Stu Clark New Venture Championships.
  • 3

    days

  • 32

    Teams

  • $60,000

    in cash prizes

2024 Graduate & Undergraduate Championships

Dates

April 18 - 20, 2024

Location

We are pleased to announce that the Stu Clark New Venture Championships will be held at the Fort Garry Hotel, 222 Broadway, Winnipeg, Manitoba. This venue is a mix of contemporary style, Old World elegance and is a well-equipped venue offering a range of facilities to make your competition experience comfortable and productive. With its central location, getting to and from the venue is easy and convenient, with a variety of transport options.

Complimentary hotel rooms will be provided for all competing teams and their advisor if applicable. This does not include teams that are residents of Manitoba. 

We look forward to welcoming you to Winnipeg for what promises to be a truly memorable event.

What You Can Expect

Join us in Winnipeg for an exhilarating 3 days for this high-energy competition focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. Teams will compete with both their business plans and video pitches for over $60, 000 in cash prizes! 

This competition has both undergrad and graduate level tracks which allows participants  to connect with other entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders from the industry!

Over 45 of Winnipeg’s industry experts and veteran judges including Stu Clark, will provide valuable feedback that will help take your venture’s next step towards success.

Important dates

  • Deadline to apply (11:59 PM CT)
  • Teams informed of acceptance (2:00 PM CT)
  • Video pitch due (11:59 PM CT)
  • Business plans due (11:59 PM CT)

Prizes

  • Graduate Business Plan Competition

    • 1st Place $20,000
    • 2nd Place $10,000
    • 3rd Place $5,000
    • 4th Place $2,500
  • Graduate Video Pitch Competition

    • 1st Place $1,500
    • 2nd Place $1,000
    • 3rd Place $750
    • All prizes are in Canadian dollars.
    • The represented university is the only entity that can receive payment from the University of Manitoba. There are no exceptions to this policy.
    • Teams are encouraged to consult with their University regarding their disbursement policy.
  • Undergraduate Business Plan Competition

    • 1st Place $10,000
    • 2nd Place $5,000
    • 3rd Place $2,500
    • 4th Place $1,000
  • Undergraduate Video Pitch Competition

    • 1st Place $1,000
    • 2nd Place $750
    • 3rd Place $500

Schedule

Eligibility

Presenting Team - Graduate Student Eligibility

  • This competition is for full time or part time graduate level students enrolled in the current academic year.
  • Teams are allowed to have 1 - 5 students. (Individual entries are allowed)
  • Students from all graduate programs (not just MBA's) and PhD's are eligible to participate.
  • Each team MUST have the endorsement of a faculty or staff advisor at their school and must provide contact information for the advisor regardless of whether the advisor will participate with the team at the NVC.
  • Applications to the NVC must be accepted by the team's faculty advisor. The faculty advisor must on behalf of the sponsoring university, attest to the eligibility of the team, their adherence to the rules and guidelines, and acknowledge potential penalties for violations and infractions. 
  • Undergraduate students are permitted to compete on the team as long as the majority of students are at the graduate level. 
  • In the scenario where a team consists of individuals from various universities, it is necessary to select the name of a single university to apply and present with. 
  • Students are not allowed to compete at the NVC in multiple academic years using the same idea. 

Presenting Team - Undergraduate Student Eligibility

  • This competition is for full time or part time undergraduate level students enrolled in the current academic year.
  • Teams are allowed to have 1 - 5 students. (Individual entries are allowed)
  • Students from all undergraduate programs are eligible to participate.
  • Each team MUST have the endorsement of a faculty or staff advisor at their school and must provide contact information for the advisor regardless of whether the advisor will participate with the team at the NVC.
  • Applications to the NVC must be accepted by the team's faculty advisor. The faculty advisor must on behalf of the sponsoring university, attest to the eligibility of the team, their adherence to the rules and guidelines, and acknowledge potential penalties for violations and infractions. 
  • In the scenario where a team consists of individuals from various universities, it is necessary to select the name of a single university to apply and present with. 
  • Students are not allowed to compete at the NVC in multiple academic years using the same idea. 

General Notices

  • Each team is required to adhered to the rules and guidelines  of the NVC.
  • Unique circumstances regarding applications to the competition will be adjudicated by the Competition Director.
  • This page sets out guidelines to capture these goals and not every circumstance can be anticipated. The Competition Director reserves the right to disqualify or penalize any team that violates the rules, regulations or the spirit of the competition. 
  • Ventures cannot be buy-outs, expansions of existing companies, roll-ups, real estate syndications, tax shelters, franchise-based outlets, licensing agreements for distribution in a different geographical area and spin-outs from existing corporations.
  • Licensing technologies from universities or research labs is encouraged assuming there has been no previous commercialization.

How to apply

Steps

  1. Fill out the online application 
  2. Create a 1-2 page executive summary
  3. Submit application form by February 20, 2024 (11:59 PM CT)

Application requirements

Executive summaries should include:

  • an outline of the magnitude of the problem
  • an outline of the solution
  • market validation
  • financial projections
  • scalability

Executive summaries should be:

  • 1 - 2 pages in length
  • PDF format
  • 1.5 spacing with 12 point font

Rules and guidelines

Business Plan Presentation Rules

  • 15 minute presentation hard stop
  • 10 minute Q & A hard stop & feedback from the judges
  • Props (prototypes, iPhone apps etc.) are allowed in the presentation
  • Teams may only videotape or record their own presentation
  • Only members who actively present are able to participate in the Q & A discussion

Video Pitch Rules

The purpose of a video pitch is to succinctly and effectively communicate a compelling message about a product or service within one minute. It serves as a concise and persuasive summary that grabs the attention of the judges and leaves a lasting impression. The goal is to convey key information, generate interest, and initiate further conversation or engagement. 

Video Pitch Rules 

  • Remember first and foremost it's about your content.
    • Are you clearly stating your problem, solution and is there a market?
    • Are you leaving the judges wanting to know more?
  • Secondly it's about creativity. 
    • You can get creative by using images, videos, prototype demonstrations, music, testimonials etc.
  • Time Limit:
    • 1 minute pitch hard stop. Any additional footage extending past the one minute mark will not be viewed by the judges.
  • Format: 
    • Video must be shot in landscape format and in .mp4 or .mov file format. 
  • Student Involvement:
    • It is required to visually show at least one student in the video speaking about the venture. Additionally, a team with multiple members speaking is also permitted. 
  • No Voiceovers:
    • ​​​​​​​Judges must be able to visually see a student and voiceovers are not allowed. 
  • Professional Attire:
    • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​While not mandatory, dressing in business attire is recommended to present a professional image during the elevator pitch.

Additional Resources:

Video Pitch Evaluation Rubric

Example of a great video pitch

Written Business Plan Guidelines

Rules

  • Written business plans from accepted teams are due to amy.jones@umanitoba.ca by April 8, 2024 (11:59 PM CT)
  • Must be submitted in PDF format, 1.5 spacing, 12 Times New Roman
  • Number all pages
  • Cover page to include venture name, student names and university
  • Cannot be longer than 21 pages following these limitations:
    • 1 page - Cover page
    • 1 page - Table of contents
    • 1 - 2 pages - Executive summary
    • Up to 10 pages - main report
    • Up to 6 pages - appendices
    • 1 page - citations

Guidelines

  • Executive summary
    • Standalone overview of the business plan
  • Magnitude of the problem
    • Is this a major problem?
    • Is it local, national or global?
  • Outline of the solution
    • Does the product solve the problem
    • Is the product protected (IP)
    • Status (proof of concept / prototype)
  • Market validation / competition
    • Is there a clear market need?
    • Will customers pay a premium?
    • Competitive landscape
  • Operational plan
    • Actual intent to set up operations
    • Viable plan to set up operations
    • Ongoing operational capability
  • Marketing and distribution
    • Effective marketing strategy
    • Effective advertising strategy
    • Clear distribution channels / strategy
  • Management team
    • Is team experienced and capable?
    • Able to overcome risks  and changes
    • Proper board or advisory board
  • Financial viability / scalability
    • Attractive revenue / expense margins
    • Realistic start-up costs
    • Scalable product or service
    • Financial projections / returns
    • No cash flow or balance sheet issues
    • Realistic funding / capital structure
    • Attractive investor returns
  • Others
    • Intellectual property
    • Timeline for implementation
    • Realistic
    • Professional
    • Convincing strategy

For further guidance on business plan development, download What to Include in a Business Plan 

Privacy Disclaimer

Privacy disclaimers

Privacy Notice: This event may be recorded for documentation and promotional purposes. By attending the event, you acknowledge that you may appear in such recordings, and grant permission for them to be used by the event organizers. Please inform the organizers if you do not wish to be recorded. Additionally, please be mindful of any personal information you choose to share during the event and take appropriate precautions to protect your privacy. Teams requiring non-disclosure agreements (NDA's) should not participate. 

Partner Competitions

Contact us

Amy Jones
Program Coordinator
Stu Clark Centre for Entrepreneurship
Room 212 Drake Centre
181 Freedman Crescent
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
 

204-898-7811