Connecticut Business Plan Competition
2009-10 Connecticut Collegiate Business Plan Competition
Sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Warbros Venture Partners, Connecticut Innovations, LaunchCapital and the Entrepreneurship Foundation
Announcing Fall Winners of the Business Plan Competition:
| 2009 Fall Winners | |||
| Connecticut University Affiliation | Company Name | University Advisor | Team Leader |
| Winner - Best Original Concept | |||
| Yale University - School of Management | Kakeya | David M. Cromwell | Philip Hu |
| Winner - Small Business | |||
| Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) |
Shred & Bed | Drew Harris | Stephanie Wurtzel |
| Winner - Venture Enterprise | |||
| University of Bridgeport - School of Engineering |
Green Splinter Company | Dr. Gad J. Selig | Jawahar Ponnuswami |
Last updated Dec. 21, 2009
Entry Deadlines:
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Fall Semester: Friday, November 20, 2009 Orientation for all entrants: Thursday, November 19th, 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm, at the North Haven Campus of Quinnipiac University. Finalists are now posted (see above). Spring Semester: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 Finalists will be posted here on Monday, April 19 at 5:00 pm |
Finals: (three-minute PowerPoint presentations plus Q&A). Students may not interact with judges or distribute any materials until they have been introduced and the timer started.
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Fall Semester: Friday, December 11, 2009, 1:30 pm, at the New Haven Lawn Club. Spring Semester: Friday, April 23, 2010, 1:30 pm |
Business Plan Competition Prizes:
All entrants will receive candid feedback from a business financing expert on their on-line executive summary. The schools of the top prize winners in each category will receive a trophy. Press releases announcing the finalists and winners will be sent to media.
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Fall only: Unrestricted $1000 grants will be awarded to: a) a personal business plan b) a venture business plan The judges will determine the category (personal versus venture business**). Spring only: ALL-INDUSTRY START-UP GRANTS will be awarded to reimburse expenses in connection with starting the business in Connecticut. The total amount of the grants will be (TBA), with at least one grant awarded to a venture business and a personal business.** The minimum amount of any one grant will be $1000. Also, the winner in the venture category will have the opportunity to pitch their proposal at a meeting of the Connecticut Angel Investor Guild. Since start-up grants have generally been awarded to the companies judged, in the final analysis, those most likely to succeed, an additional $500 award and trophy will be conferred for the "Best Presentation." TECHNOLOGY GRANTS. An additional $10,000 in start-up grants will be allocated to one or more technology finalists. These funds are provided by Connecticut Innovations. The recipients are also eligible to receive a general-industry start-up grant. |
Eligibility Requirements:
| • | The team leader and primary presenter must be a student at a Connecticut college or university during the current academic year. (Entries may be submitted by individuals or teams.) In keeping with the spirit of the competition to foster entrepreneurship, neither plans written for outside companies as student projects nor plans written on behalf of a company not student-owned and conceived are eligible. | • | Students that made it to the Finals in a prior year or semester are eligible to compete again. | • | Teams must have a faculty adviser (from the submitting institution) who sanctions the entry | • | New or relatively new business. (Enterprises with annualized sales in excess of $50,000 are ineligible.) |
To Enter:
The application may be accessed at www.Back-Offices.com/college. The first step will be to create a user name and password. This will enable you and your team members to return to revise your draft prior to submitting. The judges will only consider information contained in the online application. Do not mail or email supplemental material.
** Personal businesses are typically small, serve a limited market, and serve small businesses or consumers. Venture enterprises are generally higher risk, take longer to start up and require more capital but have higher potential returrns. This is often a judgement call as many businesses have characteristics of both. The decision of the judges is final.
60-Second Individual Elevator Pitch Competition. Spring only (date TBA). Winners in the Personal Business and Venture Business categories will each receive an unrestricted grant of $500. There will also be a $500 prize for the best presentation by a community college student. Any student currently enrolled in a Connecticut institution of higher learning is eligible to present. There is no preliminary round but contestants must pre-register through their faculty adviser.
Competition administered by the Entrepreneurship Foundation
Email: Roer@EntrepreneurshipFoundation.org, Phone: (203) 319-1902