The European Award for Best Content for Kids highlights existing quality content for 4-12 year-old children and encourages the production of new content that will offer young people online opportunities to learn, play, discover and invent.
Awards for the best youth-friendly online content will be made in four categories, at both national and European level.
The competition is open to children, young people and adults in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Children can enter as individuals or in groups (i.e. school classes or youth groups). Adult submissions can come from online professionals and non-professionals alike.
Youth-friendly websites, blogs, videos, apps, games…
Any form of online content may be submitted - from websites, blogs and videos to apps and games – but it must be designed for use by children or young people. The content can be either newly created for the competition or content that already exists and is worthy of highlighting.
Two levels and four categories of awards
National and European winners will be awarded in four different categories:
1. Adult professionals
2. Adult non-professionals
3. Individual young people (up to 3 youngsters)
4. School classes/groups of young people (at least 4 youngsters)
Submission dates and awards
The competition was launched on Europe Day, 9 May 2013. National winners in each of the participating countries will be announced in autumn. The winning entries will go on to compete in the European Award for Best Content for Kids, and European winners will be announced on Safer Internet Day, 11 February 2014. European winners will be invited to the European Award Ceremony in Brussels on 11 February 2014. National prizes will be determined by the organisation running the national competition and may thus vary from country to country.
Get involved
Competition categories
The awards will be made in four categories; two for adults and two for children and young people. Adults submitting online content designed for 4-12 year-old children:
Category 1 - Non-professionals who do not create online content for a living or do not have a budget or income to employ professional help to do so. (For example, teachers, social workers or related professions)
Category 2 - Professionals who create online content for a living or have a budget or income to employ professional help to do so. (For example, companies but also museums with budgets etc.) Children and young people (born no earlier than 31.12.1996) submitting online content made for children and young people up to the age of 18:
Category 3 - individuals or teams of up to 3 youngsters.
Category 4 - school classes / youth groups.
Eligible content
Any form of online content submitted must meet the following requirements to be eligible:
• Content published online for 4-12-year-old children.
• Content addressing anyone up to the age of 18 – for categories 3 and 4 only.
• Content that is online at the time it is entered into the competition.
• Content in one of the national languages of the country in which it is submitted.
Additional requirements
If the content submitted is only available to members, a username and password for accessing the content must be provided at submission of the entry. National winners of the previous edition (European Award for Best Children’s Online Content 2010-2011) may not enter the 2013-2014 European Award for Best Content for Kids, unless there has been a significant amount of new content added (e.g. if the website or a new version of the content has been launched since the last competition.) Content that was nominated but did not win the national finals in the 2010-2011 competition may enter the 2013-2014 competition.Participants submitting content must agree to a disclaimer regarding public use of the content, provision of material for promotional use and rules about changes to the content during and after the evaluation.
How to submit entries
Submit your entry in the European Award for Best Content for Kids to the competition in your country and in the correct category.
Criteria for the selection of winners
The overall criteria for the European Award for Best Content for Kids provide a general framework for carrying out the competitions on the national level. The criteria are compiled by a group of experts within the field and will guide the European jury in selecting the winners of the European Award. Participants should also consult the rules and criteria for the national competitions for exact information on how to participate in the relevant country.
Competition schedule
Competition launch: 9 May, 2013.
National winners announced: by 30 November, 2013.
European Award Ceremony: Safer Internet Day 2014, 11 February.
