Ben & Jerry’s and Ashoka give more clever cookies the chance to be crowned Europe’s best business minds

Aside from the prize money, winners from Join Our Core 2012 found the Ashoka's mentoring support invaluable. One year on, Jenny Dawson (winner of Join Our Core 2012 for Rubies in the Rubble) reflects "It has been an amazing year of support, connections and encouragement for 'Rubies in the Rubble'. Knowing you have Ashoka's expertise behind you is priceless. I strongly encourage you all to apply to Join Our Core 2013!"

 Join Our Core 2013 runs from 4th March to 3rd May, and sees the competition expanded from five to nine European countries – the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Austria and Switzerland.  Ashoka have on the ground experts sourcing and selecting leading social innovators to enter this unbelievable opportunity - a timely addition to their expanding pan-European youth initiatives.

 With Ben & Jerry cited as 'the original bootstrappers', and Ashoka Founder Bill Drayton coining the term 'Social Entrepreneur' back in 1981, this partnership combines the origins of 'startup' with the origins 'social entrepreneurship'.

Ashoka UK Director of Strategy Rob Wilson says, "We share a mission to put social good and social change at the heart of everything we do.  Working with a global brand such as Ben & Jerry's is a hugely exciting alliance for us - an alliance that will further unleash the power of social entrepreneurs to pursue unique solutions, deliver measurable, scalable results, and inspire entire communities to join the Everyone a Changemaker movement"

 An expert panel of business and sustainability minds, which will again include Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield and a sprinkling of Ashoka Fellows, Directors and sustainability experts, will select the eventual winners.  The 'Dragon's Den' style pitch event will be a first chance for some to 'sell' themselves and their business on camera.

‘When Ben and I set-up the company in 1978, we believed giving back to the community was as important as making great tasting ice-cream,” commented Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s. "We certainly found those same values in last year’s winners and can’t wait to see and hear new ideas from the talented bunch we will meet this year.”

 The first 100 eager beavers submitting entries by 10th April will each scoop a year’s supply of Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream, whilst the best entries will be whisked down to a final 18 who’ll pitch their business idea to our expert panel in London for the chance to be crowned one of the Join Our Core 2013 winners. But there is more!

 To coincide with the launch of Join Our Core 2013, and to celebrate last year’s winners, Ben & Jerry’s is also releasing a smart, new flavour called Clever Cookies, where each of the five winners has been rewarded by having their businesses logo featured on the front of every single tub.  The winning young social entrepreneurs will benefit hugely from this fantastic exposure.

 For further information about the Join Our Core 2013 competition, full details on how to enter, the prizes on offer and last year’s winners, please visit www.joinourcore.com.

 Entrants need to be living in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Austria and Switzerland, and be aged between 18-34.