You could win $10,000 to build your company
Have you participated in the Fowler Business Concept Challenge, or any other business competition? This is the logical next step to get your plans on paper, move your business forward and get paid in the process. The St. Thomas Business Plan Competition is open to all St. Thomas students and recent alumni (graduated within the last 10 years) with plans for a new company or with a business that has not have received more than $200,000 in equity-related capital.
There are two divisions of competition – undergraduate and graduate/recent alumni – with a top prize in each of $10,000 cash. Additional prizes totaling $8,000 more are awarded to teams that advance to the finals division.
Social Ventures can also compete for an additional award and an automatic bid to the 2025 Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge!
If your business is a social venture, you can compete for an additional $6,000 cash award and an opportunity to compete for up to $25,000 in seed funding at the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge (FGSIC). After submitting to the Business Plan Competition, social ventures will also submit an additional 3-5 page problem and solution summary. Social ventures will compete in the morning, before the afternoon Business Plan Competition Finals, and the top two social ventures will receive automatic bids to compete in the FGSIC. Being in the social venture finals DOES NOT preclude you from also competing in the Business Plan Finals in the afternoon.
Any current student of St. Thomas can compete in the FGSIC individually or as part of a team (with a maximum of five members per team). Alumni are welcome to compete. If an alumni team advances to the May Global Finals, at least one team member must be a current St. Thomas student at the time of participation. The rest of the team may belong to the same institution, another participating university, another non-participating institute, or not be a student at all.