Criteria:
An elevator pitch is a quick overview that must grab the attention of someone who has twenty seven different things on their mind. Getting to the point quickly is key! For this competition listeners need to believe that their business idea has the potential to become a thriving business.
The business concept must be the original work of the entrant and be for either an agricultural or rural-based business. Entrants must be between the ages of 16-19 and 20-35 years of age. All presentations must be live and each successful Pitch will address and answer four key questions that will make a case for the idea.
1. What is the problem you are trying to solve?
Does it satisfy an unmet need?
Improve on an existing need?
Is it commercial, social, technological, cultural?
2. How are you solving the problem?
Technology?
Product extension?
Product improvement?
Process?
Service?
3. Who are you solving it for?
Who are the potential customers/beneficiaries?
Demographics? Lifestyles?
How broadly can the overall market be defined?
Geographic?
Industry?
How are their market segments defined?
4. How is your solution different from what is already available?
Technological?
Patent?
Economic advantage?
Time-speed advantage?
Exclusive?
Pitch Materials:
Entrants may use powerpoint presentations, slides, video, flip charts, internet displays, exhibits, or posters to complement or help clarify their Pitch presentation.
Pitch Time:
A maximum of 3 minutes will be allowed for each Pitch. Presentations will be timed and presenters will be given notice when there is 1 minute left.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
Overview
The Perfect Pitch is a competition where any rural based young aspiring entrepreneur can participate and present their business idea to a panel of judges.
Entries will be accepted until August 1, 2011
- The first stage of the competition, the Elevator Pitch, will take place in Bashaw, AB on August 10, 2011. Qualifying pitches will be accepted via Skype.
- A judging panel will select 6 finalists (1 junior and 5 seniors) to move forward to the second stage of the competition – to receive business coaching and planning support for the implementation of the business idea.
- The third and final stage of the competition will occur on November 9, 2011 at Farmfair in Edmonton, AB with a final event in which the participants will be presenting their final business pitch and a winner will be selected. A halfway check-in event will be held at the end of September.
A fee of $10 is required to enter the competition.
Judging Criteria
The Judging Panel for the competition will evaluate the first and third stages of the competition, as well as the halfway check-in. The actual criteria used for judging are based on the professional opinions of the judges in evaluation of all stages and presentations. The judges decisions will be final and any disputes regarding the results will not be entertained. The judges will evaluate the ideas from the perspective of an investment group who will decide on which idea they would be most likely to fund. The panel’s decision will be influenced by:
- The quality of the idea
- The business potential
- The technical feasibility
- The persuasiveness of the presentation
Ultimately, they will choose the business idea that convinces them to invest.
Conditions of Entry
All individuals are expected to abide by the specific rules below as well as the overall spirit of the Competition. The Competition Organizers (“Organizer”) reserve the right in its sole and absolute discretion to disqualify any individual that violates the rules, regulations of the spirit of the Competition.
The competition is for new, independent ideas. The Organizer reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to exclude Business Ideas on the grounds of illegality, offensiveness, or for any other reason.
The Competition is open to any rural or agricultural based individual in the province of Alberta. Each individual is responsible for the preparation and presentation of an idea (the ‘Perfect Pitch’) to the judges of the competition, who will have an opportunity to question on the idea.
Confidentiality and Intellectual Property
Business Ideas that are dependent upon licensing technologies from universities or research labs are not excluded from the Competition and will be encouraged on condition that they have not been commercialised prior to entry.
Entries should be made subject to applicable intellectual property and other regulations as set out below or in force from time to time. It is a condition of entry into the Competition that each individual : (i) ensures that no third party other than him/her has any intellectual property or rights in the Business Idea which may hinder its exploitation; and (ii) indemnifies the Organizer on demand for all liability incurred by the Organizer in connection with a breach of any third party rights. The Organizer intends that each individual that develops a Business Idea will retain all legal and equitable rights to the Business Idea at all times prior to and following the Competition except as stated below. In no event shall the Organizer be liable for any infringement of the individual's intellectual property or other rights.
Entries in Stage 1 of the competition are considered to be ‘open’ entrants should ensure that no confidential information is disclosed at this stage. All judges with access to the entries for Stages 2 and 3 will sign a non-disclosure agreement. The organizers of the ‘Perfect Pitch’ competition have taken reasonable measures to ensure the confidentiality of your entries. The sponsors of ‘Perfect Pitch’ and the judges of the competitions include organizations and individuals that work with entrepreneurs and invest in their ideas. Sponsors, judges and mentors will agree to a confidentiality agreement which extends for 12 months after the public announcement of the competition winners. Copies of these confidentiality agreements are available upon request. The Organizers cannot, and will not, take further responsibility to protect the intellectual property or other rights of the entrants. The protection of intellectual property or other rights of the entrants is the ultimate responsibility of each entrant. Entrants are urged to mark as “confidential” any portion of their entries that they consider to be confidential. Entrants should be careful about disclosing any patentable concepts in the entries. Entrants looking to incorporate are strongly advised to seek professional advice on the issues surrounding Intellectual Property Rights. All public sessions of the Competition, including but not limited to oral presentations and question/answer sessions, are open to the public at large. Any and all of these public sessions may be broadcast to interested persons through any media, which television and the Internet. Any data or information discussed or divulged in public sessions by an individual should be considered information that will likely enter the public realm, and individuals should not assume any right of confidentiality in any data or information discussed, divulged or presented in these sessions.
The Organizer may use any of the content from Stage 1 of the competition in any book or other printed or promotional materials and any videotape or other medium that it may produce. None of the material from Stages 2 or 3 will be publicised or used by the Organizer or affliliates without the permission of the entrant(s).
It is a condition of entry that each entrant grants the Organizer a non-exclusive, irrevocable world-wide right in all languages, and in all media, to use or to publish the Stage 1 content in any book, other printed materials, videotapes or other medium.
It is a condition of entry that each individual submits to the retention and transmission of their personal information by the Organizer or its affiliates.
Further information
Please direct any queries to theperfectpitch@farmon.com
