Grant applicants asked questions on 'decorum'

Small and Medium Industry Development Organization, or KOSGEB's, 27.000 Turkish Lira grant project is attracting a great demands although the applicants are asked eccentric questions in the pre-application examinations, like how they would act in a social gathering

The application examination involves questions like how candidates would behave in a social gathering or what would they do if they were forced to play chess against former world champion Gary Kasparov. (AA)

A new grant to small entrepreneurs in Turkey is attracting great demand, yet applicants have questioned the utility of parts of the application process which, among other queries, asks people what they would do if they played chess against Gary Kasparov.

The 27,000-Turkish Lira grant is part of the General Entrepreneurship Education Program from the Small and Medium Industry Development Organization, or KOSGEB, which aims to teach successful candidates how to turn their business dreams into a successful business plan, according to Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges, or TOBB, member and Konya Chamber of Commerce, or KTO, Chairman Hüseyin Üzülmez.

Üzülmez said the chamber was the project’s business partner in the Central Anatolian province of Konya, adding they started the application admissions on Monday.

“The number of applications was way beyond our expectations,” he said, adding that in the first three days, there were already 1,000 applications.

“The only precondition for application is that the applicants must not have any sort of business registration in the Treasury or the chamber of commerce. Other than that, we are approving eligibility for anyone regardless of their level of education,” Üzülmez said.

Several steps before grant

“During the application process, we make the candidates fill out a 25-question test. After the test results are evaluated, the candidates will be called in for interview. And those who successfully pass all these steps will be admitted to an education seminar in January which will take 60 hours in total,” he said.

Applicants, however, are asked everything from how they would behave if forced to play against former chess world champion Kasparov to how they would act in various social situations. The exam for the grant also asks candidates, “What attracts you when you are planning to produce a good or service?” “Which part of the following do you think is the most important step of a business plan?” “Which one of the following is the most important trait of today’s entrepreneur?”

Üzülmez said the chamber expected to receive around 5,000 applications just from Konya by the time the application process ends Jan. 7, 2010.

Those whose projects are ultimately chosen will be granted 27,000 Turkish Lira for one year.

A great majority of the applicants are primary-school graduates who currently have no job, as well as housewives who want to open stores to sell food or trousseau articles, Üzülmez said.

Many men, similarly, want to open stores to sell wholesale or retail goods rather than open manufacture bases.

At the same time, many of the applicants are also university graduates, the chamber head said.