State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) and Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova (CCI) announce the launch of the contests “Trademark of the Year 2016” and Quality Achievements Award 2016.

The announcement on the launch of contests was made by Director General of AGEPI, Octavian Apostol and CCI President, Sergiu Harea, during a press conference held on 17 February this year.

In the Contest “Trademark of the Year 2016” can participate enterprises and organizations with diverse forms of ownership, legal entities registered in the Republic of Moldova and natural persons that produce goods and/or provide services in the country. To the contest are admitted only trademarks (national and foreign) which at the time of filing the application for participation are registered and available in the Republic of Moldova, as required by law.

The trademarks are submitted to the contest and examined for the following nominations: According to consumer criteria: Trademark “Consumer Appreciation”, Trademark “Local Trademark”. According to the criteria of professionalism: “Debut of the Year”, Trademark “Export”, Trademark “Inter”, Trademark “Favorite of the Year”, “Socially Responsible Trademark”, “Acknowledged Trademark”, Nomination “Rebranding”, Closed nomination “Reputation and Trust”.

The participants in the contest will compete for the grand prize - Gold Mercury, gold, silver and bronze medals for the 9 nominations of the contest.

In order to stimulate the participation in the contest of several small and medium enterprises that own trademarks, organizers are offering a discount of up to 50% of the fee for participation in the contest and 20% discounts for a list of services provided by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, such as promotion of trade opportunities, participation in exhibitions and trade missions, issuance of certificates of origin, etc.

The participants also enrolled for the contest receive a set of incentives from the State Agency on Intellectual Property, namely: organization of seminars/trainings on intellectual property rights for employees of the participants in the contest, promotion of trademarks winners of the contest in AGEPI publications, free consultancy on registration of trademarks and intellectual property pre-diagnosis services.

In the press conference, the organizers announced the reduction of the fee for participation in the contest “Trademark of the Year 2016” by 50%.

The Contest “Trademark of the Year” was initiated in 2003 and aims to promote successful practices in the field of business, to familiarize consumers with the best trademarks on the domestic market as well as to remark the most competitive enterprises in the Republic of Moldova.

The Contest “Award for Achievements in Quality of Goods and Services”, which aims to identify companies that have successfully implemented quality management and promote modern approaches of quality, is at its third edition, being launched in 2014 by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Moldova in partnership with the National Accreditation Centre, National Institute of Metrology, National Institute of Standardization and Consumer Protection Agency.

The award is given annually on a competitive basis to companies and organizations with diverse forms of ownership, legal entities/natural persons registered in the Republic of Moldova, which produce goods and/or provide services in the country, for the obtaining of significant results in the quality of products and services, ensuring their safety, and implementation of quality management.

In the contest can participate micro and small enterprises with the number of employees up to 49 pers. and the annual sales revenue of up to 25 mln. lei; medium enterprises with the number of employees from 49 to 249 pers. and the annual sales revenue of up to 50mln. lei; large enterprises with the number of employees over 249 (excluding the enterprises on natural monopoly positions) and the annual sales revenue of more than 50 mln. lei and of course enterprises on natural monopoly positions and those declared dominant on relevant markets, according to legal provisions.

The participants will be awarded according to certain criteria, such as obtaining of successful high quality performance; increase in the value created for the consumer; management of the activity based on strategic orientation, stimulation and responsibility; building of partnerships; promotion of creativity and innovation; procedural management; achievement of success with the help of the staff; promotion of creativity and innovation and of course responsibility for sustainable development. The great prize of the contest is “The Goddess of Quality”.

Winners of the contests will be awarded on 8 June 2017, in the Moldovan Business Gala.

We should remind that for the title of “Trademark of the Year 201” have competed 60 trademarks registered on the Moldovan market. Most applications for participation were submitted for nominations “Favorite of the Year” and “Consumer appreciation”. In the contest “Quality Achievements Award”, second edition, took part 30 economic agents.

The applications for participation in the contest can be submitted until 31 March 2017 and the case until 17 April 2017 to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry: 151, 2nd floor, off. 9, Stefan cel Mare bd.; Tel/fax: 022 21-07-25, email carolina.chiper@chamber.md, International Relations and Business Events Department.

Details about the contest “Trademark of the Year”, regulation and application forms can be found at the following address: http://marca.chamber.md/.

The press conference can be watched here: http://realitatealive.md/live-conferin-a-de-presa-cu-tema-lansarea-concu...