GEW / Netherlands took home the top honors for GEW Country of the Year for 2010, edging out the previous year’s winners, GEW / Canada.
Under the guidance of the HOPE Entrepreneurship Center – a joint program of Erasmus University Rotterdam, TU Delft and Leiden University – the Dutch campaign was recognized for a number of reasons including the quality of activities, led by ‘Meet the Dragons’ which offered a chance at up to 1 million euros from high-powered investors. Another contributing factor was the impressive collaboration among the three universities who rotate primary responsibility for GEW planning from year to year.
GEW / Canada again received strong support for the award, buoyed by overall campaign growth and the role its Host, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, played in getting Prime Minister Stephen Harper to declare 2011 as “the Year of the Entrepreneur” throughout the country.
The Country of the Year award was just one handed out during the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Shanghai earlier this spring with delegates from nearly 100 countries participating.
The full list of award winners – and runners up – include:

• Country of the Year Award: GEW / Netherlands (HOPE Entrepreneurship Center)Country of the Year Award is given to the Host who runs the best overall Global Entrepreneurship Week campaign.
  • Winner Netherlands
  • Runner-up Canada 
• Compass Award: GEW / Denmark (Ministry for Economic & Business Affairs) The Compass Award is given to the Host who best advances the Global Entrepreneurship Week brand throughout their national campaign.
  • Winner Denmark
  • Finalists Bolivia, Brazil, Ghana, Turkey
• Buzz Builder Award: GEW / Ecuador (Fundacion Emprender)The Buzz Builder Award is given to the Host who generates the most social media support for their achievements during Global Entrepreneurship Week. 
  • Winner Ecuador
  • Runners-up Brazil, India, Malaysia, Mexico
• Hosts’ Choice Award: GEW / Brazil (Endeavor Brazil)The Hosts’ Choice Award is given by Hosts to a colleague who best exemplifies the spirit of Global Entrepreneurship Week and runs the most inspirational campaign.
  • Winner Brazil
• Champion Catalyzer Award: Most Activities: GEW / Russia (JA Russia & US Russia Center for Entrepreneurship)The Champion Catalyzer Award – Most Activities is given to the Host whose country registered the most Global Entrepreneurship Week activities.
  • Winner Russia
  • Runners-up France, Germany, United States, United Kingdom
• Champion Catalyzer Award – Most Activities Per Capita: GEW / Iceland (Innovit Entrepreneurship Center)The Champion Catalyzer Award – Most Activities Per Capita is given to the Host whose country registered the most Global Entrepreneurship Week activities per capita.
  • Winner Iceland
  • Runners Up Bermuda, Barbados, Paraguay, Lithuania
• Champion Catalyzer Award – Most Partners: GEW / Russia (JA Russia & US Russia Center for Entrepreneurship)The Champion Catalyzer Award – Most Partners is given to the Host who built the largest network of partners in support of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
  • Winner Russia
  • Runners-up France, United Kingdom, Brazil, United States
• Champion Catalyzer Award – Most Partners Per Capita: GEW / Barbados (Barbados Youth Business Trust)The Champion Catalyzer Award – Most Partners Per Capita is given to the Host who built the largest network of partners (per capita) in support of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
  • Winner Barbados
  • Runners-up United Kingdom, Bermuda, Iceland, Russia

  In addition to the awards listed above, the Cleantech Open Global Ideas Competition recognized Malaysia as their Host of the Year and New Zealand as its runner-up.

tags: Award Winners