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ICT Award

 ICT offers opportunities to SMEs to become more efficient, flexible and customer-oriented. However, many SMEs are still lagging behind larger companies in using ICT. The Awards will stimulate the use of ICT by SMEs and are designed to reward SMEs for creative uses of ICT.

Objectives
The main objectives are to raise awareness among SMEs about the various challenges and opportunities offered by Information and Communication Technologies and encourage their use among SMEs. Other aims include the following:

Recognition of SMEs that have successfully introduced ICT solutions into their businesses
Enabling ‘peer to peer’ learning
Identification of barriers that prevent SMEs from adopting ICT
Assessment of ICT needs of SMEs

Criteria

Participants will be assessed on the basis of the tangible and quantifiable business benefits that have been achieved through the application of ICT. Participants are expected to show proof of increased utilisation of ICT over three years (2002-2004).

Some of the criteria, which will be used to assess participants, include the following:

· Type of Information and Communication Technologies in place and extent of use.
· Use of email for communication, marketing and customer service
· Presence on web either via own website or third party website
· Use of Internet for information search about products, processes, new customers, suppliers and markets
· Use of e-commerce solutions to make purchases and/or sales
· Business benefits derived from the use of ICT
Application form for the SMIDO ICT Award 2004 is available online