Traditional Competition -

Judges will be asked to judge the traditional business plans based on the following criteria:

Value Proposition- Problem being solved or need has been identified and demonstrates value or worth.

Business Idea - The description of the concept should be clear, concise, and easy to understand.

Competitive Advantage - The product/service should be clearly differentiated from others on the market.

Market Identification / Analysis - The market should be clearly identified as to size, trends and/or growth potential.

Target Market - The target market should be clearly segmented from the overall market. (demo/geo/psycho).

Marketing - Pricing, Promotion & Place/Distribution should be covered.

Financial Model - Should describe how the business expects to generate sales and earn profits. Should show estimated sales/profit.

Intangibles - Judge's gut feel on potential for product success.

Social Competition -

Judges will be asked to evaluate the team’s business plan and presentation based on the ability of the plan to become viable and sustainable while clearly articulating the area that will be positively impacted, the social value created, and the team resources in place to meet such a challenge.

Sustainability – The plan is economically viable, while fulfilling at least one aspect of the other elements of the triple bottom line (environmental and/or social).

Social Mission - The social venture’s mission or purpose is clearly stated and there is a description of proposed venture’s service, product or offering.

Social Value Creation - The plan adequately describes how it will address the social need or opportunity. The social impact should be apparent. Are there intangibles that make this business compelling?

Target Market-The intended beneficiaries of this venture are identified. The plan describes the target market, provides an analysis of the market and highlights the competitive landscape.

Distribution Channels - The value chain and value network should be clearly described.  Is the proposed venture that much better than what currently exists?

People - Does the team have experience and /or a sound organizational structure in which to get access to people or contacts with experience?

Partnerships - With most ventures, especially social focused ones, partnerships are key to funding and ensure that efforts/resources are not duplicated.  What synergies does the team plan to exploit? Are there collaborations with others doing similar or complementary activities?

Performance Measurement - The progress of the venture is being tracked using appropriate measurements ($$$, hours, people saved, etc).  Periodic evaluation occurs to track the progress of the venture.

Financials - Financial statements (cash flow, revenues and expenditures, balance sheet) provided, including assumptions and reasonable capital requirements. There is a framework by which the plan assesses the triple bottom line impact (social, economic and/or environmental). (An SROI is an acceptable measurement.)