Projects can now be submitted for the Bank Austria "Best Start 2011" Sponsorship Award
- After the resounding success in 2010, the Bank Austria "Best Start 2011" Sponsorship Award is entering the second round; projects can be submitted from 1 April until 15 May 2011
- Initiatives in the public interest, organisations, associations, NGOs and other institutions are invited to submit interesting projects
"After the great success of our Sponsorship Award in 2010, with almost 80 submissions and a cheque of EUR 50,000 for the winning project, we hope that we will achieve even better results in 2011", says Willibald Cernko, Chairman of Bank Austria's Management Board. "As one of Austria's leading banks we take our social responsibility for the people in our country very seriously. In this context the "Best Start" Sponsorship Award is an important component of our many social initiatives."
Eligibility criteria
The Bank Austria "Best Start 2011" Sponsorship Award is open to initiatives in the public interest, organisations, NGOs, associations and other institutions. The following projects are eligible for participation in the competition:
• Projects which cover the entire country of Austria.
• Projects which focus on children and young people or integration and migration.
• An important criterion is that customers and employees of Bank Austria can make an active contribution to the projects over and beyond any donations.
Voting by the Internet and mobile phone
Submissions are shortlisted by a prominent jury of experts made up of Michael Landau, Caritas director of the Archdiocese of Vienna, Christian Moser, Managing Director of SOS Children's Villages Austria, and Willibald Cernko, before the general public votes for the winning project by SMS, mobile phone or via the Internet from 13 June until 31 August 2011. The proceeds from voting by SMS and mobile phone will go to the projects that make second and third place.
The announcement of the winning project on 5 September will be followed by a public fundraising initiative until the end of the year and by the award ceremony at a grand gala at the beginning of 2012.
Bank Austria is making an additional contribution to the welfare of the community with this initiative, while bringing the work of initiatives of general interest to the attention of the public.
"The 2010 Sponsorship Award was awarded to the "Pilgrim on Tour" project, where persons with disabilities are accompanied to events or on outings, and it was a deserving winner. I personally believe it is very important to familiarise the public with social initiatives in this way. It is also important for employees to become actively involved", says Willibald Cernko.
Further information on the Bank Austria "Best Start 2011" Sponsorship Award is available at 
http://foerderpreis2011.bankaustria.at.
Enquiries: Bank Austria Media Relations Austria
Matthias Raftl, tel. +43 (0) 50505 52809;
e-mail: matthias.raftl@unicreditgroup.at
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