3 Tracks in 2011
Sixty-two entrepreneurs from three counties submitted applications for the first EVER Monterey Bay Regional Business Plan Competition in 2010.
In 2012, we will have three tracks for different business types:
• Student Track
• Main-Street- Business Track
• Venture-Play Track
Not all businesses are venture plays. You may have a great business idea for the Monterey Bay Region that will employ a few to several folks, but it might not provide a 10X return in three to five years. Maybe it just won't scale nationally and internationally, but it will still create economic impact regionally. That's a Main-Street Business. We had several excellent Main-Street Businesses apply last year, and we are accommodating those entrepreneurs this year with a $5,000 cash prize.
Student entrepreneurs and teams are encouraged to participate in this year's competition for a $1,000 cash prize. If you are under 21, your parent or guardian must sign the Entry Form. To compete in this category, complete the Student Application.
If you are a student with a business plan that is venture fundable or ready to be taken into the world as a Main-Street Business, submit a 1-page application for Venture-Play and Main-Street Business.
Finally, for those entrepreneurs who have a fundable, scalable business idea that will provide a 10X return for investors, we will continue with the Venture Play track in 2011, with a $50,000 prize in cash and services from attorneys and other professionals.
Categories
In 2011 the competition organizers took 12 of the best applications and asked those entrepreneurs to submit full business plans and present these plans to panels of judges on May 4th. The 12 finalists were divided into 4 loosely related categories for the panel presentations. This year we will do much the same with one exception; the organizers have designated a category for Agricultural Technology businesses. Cash prize money for all tracks is being provided by Project 17, the region's Small Business Administration-funded regional innovation cluster for agriculture.
Ag-Tech companies are any company in which technology is being applied to assist the industry in reducing costs. These technologies might be agronomy, mechanical, software, wireless security, energy reduction or renewable-energy use; water-conservation or many others that you know about that we have not even thought of yet.
We look forward to receiving your applications by 5:00 p.m.on February 27. No late applications will be accepted. Applications may be emailed to Natalie.Macdonald@MarinaTechnologyCluster.org or brought to the Marina Technology Cluster at 3180 Imjin Road, Ste. 149 in Marina.
For More Information Call: (831) 582-9718