30under30 is an Anthill initiative that was launched in early 2008 to encourage and promote entrepreneurship among young Australians. Thirty entrepreneurs under the age of 30 will be identified and profiled by Anthill, in recognition of their outstanding entrepreneurial endeavours.

Applications for 2009 are now closed.

Full winners list 2009
Full winners list 2008

How does it work?

30under30 is built around a program of self-selection/application. While a third party can ‘nominate’ a worthy young entrepreneur, the onus lies on the applicant to complete an online application form, asking the applicant to ‘sell’ his/her entrepreneurial qualities.

To be eligible for the 2009 program, the entrepreneur must be under 30 years of age and must be an Australian citizen at the date of publication/announcement (July 1, 2009).

The process

Stage 1: Nominations open (2 March 2009)

This is your chance to self-nominate or nominate another young entrepreneur. Simply follow the links below and above, then follow the prompts. You will be asked to insert the name and contact details of the nominee in the fields provided and your own details if you are nominating a third party and wish to be acknowledged. Click here to nominate.

Stage 2: Applications open (2 March – 25 May 2009)

Nominees will be alerted via email (and post if appropriate) that the application stage has opened. This stage requires the nominee/applicant to complete an online survey. The information in this online survey will be used to determine the nominee/applicant’s eligibility and shortlist Finalists. Click here to apply.

Stage 3: Judging

Finalists will be contacted in late May should the judging panel require further information. The absence of contact does not necessarily indicate that a nominee/applicant has or has not been selected as a Finalist. Contact also does not necessarily indicate that a nominee/applicant has or has not been selected as a Finalist.

Stage 4: The Winner’s Announcement

Finalists and Winners will be identified by Anthill for announcement in early July, 2009. Thirty young entrepreneurs will be identified (Finalists), as well as category winners. The organisers reserve the right to eliminate or add award categories to reflect the quality and background of applications.

What makes a person entrepreneurial?

An entrepreneur is generally thought of as someone who organises a business venture and assumes the risk for it. However, being entrepreneurial also requires a range of personal traits and qualities:

• Creativity

Innovative Thinking
Marketing/Product Development Flair
Personal Branding

• Perseverance

Survival Skills
‘Out of Square’ Thinking
‘Luck’ Exploitation
Opportunity Identification

• Skills of Persuasion

Team Building
Management
Capital Raising
Sales Skills

The 30 entrepreneurs profiled will be evaluated against other entrants from their age set (ie. It doesn’t make sense to measure the achievements of a 19 year-old with a 29 year-old) and according to set criteria, based on the qualities identified above.

Applications are now closed for 2009.

Proud Sponsors of the 30under30 Awards