GONZAGA UNIVERSITY
HOGAN ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION 2007-2008 
In collaboration with:
Eastern Washington University, Center for Entrepreneurial Activities
Whitworth University, School of Global Commerce and Management
Guidelines and Rules for 2007-2008

Concept: An annual business plan competition with three distinct entry categories:
a. Student-Generated Ideas. This category is for teams of undergraduate and/or graduate students from Gonzaga, EWU, Whitworth, and Washington State University who submit a plan based on an original student idea. All team members must be enrolled and matriculated undergraduate or graduate students from Gonzaga, EWU, Whitworth, or Washington State University for at least one term in the 2007-2008 academic year Awards are $10,000 - First Place, $5,000 - Second Place, and $2,500 - Third Place.
b. Community-Based Plans. This category is for teams who work with community-based entrepreneurs on for-profit venture ideas originated by the entrepreneur. The entrepreneur’s venture must be at the startup stage, less than 2 years old as a legal entity. All team members must be enrolled and matriculated undergraduate or graduate students from Gonzaga, EWU, Whitworth, or Washington State University for at least one term in the 2007-2008 academic year. Awards are $7,500 - First Place, $3,500 - Second Place, and $1,500 - Third Place.
c. Social Enterprise Plans. This category is for teams who work with local non-profits or create their own non-profit organization. Two types of social enterprises can be entered: 1) New non-profits or for-profits that are financially sustainable or profitable and have a significant social return on investment (SROI[1]). 2) Significant revenue-enhancing extensions of existing non-profits; these enhancements must be financially sustainable and/or profitable and have a significant SROI. All team members must be enrolled and matriculated undergraduate or graduate students from Gonzaga, EWU, Whitworth, or Washington State University for at least one term in the 2007-2008 academic year. Awards are $7,500 - First Place, $3,500 - Second Place, and $1,500 - Third Place.

Purpose: For the Student-Generated and Community-Based plans categories, the purpose of the business plan competition is to generate marketable and potentially fundable new ventures. The winning prize will be awarded to the team or individual project with the greatest market viability and the most likely to attract further funding. For the Social Enterprise category the purpose of the competition is to create substantial and sustainable revenue and social enhancements for existing non-profit organizations and/or create new non-profit organizations. The winning prize will be awarded to the team or individual project with the greatest potential for sustained revenue enhancements and SROI (for existing non-profits) and/or the new social enterprise with the potential for the most sustainable financial and SROI impact on its identified target market.

Criteria: Only individuals or teams of undergraduate or graduate students from Gonzaga, EWU, Whitworth, and WSU who are enrolled and matriculated for at least one term in the 2007-2008 academic year, are eligible to enter the competition. Participants must declare their intention to enter the competition by submitting an on-line Entry Form by Friday, February 29. 2008. To be eligible, all business ideas and proposed ventures must be compatible with the missions and values of the participating institutions. A faculty advisor is recommended, but not required.

Judging: Business plans will be judged by an independent panel of experts on: 1) the quality and market viability/fundability of the product/service idea, or the quality/viability/fundability of the non-profit idea, 2) the quality, accuracy, and persuasiveness of the executive summary, 3) the quality of the business plan itself, and, if selected for oral presentation, 4) the quality of the oral presentation.  Oral presentations will count towards 30% of the final scoring of entries. Students may not contact members of the Review Panel at any time during the competition until after final decisions and awards have been made.

Benefits of Participation in the BPC: Students participating in the BPC may receive a number of tangible benefits from Gonzaga University and the other participating institutions: mentoring, legal advice, coaching, access to potential angel investors or other sources of funding, public relations support, and other opportunities for exposure to the market.

Other Important Considerations:
Intellectual Property. All participants should consider the benefits of intellectual property ownership. [2]Conflicts of Interest. All participants should fully disclose conflicts of interest and be aware of potential conflicts of interest.[3]

Timetable and Due Dates:
October 24 – Information session, 5:30pm, Jepson 120
February 29 – Entry Form must be submitted on-line by 5:00pm at www.gonzaga.edu/entrepreneur
April 2 – Business Plans submitted by 5:00pm, Hogan Program Office, Jepson 242B
April 14 – Six Finalists in each category notified
April 18 – Presentations by finalists, 1-4:30 pm, EWU Riverpoint Campus
Awards announcements, 5:00-5:30pm, EWU Riverpoint Campus, Auditorium of Phase I Classroom Building
Reception for finalists, 5:30-6:30pm, EWU Riverpoint Campus

Additional Rules:
1.  All team members must be entered on the official online Entry Form submitted by February 29, 2008. Subsequent changes to this form can be made only with the written consent of all team members who were originally entered on the form.
2.  For all categories every team member must be an enrolled and matriculated in a graduate or undergraduate program at either Gonzaga University, EWU, Whitworth University, or WSU during the 2007-2008 academic year.
3.  Plans are limited to 20 pages of text, including the executive summary and no more than 10 pages of exhibits and appendices.
4.  The plan must include a cover page that includes the plan name, plan category, a one paragraph description of the business, names of team members, and the phone number and email address of the key contact. This cover page will not count in determining the 20 page limit for text. 
5.  The plan must include an executive summary of no more than 3 pages.                                                        6.  If more than 14 plans are entered in a category the executive summary will determine which plans are eliminated in an initial screening round.

The executive summary for Student-Generated and Community-Based Plans should include the following: 

-Overview of your company, including your products and/or services

-Overview of your company’s management

-Overview of your industry

-Competitive strategy (marketing and sales)

-Financial strategy

-Social return on investment (i.e., jobs creation)