Jones Progress Awards

All applicants of the Jones Progress Awards are required to meet the following deadlines and attend the required events.

• Application Deadline: September 1, 2023
• Monthly Check-Ins: All selected candidates are required to meet with their coaches on a monthly basis throughout the six-month working period. 
  • Schedule: Meetings will be held in November, December, January, February, March, and April with a kick-off event October and a presentation practice session in May.
• Halfway Check-In: All selected candidates are required to have a halfway point check-in- this is to evaluate your standing in the program, and to connect with any needed parties. 
• Presentation Date (TBD): late May or early June, 2024

To be eligible applicant of the Jones Progress Awards, the candidate needs to fulfill all of the following requirements:

• At least one key executive must be a Seattle University student near graduation or an alum within five years of their graduation date, and be an active participant in the program.
  • At least one of the founding team members must be fully-dedicated and working full-time on the business (i.e. it is more than a “hobby”).
  • The key executive can be a student or alum from any Seattle University program across campus (not just Albers).
  • The key executive does not need to have gone through the annual business plan competition.
  • The key executive must complete a comprehensive application & interview with the Jones Progress Award’s steering committee.
  • The key executive and team must be coachable and willing to commit to the full program. All meetings must be attended, without exception.
• The company’s team must be committed to going to the next growth stage.
• The company must have a legal structure already in place.
  • Though the company must have a legal structure, it can by any structure: a traditional for-profit business, a nonprofit organization, a social venture, etc.
• Its product/service offering is past the proof of concept and prototype phases (beta or beyond).
• The company already has the needed resources to move to the next milestone and at least basic seed funding from owners, friends, or family.
• It is generating some revenues and/or has clients/traction.

1. Company Name
2. In one sentence, what does your company do?
3. Team Lead First and Last Name
4. Team Lead Contact Information (email, phone number, skype, etc.)
5. Confirm team lead email:
6. Please give us a YouTube link of a one minute elevator pitch explaining your startup and why we should accept you.
7. How did you come up with the business plan (the story)?
8. Who are your target customers? What problem are you solving for them?
9. Describe your revenue model and how you make money. How much revenue have you generated in previous year(s)- both in total and year by year?
10. Describe the process of how you manage finances. Do you have financial statements? What is your process of tracking and managing your finances?
11. Have you raised any money to date? If so, how much have you raised, and from what source(s)? (i.e. friends & family, angel, VC, donations, etc.)
12. What makes you stand out against the competition in your field? Do you have expertise in this industry? 
13. What do people use instead of your current offering? Who are and/or will become your biggest competitors?
14. What is your customer acquisition strategy? How do you plan to attract customers to your offering?
15. Give us a brief history of the milestones you have reached and how long it took you to reach each of them. What is your next big milestone, and how long do you think it will take you to reach it?
16. What would make the biggest difference for you in your startup's growth?