2019-PITCH-APPLICATION-for-EC-Website

Enterprise Center at Salem State University 2019 BUSINESS PLAN PROGRAM & COMPETITION PITCH PANEL APPLICATION Overview The Enterprise Center at Salem State University is launching its

Enterprise Center at Salem State University

2019 BUSINESS PLAN PROGRAM & COMPETITION

PITCH PANEL APPLICATION Overview

The Enterprise Center at Salem State University is launching its 2019 BUSINESS PLAN PROGRAM &

COMPETITION.  This initiative ends with the Competition Finale on December 6, 2019 and helps

businesses strengthen their planning and operations in advance of entering the Competition

Businesses that want to enter the Competition will have an opportunity to PITCH their business idea before entering the formal Competition, if they choose to do so The goal of a PITCH Panel Session is to help applicants improve their business idea, receive feedback from business

professionals, and thereby strengthen their business

In order to enter the PITCH Panel each business must meet the following criteria of the 2019

Business Plan Competition The business must:

Eligibility

1 Start-up businesses that are less than three years old (including those not yet operational) and early stage growth businesses may apply

2 Growth companies that are older than three years may apply IF they are developing growth through a new product, service line, expansion or implementation of a new strategic plan Growth trajectory MUST be clear to be eligible

3 Applicants must be located in or must relocate to one of 30 cities and towns that make up the North Shore *

4 If the business plan is for a startup business, that business must commit to locating in one of 30

cities and towns that make up the North Shore *

5 Businesses must have plans to grow the equivalent of at least 5 full-time employees (FTEs) in addition to the founders or existing workforce within three years

6 Your business idea must be original work that you will be fully able to disclose

7 Any non-venture funded business is eligible

8 Businesses with existing professional venture investment are not eligible

9 Non-profit organizations are not eligible

*Amesbury *Beverly *Boxford *Danvers *Essex *Georgetown *Gloucester *Groveland

*Hamilton*Ipswich *Lynn*Lynnfield*Manchester by the Sea*Marblehead *Middleton *Nahant *Newbury

*Newburyport *Peabody *Revere *Rockport *Rowley *Salem *Salisbury *Saugus *Swampscott

*Topsfield *Wenham *West Newbury *Winthrop

What is the PITCH Panel process?

All businesses interested in participating in a PITCH Panel Session, must do the following:

1 Fill out the attached PITCH Panel Application Form and submit it, via email, to the Enterprise Center PITCH Panel Session dates and deadlines are listed below and scheduling is based on a first come/first serve basis

2 Once the  PITCH Panel Application  is received, it will be reviewed and, if the business idea meets the eligibility criteria listed above, the business will be invited to “PITCH” their business idea to a panel of PITCH Panel Coaches

3 Each PITCH Panel Session will last 45 minutes The business will have 15-minutes to PITCH the business idea, and the PITCH Panel Coaches will have the remaining time to ask clarifying questions and provide feedback and comments

4 PITCH Panel Session participants must be prepared to cover the following topics in their PITCH:

• What is the business idea? Product or Service

• Why is the business idea unique?

• What market does this business serve/plan to serve, and what is the demonstrated need for this product or service?

• What obstacles is the business facing now and in the near future?

Further instructions will be sent to approved PITCH Panel candidates

PITCH Panel Application Schedule and Dates

Applicants must fill out the PITCH Panel Application Form and upon receipt and approval will be

scheduled for one of the four (4) PITCH Panel Sessions listed below PITCH Panel Application Forms must be submitted a minimum of one week prior to the PITCH Panel Session dates

scheduled below:

May 2019

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 PITCH PANEL Application due to the Enterprise

Center

Wednesday, May 1, 2019 PITCH PANEL, 8:30 to 11:00 am (45-minutes per applicant)

June 2019

Wednesday, June 5, 2019 PITCH PANEL Application due to the Enterprise Center

Wednesday, June 12, 2019 PITCH PANEL, 8:30 to 11:00 am (45-minutes per applicant)

July 2019

Check back to website for Schedule PITCH PANEL Application due to the Enterprise Center

Check back to website for Schedule PITCH PANEL

September 2019

Check back to website for Schedule PITCH PANEL Application due to the Enterprise Center

Check back to website for Schedule PITCH PANEL

If you have any questions, please contact Noreen Hazelton, Assistant Director at the Enterprise Center: 978-542-7576 or nhazelton@enterprisectr.org

2019 BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION PITCH PANEL APPLICATION

1 PITCH Panel Applications will be processed on a “rolling admission” basis This means that upon receipt and approval of your PITCH Panel Application, you will be scheduled for one the four (4) PITCH Panel Sessions listed below Every effort will be made to schedule you for the

PITCH Panel Session of your choice However, PITCH Panel Session Applications must be submitted a minimum of one week prior to the scheduled PITCH Panel Session dates below:

May 2019

Wednesday, April 24, 2019 PITCH PANEL Application due to the Enterprise

Center

Wednesday, May 1, 2019 PITCH PANEL, 8:30 to 11:00 am (45-minutes per applicant)

June 2019

Wednesday, June 5, 2019 PITCH PANEL Application due to the Enterprise Center

Wednesday, June 12, 2019 PITCH PANEL, 8:30 to 11:00 am (45-minutes per applicant)

July 2019

Check back to website for Schedule PITCH PANEL Application due to the Enterprise Center

Check back to website for Schedule PITCH PANEL

September 2019

Check back to website for Schedule PITCH PANEL Application due to the Enterprise Center

Check back to website for Schedule PITCH PANEL

3 URL/Website

_

(If you do not have one please write N/A)

4 Address _ Street _ City/Town _

5 Business Phone # _

6 Name of Applicant _

7 Your Title _

8 Your Email _

9 Retype email _ 10.Cell Phone # _

11.Please give us a three to five sentence description of your business or business idea

_ _ _

12.Is this a product or service business?

a _ Product

b _ Service

13.What year was your business founded?

14.How much capital, if any, have you raised?

15.Current number of employees

(FT, PT, other) 16.What are your growth plans for the next 12 months?

17.Is there any additional information that you believe is important to evaluate your eligibility and/or business potential that you want to share with us?

_ _ _

Only email applications will be accepted Please complete this application, save it as a PDF

document if possible and email it to nhazelton@enterprisectr.org You will receive an email

confirmation of your application If you have any questions, please contact Noreen Hazelton, Assistant Director at the Enterprise Center: 978-542-7576 or nhazelton@enterprisectr.org