Stu Clark New Venture Championships: High School Edition

• Application and executive summaries are due April 29, 2022 (11:59 PM CST)
• Presentation format:
  • 10 minute presentation with a hard stop
  • 10 minute question & answer from the judges
  • 10 minutes of feedback from the judges
• Only team members who present are able to participate in the Q & A portion
• Props (prototypes, iPhone apps etc.) are allowed in the presentation
• Only members who actively present are able to participate in the Q & A discussion

What is an elevator pitch? One presenter will record their elevator pitch about their venture in a concise but thorough and engaging way.

• 2 minute pitch hard stop
• Due to the virtual format we encourage students to get creative! 
• 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

Rules

• 16 teams will be chosen and notified by May 3, 2022 regarding their acceptance
• Written business plans from accepted teams are due to amy.jones@umanitoba.ca by May 17, 2022 (11:59 PM CST)
• Must be submitted in PDF format
• Submitted in PDF format
• Number all pages
• Cover page to include venture name, student names, all student email addresses and name of High School
• Cannot be longer than 12 pages following these limitations below
  • 1 page – Cover Page
  • 1 page – Table of Contents
  • 1 – 2 pages – Executive Summary
  • Up to 5 pages – Main Report
  • Up to 3 pages – Appendices & 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