GLEQ Deadline Wednesday
ANN ARBOR -- The deadline for the next Great Lakes Entrepreneurs Quest business plan competition is 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 28.
No documents are due when you sign up. But all entrants will be matched with a business coach for advice and support as you prepare your plan, invited to an ask-the-investors roundtable April 11 and 21 to meet venture capital and angel investors one-on-one and find out what makes a winning plan and an attractive investment, and get written feedback on your plan from investors.
And, of course, all entrants are in the running for cash prizes up to the $100,000 Smart Zone award and a chance for advancement to the semifinals of the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition this fall.
And there are new innovation awards in the competition for individual industries. Included are:
* Automation Alley - Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Award: $12,500
* Global Food Protection Institute - Food Production, Food Safety and Water Quality Award: $10,000
* NextEnergy - Alternative Energy Innovation Award: $10,000
* IT, Software, Network Security and Web-Based Innovation Award: $10,000
* Michigan Medical Device Advancement Award: $10,000
Entrants also participate in Entrepreneur Connect 2012, an exciting Lansing-based conference and networking event June 12. This event features the GLEQ Annual Awards Celebration, an entrepreneur - investor golf tournament, along with workshops, investor presentations, roundtables and more. Three categories of competition offer opportunities for ventures in various stages of development. Executive summaries and business plans are due May 14 for participants in the New Business Idea and Emerging Company categories. Participants competing for the SmartZone Award must have a complete business plan and a letter of recommendation from a SmartZone by April 30.
Winners will be announced on Tuesday, June 12, at the GLEQ Annual Awards Celebration in Lansing.
Find out more and register for the competition at www.GLEQ.org
