Last week, Vodafone announced Mobile Clicks 2009, a competition to inspire startup businesses and individual developers to create and deliver a new mobile site or service.

The Vodafone Mobile Clicks 2009 competition this year is run jointly with Vodafone Netherlands and Vodafone UK in partnership with MobileMonday Amsterdam and London. Anyone wishing to enter can visit www.vodafonemobileclicks.com.

The final will be held during the PICNIC event in Amsterdam in September and will feature three finalists from each country.  The first three winners will be awarded a total sum of €150,000.

Last year, as a member of the jury, I witnessed great ideas and talent in mobile technology in  The Netherlands.  This year, the competition has been extended to the UK as well, pitting them against the Dutch for the best new idea for a mobile site, service or application. The panel of judges will include mobile internet experts from Vodafone as well as other industry leaders. I will be in the jury again this year for the final judging round at PICNIC. This is going to be exciting again!

Last years’ Mobile Clicks’ winners included Nulaz, a location-based social networking service merging Google Maps and Facebook to allow people to see where their friends are, share locations and view local information, Tipspot a new online city guide service and Map the Gap, an idea-sharing application for mobile phones.

Check what the MObile Clicks competition brought to last year’s winners on YouTube:
• Nulaz
• TipSpot
• MapTheGap

The competition consists of three selection rounds, running from April to September 2009.

The rules are pretty simple:

• Vodafone Mobile Clicks 2009 is open to any individual residing in the Netherlands or the UK from the age of 18 years and to Dutch and UK-based start-up companies, businesses, institutions and all other organisations.
• Participants must be or must have the intention to become a start-up enterprise/business in the field of mobile internet products or services. Start-up means that the enterprise/business cannot be older than three years since its inception.
• Each participant may submit only one entry.
• (Previous Dutch) Entries from Vodafone Mobile Clicks 2008 are allowed to participate again in Vodafone Mobile Clicks 2009

Registration for this contest is now open. Registration for the Netherlands will close at April 30th, 2009 and registration for the UK will close on May 14th, 2009.

I’m looking forward to this year’s submissions. May the best idea win!