Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition

Preparation & Resources

HSBPC Wednesday Workshops: Hybrid workshops to prepare your screening round entry are held every other Wednesday 12-1pm in-person in the Pigott Puget Sound Energy Room (PIGT 416) and via zoom (click here to join the zoom):

• 12-1pm Hybrid: January 17, January 31, February 14, February 28, and March 13

HSBPC Office Hours: Drop in for a one-on-one conversation with IEC staff to ask questions and get feedback on your business plan, every other Wednesday 12-1pm via zoom (click here to join the zoom)

• 12-1pm via Zoom: January 24, February 7, February 21, and March 6

See below for templates, examples, and additional resources.

Suggested Resources:

Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) Resources:

• Access presentations, webinars, white papers, and more on the WTIA website here.

CoMotion Fundamentals for Startups series:

• View recording of past presentations on YouTube here and register for upcoming presentations on the CoMotion website here.

UW Buerk Center Startup Resources:

• View recommended resources for local startups on the Buerk Center website here.
• Also note: The Buerk Center's Dempsey Startup Competition is a regional business plan competition open to all Seattle University students!

Team Registration: 

• Register your team and members online using the link at the top of this page. Team registration must be received before submitting your screening round entry.
• Submission includes team/business name, team member names, contact information, and very brief description of your business idea.

Team Coach Application

• Team coaches are assigned to all Semi-Finalist Teams. If you feel that you are ready for a team coach before they are assigned, you may email the IEC Director with a draft of your business plan summary to apply for a teach coach. You should not apply for a team coach until you have a very clear idea for the business you will submit and have a draft of your business plan summary. 
• Coaches will help you refine your business plan, but they should NOT be asked to help you brainstorm business ideas, decide between two ideas, write the plan summary for you, work with you before you have started to draft your plan, or otherwise share their time if you are not prepared to use it respectfully.
• Coaches are all local volunteers - many are entrepreneurs, investors, startup consultants, business leaders, and engaged professionals. 
• You should plan to meet with your team coach every week or every other week (ideally in person, at a location convenient for them, but Zoom video calls may suffice) as long as you remain in the competition.

1. The Seattle University Business Plan Competition is limited to teams that include active SU students or alumni as defined below:
• Seattle University students enrolled either full-time or part-time in degree programs during one or more of the following academic periods: Summer 2023, Fall 2023, Winter 2024, or Spring 2024 at Seattle University.
• Seattle University alumni who have graduated from SU prior to the Summer 2023 academic period. SU Alumni from any school or college within the university are eligible to participate in the competition.
2. Non-student business professionals are allowed as team members, but there must be a Seattle University student or alum on the team.
3. The business plan must be developed during the current school year and the student/alumnus must have played a major role in writing the plan.
4. Working with outside entrepreneurs with existing businesses/business ideas is permissible but as noted in #3 above, the student/alumnus must write the plan.
5. Total company revenues cannot exceed $500K (for existing businesses without a business plan).
6. In the Trade Show Round, no more than four team members, including both students/alumni and nonstudents, may present their business concept to the judges at their booth.
7. In the final presentation round of the competition, only students or alumni will present.
8. The Director of the Entrepreneurship Center reserves the right to make the final determination of the appropriateness of submitted business ventures. Not all prizes may be awarded depending on the quality of submissions.
9. Eligible teams must not have previously pitched their idea to an angel or venture investing group.  This ensures a more equitable playing ground for competitors. 

How many people should be on a team?

• There is no set number of participants per team, but recommend teams of 2-4 people. Doing the competition as a team of one or as a team of more than four people are difficult to do, but not impossible.

Can I have non-students on my team?

• Yes! Each team only needs one member who is a student or alum. However, this SU student or alum much present the pitches in Rounds 2 and 3, and must be actively involved in developing the business plan

Do I have to use the prize money for the business?

• No! You can use the prize money for anything your team decides - to launch the business, pay for tuition, go on vacation, or pay it forward for future teams! Whatever person or business that accepts the prize money is obligated to pay any required taxes.

The Screening Round is the first round of the competition! Teams submit a 2-3 page summary of their business plan, which are then read, reviewed, and scored by Screening Round Judges. The 12 top-scoring teams (or the number of qualified teams as determined by the IEC Director) will progress to the second round, the Semi-Finals (Elevator Fast Pitch and Trade Show).

Submission

Judges & Scoring

• Each business plan is reviewed online by 12-15 individual judges who will score each plan according to the Screen Round Judge Scoring Rubric below. 
• The Judges comment on each of the scoring sections and provide a score 1-5 (note: scoring sections are weighted). All teams will receive the judges' comments, but not their scores.
• Judges are all volunteers with a business degree or relevant work experience.
• Business Plan Summaries are judged on various aspects of the plans, with some scoring sections weighted more heavily than others: 
  • Business Plan Overall (20%)
  • Market Opportunity & Customers (20%)
  • Products and/or Services (10%)
  • Competitive Strategy (10%)
  • Business Model, Financial Projections, Funding (20%)
  • Management Team (5%)
  • Sustainability/Triple Bottom Line (5%)

The Semi-Finals Round are held in person on the Seattle University campus. It includes two separately judged (but equally weighted) scoring sections - the Elevator Fast Pitch and the Trade Show. 

Part A: Elevator Fast Pitch

The Elevator Pitch Round consists of a two-minute pitch of the team’s business plan, presented by the active SU student or SU alum team member, in front of a panel of judges. 

See below for:

• Pitch Judge Scoring Rubric
• Pitch Outline

Part B: Trade Show

The Trade Show is a giant fair where teams have a "booth" space to set up a display and present their business idea. You may have a total of four members of your team, including the student/alumni member, working your booth. Teams are scored by two constituents:

• Trade Show Judges. Trade Show judges are pre-selected judges chosen by the Entrepreneurship Center who visit the booths and select a minimum of three teams they feel have the best business idea and presentation. 
  • Tradeshow Judge Scoring Rubric (mentioned below)

• Audience Choice Judges. Community Choice judges consist of fellow students, friends, and other members of the community who visit the displays and then vote on their favorite business ideas and presentations. They may vote for one to five business ideas and presentations.
  • Audience Choice Judges will receive 'funny money' slips at the event to distribute to their favorite team(s).

Executive Summary Sheet

Each team will create a one-page Executive Summary sheet that will be provided to the Pitch Judges, Trade Show Judges, Audience Choice Judges, and event attendees. The executive summary sheet is due three days before the Trade Show.

See below for:

• Executive Summary Template
• Executive Summary Examples

The Final Presentation Round is where the final teams present their complete business plan to a panel of judges. Normally, four teams will proceed to the Final Presentation round (exceptions to this number may be made based on the quality of business plans submitted). The Final Presentations focus on the complete business plan where teams present their plans to a group of judges and field questions. Presentations are open to investors, Seattle University faculty, staff, alumni, students, and Seattle University friends.

Teams must submit a full (10-15 page) business plan by 11:59pm on the Monday before the Finals event. These plans will be reviewed and scored by the Finals Judges. At the Finals event, teams will give a maximum 10 minute presentation followed by 5 minutes of questions and answers. The judges will meet after the presentations to make final award decisions. Winners will not be announced until the Awards Reception. 

The finalist teams will receive special coaching sessions prior to their final presentations. If teams choose to revise their final plan before the final coaching session, the business plan will be due back three days prior to the coaching session to give the coaches time to review it. The finalist teams will also be required to create a Power Point presentation for the Final Presentation.

Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition Prize Sponsors

Grand Prize - $20,000: The Herbert B. Jones Foundation & The Madeline Haydon Award for Entrepreneurship

2nd Place Prize - $10,000: John Meisenbach & The Madeline Haydon Award for Entrepreneurship

3rd Place Price - $3,000: In Memory of Don Leuthold & Friends of the IEC

4th Place Prize - $2,000: Lindsey McGrew '16

John Castle Award for Grit & Resilience - $2,000: John Castle Family & Ro Health

Social Innovation Award - $1,000: Elaine Baylor & Friends of the IEC

Pitch Judge Award - $500: Kurt Wedgwood

Tradeshow Judge Award - $250: Friends of the IEC

Semi-Finals Audience Choice Award - $250: Friends of the IEC