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UTRGV Business Plan Competition 2025

By Center for Innovation and Commercialization, College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Marketing

Monday, February 17, 2025 12pm to 5pm

+ 8 dates

  • Tuesday, February 18, 2025 12pm to 5pm
  • Wednesday, February 19, 2025 12pm to 5pm
  • Thursday, February 20, 2025 12pm to 5pm
  • Friday, February 21, 2025 12pm to 5pm
  • Monday, February 24, 2025 12pm to 5pm
  • Tuesday, February 25, 2025 12pm to 5pm
  • Wednesday, February 26, 2025 12pm to 5pm
  • Thursday, February 27, 2025 12pm to 5pm
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2025 UTRGV Business Plan Competition – The UTRGV Center for Innovation & Commercialization, a division of the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship, will hold its annual Business Plan Competition this spring. All full-time UTRGV students are welcome to apply. Winners will be determined by a pool of judges comprised of experienced entrepreneurs and business professionals. 

 

🏆PRIZES:

  • 1st Place Winner: $10,000
  • 2nd Place Winner: $5,000
  • 3rd Place Winner: $3,000

 

📆IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER 

  • Application Opens
    • Tuesday, January 7 via Startup Tree  
  • Information Session #1
    • Friday, February 7 from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm via Zoom 
  • Information Session #2
    • Friday, February 21 from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm via Zoom
  • First Round of Application Due
    • Monday, March 3 at noon via Startup Tree
  • First Round of Semi-Finalist Info Session
    • Friday, March 7 at 11:00 am
  • Intent to Submit Form Deadline
    • Friday, March 7 by 5:00 PM 
  • Application Deadline for Second Round
    • Friday, March 21 at noon via Startup Tree (Full Business Plan Due) 
  • Second Round of Reviewing (Evaluation of Full Business Plans)
    • Friday, March 21- Friday, April 4
  • Finalists Announced
    • Wednesday, April 9   
  • Finalist Information Session & Mentor Meet and Greet
    • Friday, April 11 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
  • Final Pitch Deck Submission
    • Thursday, April 24 at noon
  • Competition Finale
    • Friday, April 25 at noon at the UTRGV CIC 

👤ELIGIBILITY

Team must only consist of currently enrolled UTRGV undergraduate, graduate, or resident students, with a four-member team limit. Only one UTRGV student may be the spokesperson in the 60-second video. Up to two UTRGV students may deliver the pitch presentation. Team cannot include any UTRGV faculty, staff, alumni, or community members. All team members must reside in the Rio Grande Valley and must plan to open their business in the RGV.

RULES:

Generally excluded are the following: buy-outs, expansions of existing companies, real estate syndications, tax shelters, franchises, licensing agreements for distribution in a different geographical area, and spinouts from existing corporations. Licensing technologies from universities or research labs are allowed, assuming they have not been commercialized previously. Business ideas can be drawn from any business or industry sector. Business ideas may be for either for-profit or non-profit ventures.

 

Reviewer/Judging Criteria

The pool of reviewers and judges for the competition will be comprised of local business leaders, university faculty, and investment professionals from the RGV community. 

Judges will score the teams’ deliverables using their best judgment with respect to the 60-second video and executive summary. The top ten teams receiving the highest collective scores on the  Executive Summary and Elevator Pitch Video will advance to the second round of the competition and will be invited to submit their full business plans for review. 

The decisions of the reviewers or judges in each round of the Business Plan Competition are final.

 

Elevator Pitch Video Guidelines

  • Only one person is allowed in the elevator pitch video.
  • The video should be no longer than 60 seconds.
  • The video should not consist of any demos of your technology or product; it should just be the representative talking.
  • A laptop webcam, tablet, or smartphone can be used to record your video (professional video equipment not required). If you use your smartphone, please record horizontally.
  • Set up your camera in a quiet space, so your audio can be heard easily.
  • Make sure your recording device is stable and positioned at eye level. You can use a stack of books to raise your recording device to the appropriate height.
  • Position yourself in the center of the screen and not too close to the camera. Ideal framing should be from about the waist up.
  • Areas with plenty of natural light are ideal for filming, but please avoid recording in front of a window. Your light source should be in front of you (the subject) and behind the camera.
  • Clear your background of any clutter.
  • Please do not use props, slides, a podium, or any other materials.
  • When you’re ready to record, press the button, look at the camera, wait three seconds, and begin speaking. Your elevator pitch can be up to 60 seconds
  • When you are finished with your presentation, stop recording immediately.
  • Please save your file as “YourStartupName_EVP.MP4” An *.MP4 is the most common video file type. 
  • We recommend uploading your elevator pitch video recording to one of the common video sharing applications like Vimeo, YouTube, One Drive, or Drop Box.
  • Before submitting, play back your video to ensure the recording captured your full elevator pitch. Listen to ensure that you were loud enough and that the recording didn’t pick up background noise.
  • Ensure access is granted for your video to be viewed by judges.
  • Copy and paste the link for your elevator pitch video into your application.

 

đź’»APPLY

Use the "Enter Now" button on the top of this page to submit your application. 

Once submitted, the idea is finalized for that round. No changes can be made after application is submitted. Please email stephanie.mendez01@utrgv.edu if you have any questions!

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