Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB), Rotary International District 2241 from Romania and the Republic of Moldova have teamed up to offer a virtual trading competition, Invest Quest.

The competition runs through the end of May. Those wishing to participate can register at any time online at iq.arenaxt.ro.

Once registered, contestants each receive $4,697 in virtual money to trade shares listed on the BET-XT index. The person who nets the highest return on virtual investing during the contest will win a prize of $1,174.40 from the Rotary Club.

"Improving the financial literacy level in Romania remains one of Bucharest Stock Exchange’s main objectives," Lucian Anghel, BVB president said in a press release. "In all our actions dedicated to individual investors, we promote responsible investments and the Romanian capital markets. The virtual trading competition gives to participants that never traded on the stock market a taste of what investing and trading is really about."

The virtual trading competition is open to anyone; the only stipulation is that contestants must attend at least two of five seminars offered through the Invest Quest project. There are only two seminars left in the series, one on April 19 and the other on April 26. There is no fee to attend.  

"I am very happy to see there is a genuine interest in this program," Mircea Solovastru, the governor of Rotary International District 2241 Romania and the Republic of Moldova, said in the release. "In addition to the information on the topic of capital markets delivered by the speakers, participants also have the opportunity to enter a competition in the trading arena. By combining theory with practice, we believe people will be better prepared to grasp such elements of the economy."