The Amsterdam Centre for Entrepreneurship (ACE) was named the winner in the "Investing in Skills" category at the 2011 European Enterprise Awards. The centre received this special distinction during the ceremony at the National Gallery in Budapest, in the presence of the European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani. ACE is a collaboration between the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Applied Sciences (HvA), the VU University Amsterdam and the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

The fifth edition of the European Enterprise Awards was held this year on May 24, 2011. A total of 399 projects from 29 European countries competed in national competitions. Of the 399 projects, 54 entries were selected to compete at European level in the competiton. ACE was one of six award winners.

The European Enterprise Awards have been organised by the Directorate General for Enterprise (DG-Enterprise) of the European Commission since 2006 to identify and reward excellence among public authorities in promoting entrepreneurship and small business at national, regional and local level.

Every year more than 300 initiatives in each of the participating countries (the EU member states and Norway) compete in the national rounds of the competition.

About ACE
The mission of the ACE is to stimulate the entrepreneurial climate in the Netherlands through education and research, and to try to connect academic theory and professional practice. The director of the ACE is Dr Mirjam van Praag, professor of Entrepreneurship and Organisation at the UvA.

Source: University of Amsterdam