2011-2012
UD Business Plan Competition
Applicant Eligibility

Applicant/Team Eligibility

This is a team-based competition (teams can range from 1-8 individuals). Team members may come from anywhere, subject to the restrictions and eligibility requirements below (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!). Specifically:

·                    Anyone may participate in the Elevator Pitch and Cameo stages of the competition. But if your entry is selected to be one of the five finalist teams, your team MUST include at least one currently enrolled UD student (in any undergraduate or graduate degree program), OR at least one alum who has earned a UD degree (graduate or undergraduate)

·                    Teams MUST select ONE team member who will present the elevator pitch.  Any prize money won is awarded to the presenter only.

·                    Teams CANNOT  include students who are currently serving a University disciplinary suspension

·                    An individual may be a member of a maximum of TWO competition entries (judged separately on each), but may only be on ONE finalist team

·                    Team rosters may be modified (members added or dropped) up to 4:00pm on Friday, December 9, 2011—after that, no roster changes are permitted. Anyone initially submitted as a team member must agree in writing to be dropped.    Everyone on the roster as of December 9th, 2011 time is guaranteed  a minimum of 10% of the prize package.  Unless written documentation is provided stating otherwise (signed by all team members),  prize money is split evenly among all team members. 

·                   ALL finalist team members must appear at the finalist competition presentations though not all are required to speak (finalist team members who fail to attend finalist presentations will forfeit all prize money winnings over 10%, which will NOT be shared among the remaining members). 

·                    To receive individual prize monies, all elevator pitch and finalist team members MUST provide payment information (i.e., social security numbers, proof of citizenship, etc.) to Pam Stukenborg, Management/Marketing Department Office Manager, by December 9, 2011 at 4:00pm (Miriam Hall, room 710, 937-229-3745)

·                    If a finalist team wants prize monies to be paid to a company or non-profit, then firm ID and tax numbers must be submitted to Pam Stukenborg, Management/Marketing Department Office Manager, by December 9, 2011 at 4:00pm (Miriam Hall, room 710, 937-229-3745)

·                    By entering the UD Business Plan Competition, applicants agree to allow the University of Dayton to use their application materials, photos, likenesses, and presentations to market, promote, and provide information about the Competition (this extends through all stages and aspects of the 2011-2012 UDBPC)

Evaluation Criteria -- What Judges Look For

This is a generalist competition. It is open to any type of business (subject to the restrictions listed below). Elevator pitches and business plans are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Ease of growth potential
• Level of innovation/creativity/originality
• Quality of benefits/customer value propositions
• Competitiveness in the marketplace/concept viability
• Perceived ability to execute
• Quality of the presentation
• Coverage and thoroughness

Business Plan Eligibility Guidelines

The competition reserves the right to disqualify business plans that fail to adhere to competition rules or are inconsistent with the values and mission of the University of Dayton as a Catholic institution of higher education. The following guidelines were created to clarify what is and is not acceptable for the competition.  Each entry is vetted by members of the competition eligibility committee, who make the final determination whether or not the entry meets acceptable guidelines.

• All work must be the original work of the applicants--proposals and plans that constitute “academic dishonesty” will be disqualified even if discovered after the competition ends.
• If the application involves an existing venture, major start-up event (e.g. first sales, incorporation in Ohio or other states) dates should be 30 months old or newer, at the time of the competition's launch.  Researching the business and discussing it with others are not generally consider major start-up events.  If you are unclear if your business fits this guideline, please contact Dean McFarlin via email:  mcfarlin@udayton.edu.
• All plans must be based on a legitimate business enterprise--ventures that involve breaking the law as part of their business model are prohibited (e.g., music piracy)
• Plans or any venture that involves a liquor license to be legal, or whose primary purpose is the promotion or sale of alcohol, are prohibited
• Plans that conflict with University values are prohibited--these include, but are not limited to, plans involving:
  • Payday loan/check cashing companies
  • Gambling
  • Events/activities featuring violence
  • Pornography
• All plans must be startups--purchasing a current venture, including Business Opportunities and Franchises, is prohibited
• Plans involving pyramid-based marketing are prohibited

Participation Expectations for Finalist Teams

It is imperative that ALL teams advancing to the finalist round (including five finalist teams and two alternates) adhere to the participation expectations outlined below.  This ensures fairness as well as helps teams do the best that they can in the competition.  Specifically:

• Finalist teams MUST meet with their assigned mentors in January 2012
• Finalist teams MUST complete (if asked) up to five periodic status reports from December 2011 to March 2012
• Finalist teams MUST attend one of the two UDBPC finalist dress rehearsals/coaching sessions prior to making their final presentations
• Finalists must submit their initial slide show two days before their assigned dress rehearsal session
• Finalist teams must submit a rough of their business plan draft on February 4, 2012 (tentative)
• Finalist teams MUST submit their final business plan submission on February 25, 2012 (tentative)
• Finalist teams MUST present their business plan at the UDBPC Finals on March 10, 2012 (tentative)
• Finalist teams MUST discuss their experiences in the competition at UD’s Stander Symposium on (TBA)
• Alternate finalist teams are subject to all of the same expectations as the five finalist teams—should a finalist team withdraw, the first alternate team will be allowed to compete for the top prize packages (the same holds if a second finalist team withdraws and the second alternate team advances)

Dept. of Management/Marketing
School of Business Administration
300 College Park
Dayton, OH 45469-2271