Stu Clark New Venture Championships.
  • 3

    days

  • 32

    Teams

  • $60,000

    in cash prizes

2023 Championships

Dates

Check back soon to see the dates for the 2024 The Stu Clark New Venture Championships. 

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 elevator pitches for over $60, 000 in cash prizes! 

Over 50 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.

The competition has both an undergrad and graduate stream which allows participants  to connect with other entrepreneurs, investors, and business leaders from the industry!

Important dates

  • Deadline to apply (11:59 PM CST)
  • Teams advised of acceptance
  • Elevator pitch due (11:59 PM CST)
  • Business plans due (11:59 PM CST)

Prizes

  • Graduate Business Plan Competition

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

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

Schedule

Eligibility

Presenting Team - Graduate Student Eligibility

  • Teams are allowed to have up to 5 students.
  • This competition is for full time or part time graduate level students enrolled in the current academic year. 
  • A team is allowed to have a undergraduate student on their presenting team as long as the majority of students are at the graduate level. 
  • Students from all graduate programs (not just MBA's) and PhD's are eligible to participate.
  • Teams are encouraged to have a faculty advisor however it is not required.

Presenting Team - Undergraduate Student Eligibility

  • Teams are allowed to have up to 5 students.
  • This competition is for full time or part time undergraduate level students enrolled in the current academic year.
  • A team is allowed to have a graduate student on their presenting team as long as the majority of students are at the undergraduate level. 
  • Students from all undergraduate programs are eligible to participate.
  • Teams are encouraged to have a faculty advisor however it is not required.

Other

  • Students are not allowed to compete at the Stu Clark New Venture Championships in multiple academic years using the same venture idea.
  • All teams along with individual participants and faculty advisors (if applicable) must attest to all rules and guidelines.
  • 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 Tuesday, January 10, 2023 (11:59 PM CST)

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
  • 10 minute Feedback from the judges
  • Teams may not observe other teams present in their track until after they have presented
  • 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

All ventures must meet the below rules and guidelines. 

Elevator Pitch Competition Rules

What is an elevator pitch?

An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive speech that you use to spark interest in what you or your organization does. It's called an "elevator pitch" because it should be short enough to deliver during a brief elevator ride, no longer than 60 seconds.

The goal of an elevator pitch is to grab the attention of your audience and make a compelling case for why they should be interested in what you're offering. This can include introducing your business, product, or idea, highlighting its unique selling points, and explaining what sets it apart from similar offerings.

An effective elevator pitch should be clear, concise, and memorable. It should communicate your key message in a way that's easy to understand, and it should leave the listener with a clear understanding of what you or your organization does and why they should care.

Elevator Pitch Rules

  • 1 minute pitch hard stop
  • The elevator pitch video may contain graphic images, video enhancements, and background noise, however it must contain at least one student speaking to the business concept
  • The purpose of the elevator pitch is to capture the attention of the judges while explaining to them the value behind your business
  • The more creative, the better!
  • All content and graphics should be relative to the business and enhance the overall message
  • Any inappropriate verbiage or graphics will result in disqualification
  • Plagiarism will result in disqualification
  • We encourage teams to get creative and to keep in mind that their elevator pitch is being judged on content, professionalism and overall strength of the pitch
  • Business dress is recommended

All ventures must meet the above rules and guidelines. 

 

Written Business Plans Rules and Guidelines

Rules

  • Written business plans from accepted teams are due to amy.jones@umanitoba.ca by Thursday, March 2, 2023 (11:59 PM CST)
  • 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

All ventures must meet the below rules and guidelines. 

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