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Severstal Awarded for Contribution to the Development of Entrepreneurship in Russia
05/24/2013 - ОАО Severstal has been named the winner in the Best Corporate Program for the Development of Social Entrepreneurship category at the Welfare Impulse awards.
ОАО Severstal, one of the world’s leading steel and steel-related mining companies, has been named the winner in the Best Corporate Program for the Development of Social Entrepreneurship category at the Welfare Impulse awards.
Welfare Impulse is an all-Russian awards ceremony established by LUKOIL President V. Alekperov that recognizes companies’ contributions to the development of local communities and the promotion of entrepreneurship.
At the ceremony Severstal was represented by the Urban Development Agency (UDA), a not-for-profit partnership jointly established by Severstal and the Mayor’s Office of Cherepovets. The UDA focuses on developing small and medium-sized businesses, including entrepreneurs.
Alexey Egorov, deputy general director of Severstal, who attended the award ceremony, commented, “This awards ceremony recognizes the efforts Russian businesses to promote the development of local communities and their small businesses and entrepreneurs. In 2012, the Urban Development Agency in Cherepovets created some 1,200 jobs and we look forward to delivering further progress.”
The awards received a total of 158 entrants from 44 regions of Russia. The total prize fund was RUR 2.3 million, of which the UDA received RUR 200,000 for its award.
The URA was set up in Cherepovets in 1999 by Severstal and the Cherepovets Mayor’s Office.
The URA provides all-round support for both startups and successful businesses at each stage of their development; from the initial business plan through to consultancy. Thanks to the work of the URA, more than 150 new enterprises offer more than 5,000 permanent jobs annually.
In May 2012, the URA entered into an agreement with the Our Future Regional Social Initiatives Fund under which it became the Fund’s regional partner for the Vologda Region.
The Welfare Impulse award is the latest in a series of high-profile recognitions of the URA’s work. In 2009 the URA won Vedomosti’s and PricewaterhouseCoopers’ award for the Best Development of Local Communities and in 2012 it won the Association of Russian Managers’ award for the Best Development of Local Communities.
