Search For Unique ‘Homemade’ PNG Products

With more than K10,000 in cash prizes to win, plus opportunities for the winners to retail their products in local shops, a new micro-SME business competition launched by Lily Magazine today aims to discover homemade PNG goods that stand out from the crowd.

Called ‘HOMEMADE’, the product search is the biggest competition yet run by PNG’s top-selling women’s magazine and will include four categories: Edible, Wearable, Useful and Artistic.

“We want to recognise and reward innovation wherever we find it,” Lily editor Margo Nugent said.

“I keep hearing about small local businesses that are creating really different products, from the guy making paper bags from Mekeo banana trees to a woman weaving dried Gulf river reeds into beautiful hoop earrings and the little girl using the wax from her family’s Goroka honeybees to make scented lip balm.

“Our judging panel will be looking for products that are distinctly original, preferably made from PNG materials, with extra credit going to those who have invented something to fix a particular problem or to meet a particular need that nobody else has met.”

All the winning products, along with a selection of the finalists, will be showcased in the next January 2022 issue of Lily to give a promotional platform to the businesses and provide a handy shopping guide for readers.

‘Homemade’ will incorporate four categories:

1. EDIBLE

From farm to table: eg. crops, fish and livestock through to condiments and baked goods

2. WEARABLE

eg. clothes, shoes, jewellery, hats

3. USEFUL

eg. toys, kitchen gadgets, tools, machines, camping items, furniture, furnishings, recyclables, skin care lines (soap, perfume, oils etc)

4. ARTISTIC

Decorative pieces from any medium: eg. metal, timber, ceramics, stone, fibre

The most innovative product chosen from these four category winners will win the grand prize of K6000 cash from sponsor partners Kina Bank, BSP and the PNG-Aus Partnership, along with an assistance package worth about K2000 from PNG-owned online SME consultancy agency Vai Virtual, including business name and trademark registration, and TIN lodgement.

The runner-up will receive K2500 cash and the two other category winners will receive K1000 cash each from the PNG-Aus Partnership. All four category winners will receive a K250 gift voucher from Brian Bell Homecentres, while SME fashion and accessories label Maku Gifts/Lavagirl will assist with bringing the winning products of the wearable, useful and artistic categories to market through its gift stores, and CPL/Stop & Shop will assist with bringing the winning edible product to market in its supermarkets.

Entries open today, Monday, December 6, 2021, and close on Friday, December 31, 2021. To enter, inbox the Lily PNG Facebook page, website www.lilymagazinepng.com or email lily@moore.com.pg

A judging panel including Lily editor Margo Nugent and Maku Gifts owner Annette Sete, along with other sponsor partners, will decide on the winners to be announced in January 2022 upon release of the new Lily issue 25.

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