LiveWIRE Brunei launched its 12th LiveWIRE Brunei Business Award to reward and give recognition to those who are outstanding in their business planning and existing business operations. An initiative by LiveWIRE Brunei, and fully funded by Brunei Shell Petroleum Sdn Bhd (BSP) with the objective to support the Country’s continuous effort to diversify economically active participation for rapid development in SMEs in Brunei.
The official launching ceremony held today (Wednesday, 20th February 2019) at the Press Conference Hall of International Convention Centre (ICC) was attended and launched by Guest of Honor, Yang Mulia Pengiran Haji Mohd Hasnan bin Pengiran Haji Ali Hassan, Permanent Secretary (Industry) of the Ministry of Energy, Manpower and Industry. Other attendees included Ms Tutiaty Abdul Wahab, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Corporate & Industry) and Pengiran Haji Jamra Weira bin Pengiran Haji Petra, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Energy & Power), Ministry of Energy, Manpower and Industry.
Delivering her welcoming remarks was Dayang Hajah Rosita binti Haji Hassan, In Country Value Manager at BSP and Chairperson of LiveWIRE Brunei Board of Director.
Since 2001 the programme has evolved to include preferences which particularly serve national interest that are industry-focused and participated from recipients of the Brunei Entrepreneurship Education Scheme (BEES), LiveWIRE Energy Programme (EP), BSP Energy
Business Academy (EBA), Shell LiveWIRE International “Let’s Go Trade” programme (LGT), Higher Institution Entrepreneurship Programme (HI-EP) and other collaborated programmes such as the LiveWIRE Business Plan Series (BPS) as well as other agencies such as Youth Development Centre (YDC) and other private colleges. Other entries also consist of categories from secondary schools, pre-university, tertiary, higher education and LiveWIRE programme alumni.
Examples of industries that have been added as special preferences include Automation and Robotics, Food Security Aquaculture & Agriculture, Padi Plantation (AgroBIZ) and Agropreneur, Energy Solutions and Innovation, and Ecotourism.
The BASfs was officially launched parallel to the LiveWIRE Business Award 2017-2018 in April 2018. BASfs is specifically for Bruneians participating in participants of the LiveWIRE
Brunei Business Awards in the following categories; Category A (Business Plan) -LiveWIRE Programme Participants and Category B (Enterprise) – LiveWIRE Business Start-Up (6 months to 3 years in business). The BASfs will also be extended to include nominees from the LiveWIRE Business Plan Series and those selected from other collaborative programmes such as AgroBIZ and Energy Solutions.
Successful BASfs recipients will receive interest-free loans with a flexible payment system, mentorship for a period of 36 months, and funding is in accordance to the percentage of start-up capital, ranging of from BND5,000 to BND50,000. The intent of this is to assist in the start-up of business and to accelerate those who are already in business, to support and enable sustainable businesses, as well as to secure start-up capital of the earlier phase of their businesses.
In July 2018, five recipients of BASfs signed their first contract agreement amounting to BND155,000, and subsequently another BND140,000 BND145,000 was also awarded to eight local startups on January 2019.
The Exemplary Awards, a special category introduced in 2013 consists of LiveWIRE alumni with remarkable progress and development, carefully selected enterprises that have attained a high degree of achievement in their entrepreneurship venture, in areas of technical skills and know-how, and management style in reaching their goals. This award consist of the “Most Outstanding Enterprising Company”, the “Most Sustainable Enterprising Company”, the “Most Progressive Achiever” and the “Most Innovative Enterprise”.
Another award also presented this year is the Most Promising Young Entrepreneur, awarded to an enterprising individual who possesses exceptional entrepreneurial skills that although embarked in a recent start-up has demonstrated strong business management in planning, financial and operational aspect, with noticeable and progressive development, as well as portrays enterprising characteristic with great potential.
Among them is Adrian Tan Vui Shing who won the Most Promising Award for Brunei in the ASEAN Business Awards 2017 in Manila, for his design and printing company Printmartz Advertising. Printmartz Advertising also won “Most Progressive Achiever” during the 2015 LiveWIRE Business Awards. In 2018, another LiveWIRE Alumna Johari Brahim was recognized for his achievement in securing engagement with the Energy Industry, obtaining contract worth millions. Johari had also been invited to the Top Ten Global Innovators (TTI) in Kuching, as well as presented special showcase video show in Amsterdam the same year. He had also been previously awarded the Most Outstanding Enterprising Company during the 2015 LiveWIRE Business Awards.
The submission deadline for the LiveWIRE Brunei Business Awards 2019 is on 20th May 2019, followed by the judging process in the following month; and consequently, the prize presentation ceremony in July 2019. Further information can be obtained on www.livewirebruneibusinessawards2019.com.