important. The national winner will therefore receive from us, among other prizes, consultations in the area of finance,” says Martin Pěchouček, Corporate Banking at ČSOB.

This edition’s innovation is a Special Prize of the Czech Management Association for young talents. The association will select three winners under the age of 35 from among the regional winners ranking in the first to third place, who will be given an opportunity to take part in the XY – Transfer mentoring programme and thus gain experience from older colleagues. “Seeking out beginning entrepreneurs and giving them recognition and visibility through a competition and subsequently supporting their successful projects is an approach that we clearly consider to be effective. I believe that our partnership with T-Mobile Takeoffs will bring another multiplicative dimension to the competition,” says Ivo Gajdoš, CMA’s Executive Director.

Previous editions of T-Mobile Takeoffs

The winner of the last year’s edition of the programme was Pavel Buben’s Glucly application, which is intended to make life easier for all diabetics and is available for iOS and Android phones. The prize of the public went to the Střecha (“Roof”) social bistro in Prague’s Žižkov district, which gives a second chance to homeless people and people with a criminal record.

In the eight previous editions of T-Mobile Takeoffs, more than 25,480 prospective participants registered on the programme’s website and its Facebook page gained more than 6,000 followers. Approximately 91 day-long workshops were attended by more than 4,600 beginning entrepreneurs. Within the competitions, the jury evaluated 3,500 registered projects, of which 421 were selected as winners, who received prizes in the aggregate amount of nearly CZK 39 million.

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

T-Mobile Takeoffs is a long-term programme aimed at supporting start-up businesses. It offers free regional workshops on issues relating to starting a business; another part of the programme involves a competition for the best business idea and business plan. From 28 January until 4 March, those who have not yet started a business or who have had a business license in relation to a particular idea for less than 12 months can register in the competition at www.rozjezdy.cz. In each region, three programme participants can win and receive financial support, advisory services from experts in different areas of business, packages of services and tangible prizes. The national winner is selected by the jury. In addition to that, online voting is held to determine the winner of the prize of the public. The innovation of this year’s edition is a special prize awarded by CMA for young talents. Free regional workshops that are open to the broader public take place in March and April.

The partners of this year’s edition of T-Mobile Takeoffs are the Czech Management Association, ČSOB, Expertia, Samsung and StartupJobs. The expert partners are Proboston and AC&C Public Relations, and the regional partners are Bea centrum, DEPO 2015, Dům Techniky Pardubice (House of Technology Pardubice), the Faculty of Social and Economic Studies of Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, Impact Hub Brno, Innovation Centre of the Ústí nad Labem Region, South Bohemian Agency for Support to Innovative Enterprising, South Bohemian Science and Technology Park, South Moravian Innovation Centre, Kanov, Plzeň Regional Chamber of Commerce, Lipo.ink, Moravian Business College Olomouc, Moravian-Silesian Innovation Centre, P-PINK, Central Bohemian Innovation Centre and Technology Centre Hradec Králové.

T-Mobile Czech Republic, a member of the international telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom, has almost 6.2 million customers, the number-one operator in the Czech market. T-Mobile is an integrated operator: in addition to telecommunications services, it offers comprehensive ICT solutions not only for companies, but also for other organizations and individuals. It provides outstanding services in the high-speed network, which was proved repeatedly by benchmark testing performed by umlaut (former P3) with Best-in-Test seal.

T-Mobile Czech Republic places emphasis on taking a responsible approach to the environment and society. It adheres to fair business practices, helps beneficial applications and services to see the light of day, supports non-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals, and lends a helping hand whenever crisis situations arise. The company’s employees serve as volunteers in many places across the entire Czech Republic.

More information about the company is available at www.t-mobile.cz, www.t-press.cz (the portal for journalists) and www.t-mobile.cz/pomahame (information on the company’s CSR activities).

Contact details of the press unit: press@t-press.cz.