| What is Seattle
University's Business Plan Competition
and why participate?
Seattle University’s 11th annual
Business Plan Competition is designed to
help students and alumni in launching
new business ventures:
- For-profit Businesses
- Not-for-Profit Businesses
- Corporate Entrepreneurship
- Social Enterprise
Students and alumni are encouraged to
participate in the competition, which
includes submitting a business plan,
participating in our tradeshow, and
pitching their idea to a panel of
judges. As part of this experience,
participants will enhance their Seattle
University learning experience, gain
feedback on ideas, develop networks, be
encouraged to participate in the UW’s
northwest invitational business plan
competition, and expose their ideas to
potential investors.
Are there cash awards?
Yes. The Grand Prize winner will walk
away with $10,000! Please see below for
all award categories and prizes.
Final Round
$10,000 Grand Prize
$2,500 Runner-up Prize
$1,250 Prize for two remaining finalists
Other awards
$750 Sustainability/Triple Bottom Line
Award
$750 Social Enterprise Award
$250 Community Choice Trade Show
Most Innovative Concept Award - 15 hours
with a patent attorney to draft a patent
application
*These awards will go to whichever
two tracks do not receive the Grand
Prize. For example, if the Grand Prize
is awarded to an undergraduate track
participant, Track Prizes will be
awarded to the best submissions of the
graduate track and the alumni track.
These prizes ensure that a prize is
awarded to participants of all three
tracks. While we aim to have 4 teams in
the final presentation round, there may
not be a representative team from each
track, in which case no final prize
money would be given away to that track.
Note: While not expected, please note
that cash prizes and prize categories
are subject to change and will not be
confirmed until Winter term 2009.
Who can participate?
Any enrolled Seattle University
students or Seattle University alumni can
participate in the competition (see
Rules & Eligibility for details). A team
participating in the competition can
consist of one or more contestants and
can include non-students or alumni.
However, there must be at least one student
or alumnus on each team.
How is Seattle University’s
Business Plan Competition Organized?
There are three major parts to the
competition:
- The Screening Round is the
initial review of business plans
that determines which teams will be
moving ahead to the Trade
Show/Elevator Pitch Round.
Approximately 15-25 teams are chosen
to progress to the next round. Email
Kimberly Eshelman at
eshelmak@seattleu.edu to receive
an example of a business plan.
- The Trade Show/Elevator Pitch
Round is divided into two distinct
parts:
Part 1: The Trade
Show is a giant fair where teams
have a space in the Student Center
to set up a display and present
their business idea. You may have a
total of four members of your team,
including the student/alumni member,
working your booth. Teams are scored
by two constituents:
- Trade Show judges. Trade
Show judges are pre-selected
judges chosen by the
Entrepreneurship Center who
visit the booths and select a
minimum of three teams they feel
have the best business idea and
presentation.
- Community Choice judges.
Community Choice judges consist
of fellow students, friends, and
other members of the community
who visit the displays and then
vote on their favorite business
ideas and presentations. They
may vote for one to five
business ideas and
presentations.
Part 2: The Elevator Pitch
Round consists of a three minute
pitch of the team’s business plan,
presented by the active SU student
or SU alumnus, in front of a panel
of judges. Two minutes are also
given for a question and answer
session. During the Trade Show, each
team will have one member (student
or alumni) guided to Room 210 to
give their 3-minute Elevator Pitch.
While absent from the Trade Show
giving your Elevator Pitch, be sure
to have a back-up person manning
your Trade Show booth. If you are
the only person on your team, it is
possible to engage up to two other
non-team individuals to help with
the booth and make presentations to
Trade Show and Community Choice
judges.
The combined results of the Trade
Show scores, given by the Community
Choice judges and the official Trade
Show judges, as well as the scores
from the Elevator Pitch Round and
Screening Round, will narrow the
field down to the final teams that
will continue to the Final
Presentation Round.
- The Final Presentation Round is
where the final teams present their
complete business plan to a small
panel of judges.
Normally, four teams will proceed
to the Final Presentation round. The
Final Presentations focus on the
complete business plan where teams
present their plans to a small group
of judges and field questions.
Presentations are open to investors,
Seattle University faculty, staff,
alumni, students and Seattle
University friends. Teams will give
a maximum 15-minute presentation
followed by 15 minutes of questions
and answers. The judges will meet
after the presentations to make
final award decisions. Winners will
not be announced until the Awards
Reception. The presenters will
receive feedback and mentoring from
the judges in written form within a
week after their presentations.
Business Plan Competition Rules &
Eligibility
Teams must comply with the following
criteria to be eligible for the
competition. Please read carefully!
(NOTE: We have done our best to align
our rules with the UW 2009 Business Plan
Competition rules so contestants can
participate in both competitions with
the same material. However, please be
aware there may be slight differences.
See bottom of page for details).
1. The Seattle University Business
Plan Competition is limited to teams
that include active SU students or
alumni as defined below:
• Seattle University students
enrolled either full-time or
part-time in degree programs during
one or more of the following
academic periods: Summer 2008, Fall
2008, Winter 2009, or Spring 2009 at
Seattle University.
• Seattle University alumni who have
graduated from SU prior to the
Summer 2007 academic period.
2. Non-student business professionals
are allowed as team members, but there
must be a Seattle University student or
alumni on the team.
3. The business plan must be
developed during the student’s
attendance at Seattle University. If the
team is led by an alumnus or alumna, a
current business plan must be entered in
the competition.
4. Students working with outside
entrepreneurs with existing businesses
must create an original business plan.
Business plans can either propose or
describe a startup venture or an
internal venture for an existing company
or nonprofit.
5. Total company revenues cannot
exceed $500K (for existing businesses
without a business plan).
6. In the Trade Show Round, no more
than four team members including both
students/alumni and non-students may
present their business concept to the
judges at their booth.
7. In the final presentation round of
the competition, only students or alumni
will present.
8. The Director of the
Entrepreneurship Center reserves the
right to make the final determination of
the appropriateness of submitted
business ventures. Not all prizes may be
awarded depending on the quality of
submissions.
Note: University of Washington
2009 Business Plan Competition has the
additional qualifications:
1. Students must have an ownership
stake in the business or the potential
for equity or employment.
2. Only student team members are
eligible to win prize money. No payments
will be made to non-students.
3. Alumni are not allowed to
participate as the key member of the
team. Each team must have a current
student.
4. There may be different judging
criteria for business plans between UW
and SU.
Confidentiality
The Seattle University Business Plan
Competition considers all submitted
business plans as confidential and
treats all team matters accordingly.
But, due to the nature of the event, we
cannot guarantee complete
confidentiality for proprietary matters.
Seattle University, The Entrepreneurship
Center, the Albers School of Business
and Economics, and the organizers of the
competition are not responsible for any
proprietary information and/or
intellectual property included in a
submitted business plan.
Ultimately, protection of sensitive
materials such as intellectual property,
copyright, or patent confidentiality is
the sole responsibility of the
individual or team participating in the
competition. Non-Disclosure Agreements
will not be signed by judges, mentors or
any SU staff associated with the
business plan competition, so please do
not ask.
Seattle University Business Plan
Competition Dates to Remember
February 3, 2009
Intent to Enter Due by 12:00pm
The Intent to Enter form will be
available on the Business Plan
Competition ANGEL page.
February 24, 2009
Executive Summary (5-7 pages) due by
e-mail to eshelmak@seattleu.edu.
While the executive summary will not
be judged, it is your official
submission to the Business Plan
Competition.
March 24, 2009
The Screening Round begins. Complete
business plan (12-15 pages with
additional 3-5 pages for appendix
allowed) due by e-mail to
eshelmak@seattleu.edu.
The complete business plan will
be reviewed by a panel of judges and
will determine whether you will
continue on to the Trade
Show/Elevator Pitch Round.
March 31, 2009
Judge's critiques of complete
business plans returned.
These critiques will be returned to
you electronically. Confirmation of
participation in Trade Show/Elevator
Pitch Round is required at this time
if your team is moving ahead.
Results will be posted by April 2nd.
April 7, 2009
Electronic copy of a one-page
business summary due (must be
submitted to
eshelmak@seattleu.edu by
12:00p.m.)
See UW template for a business
summary example (called ‘Executive
Summary’ on the UW website); however
in mission statement for Seattle
University competition, be sure to
include the values driving the
organization.
http://bschool.washington.edu/cie/PDF/Thermopeutics_Executive_Summary.pdf
April 15, 2009
Trade Show
11am-2pm at Student Center 160. The
Trade Show is open to the Seattle
University community. Set-up can
begin at 10:00 am.
April 15, 2009
Elevator Pitch Round
11am-2pm at Student Center 210
April 17, 2009
Notification to Trade Show/Elevator
Pitch Round participants of who will
be going on to the finals.
May 5, 2009
Deadline to submit complete revised
business plan (12-15 pages with up
to 5 additional pages for appendix
allowed).
Submit electronic copy as attachment
due to
eshelmak@seattleu.edu by 12:00
p.m.
May 13, 2009
Final Presentations
3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wyckoff Auditorium (ENGR 200)
May 14, 2009
Recognition/Awards/Thank you
Reception
4:30pm-6:00pm Casey Atrium
We will be announcing the business
plan competition final awards at
this reception. This is also a great
time to get feedback from the
judges!
Business Plan Competition
Upcoming Training Events
Mid-January, 2009
The Entrepreneurship Center will
present several Business Plan
Competition Information Sessions.
Dates and times will be announced.
January/February
The Entrepreneurship Center will
present topical seminars focused on
finance, marketing, business plan
development, elevator pitch
development, and legal issues. In
addition, contestants will have the
opportunity to meet with attorneys
regarding copyrights, patents and
other legal issues. Dates and times
will be announced.
Week of April 7, 2009
A training session will be held for
teams progressing to the Trade
Show/Elevator Pitch Round. Date and
time will be announced.
Week of April 28, 2009
A training session will be held for
teams progressing to the Final
Presentation Round. Date and time
will be announced.
Definitions
Social Enterprise: A
for-profit or nonprofit, which has a
"double bottom line". It has at least
two major outcomes measurements, one for
profit or income generated and the other
a delivery of social good. A nonprofit
social enterprise, that is an
organization with a nonprofit legal
form, engages in revenue generating
activities as a source of funding its
social good. The process of delivering
the services also contributes to
achieving the goals of the nonprofit.
"Social Enterprise" tends to not
necessarily grapple with sustainability
or broader social responsibility issues.
A Triple Bottom Line organization
holds itself to measurements that not
only involve turning a profit and doing
social good, it commits itself to a
sustainability model which measures the
impact on people, profit, and planet. It
is committed to not leaving the world
worse off as a result of it having done
business--not depleting resources,
people, or the environment--making those
aspects better off if possible. It makes
very clear that it must make "profit" in
order to effectively deliver on its
mission in the long run.
An example of a Triple Bottom Line
organization is Starbucks which clearly
states the three areas in its mission
statement.
www.starbucks.com/aboutus/environment.asp
A Corporate Entrepreneur venture
is a business within a business. It is a
new venture that will be its own profit
center within an existing organization.
A corporate entrepreneur venture can be
for profit or non-profit. An example
would be Boeing starting a surf boarding
manufacturing operation using one of the
materials it has developed previously
for building airplanes.
Resources
A Business Plan Competition ANGEL
page will be announced shortly, which
will contain all the necessary forms for
registration, examples, tips and other
important information regarding the SU
Business Plan Competition. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, please direct any
questions to Kimberly Eshelman at
eshelmak@seattleu.edu.
Also, be sure to check out the
University of Washington’s Business Plan
Competition resources at:
http://foster.washington.edu/cie/vc.shtml
Visit UW’s Business Plan Competition
website:
http://bschool.washington.edu/cie/bpc/schedule.shtml |
