How to Enter

Contestant Eligibility

General Requirements

  • Eligible contestants must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at a college or university of the University System of Maryland.
  • Alumni of these institutions graduating with an undergraduate or graduate degree between May 2007 and December 2011 are also eligible for the competition.
  • Companies must be no more than five years old and have acquired less than $500,000 in previous financing.
  • The judges reserve the right to disqualify entries.

Business Requirements

  • Your operating company has generated at least $5,000 in revenue prior to February 19, 2012 OR have won funding through a university-sponsored business or business plan competition

OR

  • You have formed a legal business entity and
    • Your product is developed at minimum version 1.0 and
    • You have beta users, subscribers, customers or other proof of traction

Application Package

Executive Summary

The judges will use the executive summary to narrow the finalists. The executive summary should begin with an "elevator pitch" one paragraph about the company, the value to the target market, and the competitive situation. It should then include very short summaries of the marketing, introduction, and implementation plan, as well as the financial plan.

Executive summaries typically answer the following questions:

  • What is your product, service, process, or business model?
  • What is the value proposition?
  • If technology is involved, what is the expected life of the intellectual property?
  • Who will you sell to, or which set of beneficiaries will you target?
  • Who are your competitors, and how do you compare?
  • How much money is required and how will the funds be utilized?

The executive summary for this competition should be 2 pages in length. No attachments of any kind beyond this number of pages are allowed.

Deadline: Entries are due by 3 p.m. on February 19, 2012. Entries received after this date will not be considered.

Judging Criteria

  • Compelling Value Proposition
  • Identifiable Customer/ Sizable Target Market
  • Reasonable Competitive Advantage/ Profitability
  • Market Structure Risk
  • Effective Marketing/Sales/Business Development Strategy
  • Team: Qualified and Dedicated?
  • Scalable Business Model
  • Proven Business Model (Revenue $)

What Happens Next

March 2: Semifinalists announced

March 5-7: Semifinal presentations at UMD

March 9: Finalists announced

March 9-29: Finalist teams coached at mutually agreeable time

March 30: Final competition at UMD