UCA Business Plan Competition    

Timeline  

UCA Business Plan Competition

January 31, 2008                Submit Business Plans
February 8, 2008                Oral Presentations
February 14, 2008              Winner Announced
                                           

Governor's Cup Business Plan Competition   (Click to view Governor's Cup website)

February 7, 2008                "Intent-to-Compete" Form Due                  
February 21, 2008               Entrance Deadline                              

Eligibility  

The competition is open to all full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at UCA.
                    

Judging  

The UCA Business Plan Competition will take place in two parts. First, a panel of judges evaluates the written plans and selects six semi-finalist teams. Each entry is evaluated in whole by at least three judges. Second, a different panel of judges then evaluates the six semifinalist teams based upon an oral presentation by each team (20 minutes for a question and answer) and selects the three finalist teams. The presentations will be open to the public.  The judging is based on the evaluation guidelines.  UCA's Business Plan Competition Evaluation Guidelines mirror the guidelines for the Governor's Cup competition (Click to view UCA's Business Plan Competition Evaluation Guidelines).  All judges ultimately consider the entire business concept looking at overall feasibility, combined with significant capital gains potential, attractive investment possibilities and actual implementation. 

Awards  

Winner:  $750
                 

Who Are The Judges?  

Each separate panel of judges consists of professionals who have experience in reading business plans and listening to the oral presentations. Individually, they can be segmented into three general categories:
(1)  successful entrepreneurs or business leaders;
(2)  professional services providers; and
(3)  venture capitalist and investors.

Rules  

  1. 2008 UCA Business Plan Competition Official Rules

    1. The competition is open to all full- and part-time degree seeking undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at University of Central Arkansas. Enrollment includes classes taken during the summer session(s) of the year preceding the entry deadline, the fall semester preceding the contest deadline, and the spring semester during which the contest takes place. We rely on the student and his or her faculty advisor to verify enrollment criteria.
    2. The business plan may be prepared under faculty supervision for credit in a regularly scheduled course or as an independent study. The plan may also be prepared under faculty supervision with no official credit.
    3. Each team may submit only one business plan to the competition.
    4. Either an individual or a group may develop the business plan. Group size should not exceed 5 persons. The management team outlined in the plan will contain the names of individuals (if any) who are not associated with the university. Presenting group members must be students and have a key role in the company. Non-student members of the venture's management team may not participate in any presentations.
    5. The business plan must represent the original work of each contestant. A signed statement shall accompany each submission indicating that the business plan is the original work of the author(s).  The author(s) will retain all rights to the plan regarding its use at all times prior to and following the competition. Due to the nature of the competition, we will not ask judges, reviewers, sponsors, staff or the audience to agree to or sign non-disclosure statements for any participant.
    6. The business plan must be for a seed or start-up venture and must address the entire business concept (including implementation). Proposals for the buy-out or expansion of an existing company, tax-shelter opportunities, real estate syndications, and other consulting projects or analyses are not eligible.
    7. The business should not have generated sales revenues prior to the Competition. Revenue generated during a test-marketing project may be excluded from this provision.
    8. The business or university may license technology from another company for manufacturing and/or distribution purposes. Revenue streams from the business or university should not be based solely on deriving revenues from the licensing of its own technologies.
    9. The plans may not contain fabricated information about (but not limited to) the following: backgrounds, experience and educational level of members of the management team, stage of product development, product performance claims, or market survey results.
    10. Plans are limited to 30 pages of typed text, which includes the Executive Summary and excludes appendices (see item 12 below). Cover sheets are not counted in total number of pages.
    11. Summary financial data should include a five year pro-forma cash flow statement, income statement and balance sheet. Include an explanation to investors of how much capital will be required in the first and future rounds of investment, how funds from the first round will be used, and what milestones will be met using first round of funding. Delineate possible exit strategies and identify companies or categories of companies for which this company might be an attractive acquisition candidate in future years. Business plans may include the expected ROI for investors and the proposed structure of the deal, i.e., loan, preferred A stock, convertible note, etc.
    12. Appendices should be included only when they support the findings, statements and observations in the plan. Because of the number of teams/plans entering the competition, reviewers and judges may not be able to read all of the material in the appendices. Therefore, the text portion of the plan (30 pages) must contain all pertinent information in a clear and concise manner.
    13. For ease in handling, plans are required to be professionally bound (i.e. velo, spiral, tape, etc.). No 3-ring binders will be accepted.
    14. A copy of the business plan is to be received by: Michael Rubach BBA 210 (450-3149) or Michael Casey BBA 304 (450-3109) by 4:30 p.m. January 31, 2008.
    15. A team may not observe other presentations or question and answer sessions until after they have presented their own plan.
    16. All oral presentations and question and answer sessions are open to the public at large.  Any data or information discussed or divulged in public sessions by entrants should be considered information that will likely enter the public realm, and entrants should not assume any right of confidentiality in any data or information discussed, divulged or presented in these sessions. Neither UCA, judges, sponsors, nor their designate organizations, assume any duty to screen or otherwise control the identity of those attending, viewing or hearing all or part of these public sessions, and entrants agree that by entering the competition they have been made aware that such attendees, viewers and recipients may include members of the media and potential competitors in addition to members of the financial community, students and faculty.
    17. Team members are not allowed to bring food or beverages into the rooms for presentation. Students may bring product samples for their presentations, but may not bring any promotional items or giveaways to the judges. Paper materials for the judges are allowed, but not required.
    18. Winners will be announced February 14, 2008 based upon the written plans and oral presentations. The prize is: $750 for the winner. 

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