In order to participate, the team must have a student who possesses at least a 25% equity stake in the project/company.

• The competition is for new, independent ventures in the seed, start-up or early growth stages. Proposals for the buy-out or expansion of an existing company, tax-shelter opportunities, real estate syndicates, purchase of a franchise and consulting projects or analyses are not eligible. The business may not have generated more than $50,000 in revenues nor have raised more than $250,000 in outside equity capital before February 1 of the year of the competition. (Friends and family funding does not count toward funding limits.)
• Submissions must represent the original work of each contestant. It may not contain any fabricated information. Presenters may bring samples of their product to show, but may not bring giveaways for the judges.
• Individuals or groups may enter the competition. All principals involved must be clearly identified in both the application and the presentation by name, address and e-mail address. In the event a team receives an award, check(s) and prizes will be coordinated with the primary contact person listed on the application.
• Submissions, the competition presentation and the concepts they contain are recognized as confidential and will not be intentionally disclosed outside the committee of judges without the entrant’s permission.

• Judges will decide if submissions meet all the requirements for submission and will select a small number of plans as finalists to be announced by a to-be-determined date. 
• Finalists will should be prepared to give a 10-minute online pitch about their project (slides optional). This will be judged by a panel of judges who are entrepreneurs and investors. Judging criteria will be provided to each team selected as finalists. The final competition will occur on a to-be-determined date. 
• The award recipients will be chosen by those judges and announced on a to-be-determined date. 
• Note: All competitions and judging will happen in a livestream virtual format for 2021. There will be no in-person competition held at Beacom Hall.

Award recipients will be provided with contact information for each sponsor and those providing in-kind services. Arrangements for these prizes are made directly between the award recipients and the in-kind providers, and are subject to the provider’s limitations.