Student Entrepreneurship Competitions

Hosted by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is the “Invest in my Idea” Poster Competition in which students will have the opportunity to present their business ideas in a poster style format. Select members of the Salisbury Community will have the opportunity to invest in your idea. Awards and prizes will be given to 15 businesses whose ideas receive the greatest investments. Top 15 businesses will move on from this event to the “Gull Cage.”

 

Participants in the” Invest in My Idea” Poster Competition need to create a poster that is self-explanatory. The participating team member will have one to two minutes to explain their idea to the “Invest in My Idea” judging team.

Due: Electronic copy should be uploaded to the registration site by the registration deadline. It is ok if you poster design changes some prior to competition day.

• The poster board size at the bookstore is 36"H x 48" W Center Panel 24" with 2 sides of 12"
• The name of your company
• The product or service (What problem does it solve for consumers)
• Target customer needs
• The market and industry
• How will you promote the product or service
• How the product or service will make money (Break-even-sales)
• Your leadership team
• Your competition and competitive advantage
• A sample template Business Poster Template
• For more information on Poster Printing

Make it visually appealing and easy to understand. More pictures, less words.

You will be judged on your plan concept, clarity, comprehensiveness, feasibility, and potential value of opportunity.

• Student Entrepreneurship Consultants

If you have questions or need further information regarding this event please contact:

Business Sector Prize List

Business sector awards and prizes will be given out for the top idea in select business sectors. These prizes are selected by the sponsors representing judges/sponsors. These prizes will be awarded after round 1.

• *F3 Tech Award $10,000 Cash Award
  Access to $20,000 in Additional Seed Funding and Services
  • Agriculture or Aquaculture Related. For details check out F3 Competition Website
• Barrett Business Systems $5,000 Cash & Services Award
  • $1,000 Cash & $4,000 Services
  • BBSI is excited to provide one winner with expert assistance, guidance, and advice on how to successfully establish, launch, structure, and grow their small business! BBSI has helped thousands of businesses across the United States migrate through periods of growth and change starting with inception to, in some cases, becoming multi-million dollar enterprises.

• CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield $5,000 Cash Award
  • Medical Business

• * City of Salisbury Mayor’s Award $5,000 Cash & Services Award
  • $3,000 Cash & $2,000 Services
  • Must plan to open business in the City of Salisbury
    • $3,000 grant to cover initial start-up costs. This grant will be a two-year forgivable loan, contingent upon the winner “headquartering” their business in the City of Salisbury over that period.
    • Additionally, the City of Salisbury will be providing the winner with a number of in-kind services for their exclusive use.
  • James A. List Award $5,000 Services
    • Business Startup Attorney services such as NDA, Operational Plans, General Contracts, Business licenses and IP.
  • SU Veterans Service Award $1,750 Cash Award
    • This award is given to businesses who meet one of the following criteria:
      • Owned by a current or former Active Duty, Veteran, Reservists/National Guard member
      • Current member of Salisbury University’s ROTC
      • Military friendly business whose target market is military based. The military market is a huge industry, there were approximately 30 million service members, veterans, and spouses with $1 trillion in buying power, with over 90% saying that have greater trust and consumer loyalty towards brands that directly target their community.
  • Director’s Choice Award- $1,000 Cash Award
    • Cross Campus Collaboration – This award is given to a team with members from more than one SU school (Fulton, Henson, Perdue, Seidel and Health and Human Sciences) or outside of SU such as UMES, Wor-Wic or other institution.
  • Diversity Award - $1,000 Cash Award
    • Business Owned or Operated by an underrepresented race, color, ethnicity, national origin group or demographic; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA) community; or those with a disability.
    • Also, could be a business whose product or service’s target customers are one or more of the above mentioned groups.
    • This Award is sponsored by a grant from the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at SU
  • SWED $1,000 Services Award
    • Sponsored by Salisbury Wicomico Economic Development
    • Development and/or refinement of the business plan
    • Guidance in the search for a suitable location for the enterprise
    • Assembly of a mentor group or advisory committee as needed
    • Analysis and identification of potential funding sources

  * Indicates additional qualification criteria required for cash award

  All awards are open to all Salisbury University students and SU student partner teams with students from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Wor-Wic Community College and other institutions. Teams must have an SU student register the team to be eligible.

  • Student Entrepreneurship Consultants

              

  If you have questions or need further information regarding this event please contact:

  Professor Bill Burke, Competition Director
  Information & Decision Sciences Department
  PH 134 & PH 329
  410-677-5386
  wpburke@salisbury.edu

  Kathy Sterling, Entrepreneurship Competitions Assistant
  PH 133
  410-546-4325
  kksterling@salisbury.edu

The “Gull Cage” A Shark Tank Competition is where students will pitch their ideas to judges for prizes and awards and possibly an investment in their idea. This competition offers cash awards to the top 4 and they move on to the final competition!

In the “Gull Cage” Round, finalists from Round 1 will have 5 minutes to pitch their ideas to judges. No props just you and our pitch! Make sure you upload as much data as you can at registration to help the “Gull Cage” judges understand your business.

These judges usually are different judges than Round 1. Don’t assumes they saw your poster and pitch in Round 1. Be ready!

The top 4 businesses will move on to the final competition!

The "pitch" should be no more than 1 minute and include (at a minimum).

• The Product or Service
• The Market
• How the Product or Service will make money
• Your Leadership Team
• Your Competition and Competitive Advantage

The remaining 4 minutes will be a Q & A with you and the Gull Cage Judges. You will be judged on your plan concept, clarity, comprehensiveness, feasibility, and potential value of opportunity.

4 Winners move onto Round 3 The Plan: The Bernstein Round.

• Judging Form

• Student Entrepreneurship Consultants

If you have questions or need further information regarding this event please contact:

The Richard Bernstein Achievement Award for Excellence "Business Plan Competition" The winners from the Gull Cage will have to make a 10 minute Power Point presentation of their business plan, with a 10 minute question and answer with the judges. The creator of the winning business plan receives $20,000. This will be determined by the judging committee based on their assessment of the quality of the business plans.

Create an original proposal for a business start-up or for the transformation of an existing business. These judges usually are different judges than Round 1 and 2. Don’t assumes they saw your poster or pitch in Round 1 and 2. Be ready!

The Bernstein Story

The Bernstein Award was established by Richard Bernstein, a local entrepreneur, to recognize students who put together well researched and potentially successful business proposals. It is designed to encourage young entrepreneurs to move forward with their visions and to provide the resources to assist them. Several award winners have gone on to operate successful businesses after receiving this award.

The winners from the “Gull Cage” will have to make a 10 minute presentation of their business plan, with a 10 minute question and answer with the judges. The creator of the winning business plan receives $20,000. This will be determined by the judging committee based on their assessment of the quality of the business plans.

• Student Entrepreneurship Consultants
• Entrepreneurship Coaches & Mentors