The Cabinet, at its weekly meeting on Sunday 18 Shevat 5774 decided that the Prime Minister’s Prize for Initiatives & Innovation, which are awarded to initiatives and innovation that make a special contribution to society and are of far-reaching socio-economic influence, will be awarded on an annual basis near Herzl Day (9 Iyar), in order to express the link between Herzl and contemporary initiatives and innovation.

In 2014, the Prime Minister’s Prize for Initiatives & Innovation will be awarded in two fields: Initiatives for profit and initiatives not for profit. Each winner will receive NIS 80,000.

Interested candidates may submit applications from Monday, 19 Shevat 5774 on forms that will be available on the Prime Minister’s Office website or from 02-670-5609.

The members of the Prize selection committee are:

* National Economic Council head Prof. Eugene Kandel (Chairman)

* Tammy Hauspeter, Adviser to the Prime Minister and initiator of Prime Minister’s Prize for Initiatives and Innovation

* Intel Israel General Manager Maxine Fassberg

* Ben-Gurion University Dept. of Business Administration Prof. Dafna Schwartz

* Dr. Harry Yuklea from the Technion (inter alia)

* Itamar Medical Co-Chairman of the Board Dr. Giora Yaron

* “Start-Up Nation” co-author Saul Singer

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)