Like anything of value, entrepreneurship can be a challenging road full of all sorts of competitive surprises. There are myriad opportunities to hone your skills by competing in local, national and international business plan competitions. Here are some that are worth researching:
New Ventures BC
This local competition gives early-stage BC innovators and entrepreneurs access to technology leaders, business education and its annual $300,000 funding competition. Visit www.newventuresbc.com for more details.
Enterprize Canada
This is one of Canada’s largest student-run entrepreneurship organizations and is based right here on the UBC campus. Visit www.enterprizecanada.org for information about their regional and national competitions.
Dragon’s Den
This is where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their concepts, products and ideas to a panel of some of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs and investors. Visit www.cbc.ca/dragonsden for more information.
Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition
This is an international social venture competition where interdisciplinary teams from around the world pitch commercially viable business plans aimed at reducing poverty in the developing world. Check out www.foster.washington.edu/gsec for more information.
Queen’s Entrepreneurs’ Competition
Rice Business Plan Competition
San Diego State Venture Challenge
http://emc.sdsu.edu/programs/Venture-Challenge/
University of Oregon New Venture Challenge
University of Nebraska Innovation Competition
http://www.pitchburner.com/neworld
The Nichol Entrepreneurial Award
http://nicol-award.com/index.htm
PloyU Global Student Challenge
http://www.polyu.edu.hk/polyuchallenge/about_the_challenge/shine_the_world_with_your_ideas.php
Ivey Business Plan Competition
The Brown-Forman Cardinal Challenge Business Plan Competition –University of Louisville
http://business.louisville.edu/content/view/511/738/
New Ventures World Competition – University of Nebraska, Lincoln
http://cba.unl.edu/about/centers/ent/conferences.aspx#NIC
Venture Capital Investment Competition – UNC Chapel Hill
http://entrepreneurship.berkeley.edu/business_competitions/external.html
Edward L. Kaplan New Venture Challenge – University of Chicago
http://research.chicagobooth.edu/nvc/
Oxford’s Venturefest – University of Oxford
NYC Next Idea
