The Center for Entrepreneurship and the W. Frank Barton School of Business announce the third annual Kansas Community College Business Plan Challenge.

The Kansas Community College Business Plan Challenge is for all current students enrolled in a minimum of three credit hours; community college students are invited to compete for cash awards of $1,500, $750 and $500. The faculty advisor of the winning team will receive $500.

Only one business plan may be submitted by an individual or a team, consisting of two to five students. Faculty sponsorship is required and will be verified. The winning plan will be eligible to participate in the Trade Show of the Shocker Business Plan Competition. Each college is eligible to select and enter a maximum of two business plans from its school.

The plan should include complete documentation for a new business idea. The idea must be an original business concept or an extension of a current business activity. It can be a product, service, or social venture. A plan's authors will retain all rights to the plan prior to and following the competition. Generally, a business plan should not exceed 25 pages.

Each individual or team will present an overview of its business plan at the Kansas Community College Business Plan Challenge. As teams present, a trade show will simultaneously be set up in the foyer of Devlin Hall. The trade show will require all participants to set up a booth to attract visitors. The visitors, including judges, will be allowed to walk around the trade show and talk to each team. Presentations and the trade show will be held on Friday, April 17, 2009. Presentations are to be no longer than fifteen minutes long in addition to five minutes of Q&A from the judges. All audio/visual aides will be provided.

Prizes

The author(s) of the winning business plan will receive $1,500; second place - $750; and third place - $500. The faculty sponsor of the winning plan will receive $500, and the winning individual's or team's college will be awarded a traveling trophy. Additionally, the winning student or team will automatically be eligible to compete in the 2010 Shocker Business Plan Competition which has a first place cash award of $10,000.

The winning business plan will be recognized at the Center for Entrepreneurship Banquet on April 30, 2010.