When/Where

Description

Deadlines

April 16-18, 2009

Houston, TX

Rice Business Plan Competition

Sponsored by the Rice Alliance and the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University, the Rice Business Plan Competition is a three-day event intended to simulate the real-world process of entrepreneurs soliciting start-up funds from early stage investors and venture capital firms.  Teams will present in the Feedback Round and Elevator Pitch Competition on Thursday, the Semi-Final Round on Friday, and either the Wildcard, Challenge or Final Round on Saturday. $700,000 in prizes will be awarded at the 2009 Competition.  

Friday,

February 13, 2009
Intent to Compete Due

Friday,

March 6, 2009
Executive Summaries Due

March 27-28, 2009

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Babcock Elevator Pitch Competition

The Elevator Competition, hosted by Wake Forest University, allows students from schools across the country to test their skills at making the perfect elevator pitch. Each student team is required to perform a two-minute pitch, supply a detailed business plan, and prepare a formal presentation of their business venture. The event kicks off with a dinner on Friday night.  On Saturday morning, the two-minute elevator rides begin.  Students with a great business idea must think and act quickly so as to spark further interest in their idea.  Pitches should be engaging and to the point, and presenters are often interrupted by judges with questions or comments.

Thursday,

January 15, 2009

Intent to Compete Due

Thursday,

January 29th, 2009

Executive Summaries Due

April 23-24, 2009

Global Final, UC Berkley

April 25, 2009

Symposium,

San Francisco

Global Social Venture Competition (GSVC)

The Global Social Venture Competition (GSVC) is seeking promising social entrepreneurs to enter our 2009 and 10th Anniversary Competition! If you are an entrepreneur with a financially sustainable venture that addresses a social or environmental problem, we encourage you to apply!  Winning plans in the past have ranged from global health to microfinance, from cleantech to education, from fair trade to community development, from business concepts to operating companies, and have included for-profit and non-profit models.  The GSVC has provided nearly $500,000 in seed-money to thirty social ventures over the past ten years, as well as over 16,000 hours of mentoring from seasoned professional in various industries!

January 21, 2009

Executive Summaries Due

March 12-14, 2009

Pittsburgh, PA

The McGinnis Venture Competition

The McGinnis Venture Competition, hosted by Carnegie Mellon, is a different kind of competition because it revolves around emerging industries such as information technology, biotechnology, sustainable technology, robotics, nanotechnology and telecommunications. Participants will include teams from the top business schools in the country. The event will be held in Pittsburgh at elite venues throughout the city. You will find details about the McGinnis Venture Competition on the website. The winning team's start-up company will receive a first prize of $20,000 cash investment in the firm. Each winner will also receive $20,000 worth of in-kind prizes for intellectual property and other legal services.

February 23, 2009

Lincoln, NE

22nd Annual New Ventures World Competition

Sponsored by the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the goal is to improve the chances of entrepreneurial success by exposing students to quality feedback, investment opportunities, and a chance to see some of the most competitive and innovative entrepreneurial enterprises in the world! Compete for $20,000 cash prizes and qualify for Moot Corp Competition! All 8 teams that make it to the finals win prize money.

Friday,
January 30, 2009
Intent to Compete Due

Friday,
March 6, 2009
Written Plans Due

West Lafayette, IN

2009 National Idea-to-Product® (I2P™) Competition for Social Entrepreneurship

The Social Entrepreneurship Initiative (SEI) is a partnership involving engagement, outreach, community, and service-learning programs, Discovery Park, and students interested in entrepreneurship. The judges in these competitions compare the product-feasibility plans of the teams that have entered to determine those that are most likely to be successful. This is very similar to the evaluation process used by the venture capital community and provides our students with a very valuable experience they can draw upon throughout their careers. This year’s competition will be held at Purdue University.

Contact the organizers through the website to be considered for the competition.

San Francisco, CA

USF International Business Plan Competition

An opportunity to present your plan in front of leading Angel Investors, Venture Capitalists, and receive stellar coaching is priceless. The University of San Francisco School of Business and Management invites business plan proposals from any graduate student to participate in the USF International Business Plan Competition. One of the most prestigious Business Plan Competitions in the world, the USF International Business Plan Competition is THE Silicon Valley experience.

Wednesday,
January 7, 2009 Intent to Compete Due (not required)

Wednesday,
January 28, 2009 Executive Summary Due

Eugene, Oregon

New Venture Championship®

The New Venture Championship® (NVC) is one of the preeminent business plan competitions in the world. Presented by the University of Oregon’s Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship (LCE), the NVC offers more than $70,000 in cash prizes and attracts schools from across the nation and halfway around the world. Over its 17-year history, this International MBA business plan competition has become one of the top 3 competitions throughout the world. A result of its intense academic focus and guaranteed interaction with multiple panels of judges in a professional format, NVC is an unmatched experience for any start-up venture team.

February 25, 2009
Intent to Compete

Due

March 27, 2009
Business plans due