K.A.V.A. 2019: Awards for the Growing City

This year, Kaunas Growing Business Awards (K.A.V.A.) comes back with a new force after the successful last year’s celebration of Kaunas business. New partners are joining the event, and city businesses will be able to compete in even more nominations. Event organizer VšĮ Kaunas IN, together with the patron of the event Kaunas City Municipality, promises even more attention to the business that is nurturing the city and spreading its name. The organizers invite Kaunas business representatives of various fields to submit applications and apply for honorable K.A.V.A. 2019 awards.

The purpose of the K.A.V.A. awards, running for the second year, is to unite the Kaunas city community, bring together companies working in different sectors, meet each other and celebrate the achievements of the year.

“Business in our city creates jobs, pays taxes and contributes to the growth of the Kaunas city. It is great that for the second year in a row we have the opportunity to praise businesses not only for their direct activities but also for social initiatives, hospitality, and unique ideas,” says the Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijošaitis.

In last year’s awards, almost fifty companies competed in nine nominations. 15 companies competed in one of the most popular nominations “Designed in Kaunas City”. The winner became UAB “Vittamed” (since the beginning of 2019 called UAB “Boston Neurosciences”). It was awarded for the unique and the only one in the world non-invasive intracranial pressure monitoring instrument, which attracted the attention of the United States space exploration agency NASA.

It is expected that this year the number of participants will increase even more as the awards are also growing: new nominations have been established, new partners and sponsors joined the event. The nominations of K.A.V.A. awards were created by the partners of the event and they will be the ones who will choose the winners. Experts and professionals in their fields: general partners Kaunas Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts and IQ magazine, partners “Invest Lithuania”, “Kaunas Science and Technology Park”, Lithuanian Responsible Business Association (LAVA), Lithuanian Real Estate Development Association (LNTPA), “KTU Startup space”, “Enterprise Lithuania”.

“Kaunas Growing Business Awards” is the perfect opportunity to bring together businesses from different areas: from local companies with long traditions to foreign investors; from startups to giants of the industry. Considering the peculiarities and topicalities of Kaunas, this year we have created two more nominations: “Hospitality in Kaunas” and “Kaunas Real Estate Developer of the Year”. I am delighted that we will be able to honor a wider range of Kaunas companies and celebrate the results which are very important to the city,” says the Director of “Kaunas IN” Aurelijus Zykas.

Wide range of nominations: from social responsibility to startup innovations

In this year’s K.A.V.A. 2019 Awards, the participating companies will be able to present themselves and compete for 11 nominations:

• This year’s novelty: the nomination Hospitality Business in Kaunas, announced by the VšĮ “Kaunas IN”, is dedicated to innovative and environmentally friendly hospitality business that creates products or provides services recognized by consumers and significantly contributes to creating an attractive image of Kaunas city in Lithuania and abroad;
• Kaunas Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Crafts presents the nomination Designed in Kaunas City for the most successful product or service of Kaunas business;
• The nomination Innovation 2019, presented by Kaunas Science and Technology Park, is dedicated to the business that had the most successful development and promotion of innovation and seeks not only a breakthrough in its activities but also environmental benefits;
• K.A.V.A. partner VšĮ “Enterprise Lithuania” introduces two nominations: Development Abroad for introducing Kaunas and Kaunas Business into foreign markets and for the fastest growing export range; and the nomination Development in Kaunas for the fastest developing organizations in Kaunas.
• Startups with the most unique idea, smooth development and the potential for the international activity will be awarded in the nomination Kaunas Startup presented by “KTU Startup space”;
•  “Invest Lithuania” presents two nominations: Foreign Investor: Services and Foreign Investor: Production which are intended for foreign investors that are planning the biggest development and benefits for Kaunas city.
• The awards partner “Lithuanian Responsible Business Association (LAVA) presents the Responsible Business nomination which is dedicated to the business that takes economic, social and environmental responsibility and contributes to the well-being of Kaunas city and its residents.
• Another novelty of this year: nomination Kaunas Real Estate Developer of the Year, presented by Lithuanian Real Estate Development Association (LNTPA), is designed for real estate developers that are operating in Kaunas and carrying out projects that add value to the city and are based on sustainable development and co-operation;
• Like last year, the winner of the nomination Kaunas is Proud will be chosen by Kaunas residents themselves who will give their votes for companies or projects that they think the city can be proud of. The voting will take place from May 16 to 30 on the website “Kas vyksta Kaune”.

The winners will be announced at a solemn awards ceremony

K.A.V.A. 2019 Awards will take place on June 6, at the Kaunas Žalgiris Arena Amphitheatre, where winners of all nominations will be announced during the solemn awards ceremony.

Awards are organized and funded by Kaunas City Municipality in accordance with the program “Initiatives for Kaunas 2019”.

Companies wishing to apply for one or several announced nominations must submit a completed application form at www.kaunasin.lt until May 13.

More information about K.A.V.A. 2019 awards: www.kaunasin.lt, email kava@kaunasin.lt or phone +370 613 54 999.