Store Your Idea

Deadline: 2016-02-29
Award: €1,400 cash

STORE YOUR IDEA

The vacancy rate has increased significantly over the past five years and urgently needs to be addressed. Do you have a great idea for a new shop or a new use for a specific location? Enter the contest and share your idea with us. In addition to a chance at winning the grand prize, your idea may be selected and implemented, with Sittard as your testing ground. Have a great idea, but not ready to carry it out alone? No problem. We’ll help you find the right partner to implement it for you. After all, it would be a shame to let a good idea go to waste.

Vacancy is the biggest retail chain in the Netherlands.
Of the 176 retail sectors in the past decade, 81 have grown and 90 have shrunk in terms of shop numbers. Thirty-seven sectors lost more than 30% of their shops. Examples of this include video rental shops, post offices, hardware shops, audio-visual shops, film and photography shops, and interior design shops. Forty-six sectors enjoyed growth of more than 30%, although this growth has slowed over the past five years in many of these relatively small sectors. Examples include ink shops, boating shops, natural stone shops, coffee and tea shops, and specialised sports shops. In absolute terms, the number of garage companies has seen the biggest growth in the last decade. This was followed by a previously unknown sector, namely, vacancies. The vacancy rate has increased significantly over the past five years and urgently needs to be addressed.

That’s why we’re looking for innovative ideas for vacant retail properties. Do you have a great idea for a new shop or a new use for a specific location? Enter the contest and share your idea with us. In addition to a chance at winning the grand prize, your idea may be selected and implemented, with Sittard as your testing ground. Have a great idea, but not ready to carry it out alone? No problem. We’ll help you find the right partner to implement it for you. After all, it would be a shame to let a good idea go to waste.

What are we looking for?
Do you have a clever idea for a new shop concept? A great use for a vacant building? Or perhaps you’ve always wanted to open a shop of your own? This is your chance! We’d love to hear your ideas. Together with experts in a range of different fields, we can help you determine how feasible your idea is. And if we select your idea as the best of the bunch, we can help you make your dream come true by looking for parties who are willing to turn your winning idea into reality.

While the ultimate goal is to keep the competition open to as many people and ideas as possible, we’ve established some guidelines to keep things in check. These guidelines will give you an idea of what we’re looking for. Although not set in stone, do be sure to provide an explanation if you choose to deviate from these guidelines.

1E PRIZE 1.000 €
+ Chance to work with us on the project.

2E PRIZE 300 €
+ Chance to work with us on the project.

3E PRIZE 100 €
+ Chance to work with us on the project.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

We’ve assembled a team of specialists to help us brainstorm and develop the plans.

FROM 04 JAN TILL 01 FEB € 40 EARLY BIRD
FROM 02 FEB TILL 22 FEB € 50 STANDARD
FROM 23 FEB TILL 29 FEB € 60 LATE
DEADLINE 29 FEBRUARY 2016 (H 24:00 GMT )