Innovation Challenge: Spring 2010 Competition

Intent to Compete & Eligibility (Spring Semester)

YOU ONLY NEED TO SUBMIT THIS FORM IF YOU DID NOT ALREADY DO SO IN THE FALL SEMESTER.

By submitting the intent to compete form, you are confirming your eligibility to compete in spring semester competitions, if you so choose. The Intent to Compete Form is non-binding and will only allow us to confirm your eligibility. More detailed information about the Spring Competition will be sent to you once your form is received. You must compete in the Mini Plan competition in order to be considered for the Final Business Plan Competition.

The Intent to Compete and Certificate of Eligibility Form can be found here and should be e-mailed by the deadline to demers@ecs.umass.edu.

Mini Plan Competition

Each team will submit an updated Executive Summary as well as Mini Plan, no more than 5 pages in length, to the panel of judges. Judges will screen the Mini Plans and will select up to, but not more than, 5 teams to move forward into the Final Business Plan Competition.

The faculty member participating must attest to the technical feasibility of the proposed innovation.

The Mini Plan will follow a standard format and provide a more detailed description of the actual product or service.

The Mini Plan contents will be kept confidential among the faculty and staff administering the competition and the judges of the competition.

Final Business Plan Competition

ONLY the teams selected to move forward from the Mini Plan Competition will compete in the final competition.

At the event, each team will give an oral presentation to the judges and audience members and will also host a team presentation table during the reception. The judging panel will announce prizes at the end of the event. At least $45,000 will be available to award at the judges' discretion.

Date	Time	Topic
2/02/2010 & 2/03/2010	4:00 - 5:00 PM Open to the public	Innovation Challenge Mini Plan Template Review & Information Sessions: Isenberg School of Management (2/2) in Atrium College of Engineering (2/3) in Gunness Student Center
3/1/2010 – 3/3/2010	By appointment, email Heather Demers at demers@ecs.umass.edu for more information	Mini Plan Coaching Sessions for Interested Teams, by appointment only
3/5/2010	5:00PM Submit forms to Heather Demers at demers@ecs.umass.edu	DEADLINE to submit your Intent to Compete & Certificate of Eligibility for the Mini Plan & Final Business Plan Competitions [only those who did not submit in the Fall need to do so now]
3/14/2010	11:59 PM Submit plans to Heather Demers at demers@ecs.umass.edu	DEADLINE to submit your Mini Plan for judges to review. This will determine who moves forward to the Final Business Plan Competition.
3/23/2010	By appointment, email Heather Demers at demers@ecs.umass.edu for more information	Innovation Challenge Mini-Plan Mentoring & Feedback Forum (with a panel of IC sponsors and mentors)This session is for teams that submitted IC Mini-Plans. Each team will receive mentoring and feedback from IC sponsors
3/26/2010	12 NOON	ANNOUNCEMENT of finalists from the Mini Plan Competition, who will move forward into the Final Business Plan Competition.
4/7/2010 – 4/8/2010	By appointment, email Heather Demers at demers@ecs.umass.edu for more information	Final Business & Pitch Meetings with Mentors, by appointment only
4/16/2010	5:00 PM Submit forms to Heather Demers at demers@ecs.umass.edu	DEADLINE to submit final business plan.
4/22/2010	3:30 PM – 6:00 PM Campus Center Room 1009 Open to the public	FINAL COMPETITON/EVENT Final Business Plan Competition for the Innovation Challenge

Questions should be directed to Heather Demers in the College of Engineering at demers@ecs.umass.edu or 413-577-0231.