We have included the answers to several frequently asked questions (FAQ) below. If you have further questions, please contact us at: competition@ifc.org.
Theme
What is this year’s theme? This year’s theme is: “Private Sector Development: Creating Markets, Transforming Lives.” Please see the Evaluation Criteria section for further details.
Communications
Who do I contact if I have a question? Please email us with any questions: competition@ifc.org. We will do our best to respond within a few business days. Unfortunately, we cannot respond to inquiries via telephone or facsimile.
How can I get announcements and updates regarding the competition? Please submit an online Expression of Interest form to be added to our email list.
How can I get removed from your email list? Please send an email to competition@ifc.org, with “Unsubscribe” in the subject heading, from the same email account where you received our announcement. Thank you; we apologize for any inconvenience.
Can I submit my entry directly via email to competition@ifc.org? No. We do not accept entries sent to our email address. However, we do provide a method of electronic submission on our Web site via the online entry form. Alternatively, you may submit your essay in print via post with a print entry form. Please visit our Submission Procedures & Timeline page for all details and requirements.
Will I receive confirmation that my essay has been received? Yes. You will receive an automatically-generated confirmation via email after submitting your essay online through our Web site. If you choose to send your essay in print via post, we will email you after receiving it.
When and how will I hear whether I’ve won? We will notify the winners in writing in advance of the public announcement in early 2008. At that time, we will announce the winning essays on the competition Web site and via email to participants. We do not provide rankings for non-winning essays.
Why can’t I get feedback on my essay? The volume of entries prevents us from providing feedback on non-winning essays.
Participation
Are there any restrictions regarding age, profession, education level, or location? No, we do not restrict participation based on any of these items. You are welcome to participate unless you are specifically forbidden to do so under our Eligibility Qualifications.
How can I earn a scholarship? We are not a scholarship contest, but rather an essay competition. We provide cash prizes and publication to the six best research-based essays (as determined by our jury panel) that address our theme and provide innovative, practical ideas regarding private sector development. Students are welcome to enter and to use any awarded prize money toward tuition, but we are also open to people of all professions and ages.
How can I be sure that the competition is fair? The competition team assigns a unique number to each document and keeps the author's identity ANONYMOUS. This ensures that everyone's essay is judged fairly, on its merits alone. The judges learn the winning authors' names, countries, professions, etc., only AFTER selecting the winning essays; non-winning authors' names are kept confidential. Please make sure to review the Terms & Conditions of participation before entering.
Do participants receive certificates or compensation? We do not provide certificates of participation or compensation to non-winning entries. The six winning essays will receive cash prizes and publication per the Terms & Conditions.
Can I submit more than one entry? You may submit more than one entry provided that they are significantly different from each other. However, we recommend that you concentrate your efforts on one essay.
Can World Bank Group (WBG) employees participate? No. WBG employees and their relativesare ineligible. Financial Times employees and their relativesare also ineligible. For further details, please review our Eligibility Qualifications.
Do I need to include an abstract with my essay? Yes, your document must include both an abstract and the essay itself. Neither document should have any identifying information on them (i.e., do not include your name).
Please explain the maximum length. What is the word limit for the essay? Is the word limit for the abstract counted against the word limit of the essay? Does the bibliography count toward the word total? Abstracts and essays have separate word limits. Abstracts can have up to 300 words; essays can have up to 4000 words. Abstracts and essays cannot “borrow” word count from each other. The bibliography does not count toward the maximum length. Please limit your footnotes/endnotes to citations and do not use them for additional text or commentary. Please see our Evaluation Criteria section for more details.
I’m afraid that my essay will get mixed up if I don’t put my name on it. What should I do? Please do not put your name or any identifying information (other than the title) on your abstract and essay. The competition team assigns a unique number to each document and keeps the author’s identity anonymous. This ensures that everyone’s essay is judged fairly, on its merits alone. The judges learn the winning authors’ names only after selecting the winning essays; non-winning authors’ names are kept confidential.
Do I need an entry form when submitting by mail? Yes. All mailed entries must be accompanied by a completed and signed entry form. Co-authored entries require every author to complete his/her own form and mail all papers together in the same envelope with the abstract and essay. Click here to download the print entry form. For more information, please visit our Submission Procedures & Timeline page.
In which languages can my essay be written? We can only accept English-language essays. Abstracts must also be in English. We will make some stylistic allowances for authors whose first language is not English. Please see the “writing style and structure” section of our Evaluation Criteria page for more details.
Can I get reimbursed for translation fees? No. It is the author’s sole responsibility to submit his/her paper in English.
Who holds the copyright of my paper? Please review the copyright section of our Terms & Conditions page for full details.
Can I submit my paper to another contest or publication after entering the IFC-FT Essay Competition? You cannot submit your essay to another contest or publication until the IFC-FT Essay Competition winners are announced. If your essay does not win, you will regain full copyright of your paper. If your essay does win a gold, silver or bronze prize, IFC and the FT will retain copyright, and you will need to secure advance written permission from IFC and the FT before reprinting your essay. Please review the copyright section of our Terms & Conditions page for full details.
Background Information
What is the IFC? The International Finance Corporation is the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. Our vision, values, and purpose promote sustainable private sector investment in developing countries, helping to reduce poverty and improve people's lives. Please click here to visit the IFC homepage.
What is Private Sector Development? The joint World Bank-IFC Financial and Private Sector Development Vice Presidency focuses on three core areas: (1) Creating the institutional foundations for effective markets; (2) Promoting open and competitive markets; (3) Supporting social safety nets with market-based instruments. Please click here to visit the FPD homepage.
