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Rules & Criteria

The Contest is FREE to enter and open to all new or existing small businesses operating in British Columbia, Canada.

Contest Eligibility:

To be eligible for the contest, all Participants must be starting or growing a small business in British Columbia, Canada.
A Small Business is defined as one with fewer than 50 employees, or a business operated by a person who is self-employed, without paid help.
A Business Start-Up Company is defined as one in the pre-start phase of business or has been in business for a maximum of 24 months as of December 16th, 2008.
A Business Growth Company is defined as one that has been in operation for a minimum of 25 months as of December 16th, 2008.
All Participants must submit a business plan before 12:00 noon on Monday December 16, 2008.
The business plan must be written by the owner or partner of the business.
Plans may be submitted in either official language (English or French).

Important Contest Dates:

Contest Launch: September 16, 2008
Contest Deadline: 12noon, December 16, 2008
Finalists Business Pitch Presentation: February 9-13, 2009
Awards Ceremony: March 3, 2009

How to Enter the Contest:

Select & Apply to one Award Category
Submit your Business Plan:
- Be sure to include business definition, company structure, market analysis, marketing plan, management plan, operating plan, financial strategies, risk & contingency plan and relevant appendices. If you do not have a business plan, visit the Contest Resources to view business plan guidelines, samples and tips.
- Single space, single-sided with 12 font letter size on 8.5 x 11 paper (letter size);
- Maximum length of application shall not exceed 25 pages, EXCLUDING Title Page, Table of Contents, Financials, and any Appendices;
Contest submissions must be done either online, mailed-in or sent in-person. FAXES and EMAILS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Only choose ONE submission method (online, mail or in-person).
All submissions are FINAL. There will be NO REPLACING DOCUMENTS OR PARTS THEREOF.
Organizer will not be responsible for loss or damages to the materials submitted. All submissions will NOT BE RETURNED.

Contest Rules:

All Participants must be eligible to enter the Contest.
The deadline for all submissions is December 16, 2008 at 12:00pm (noon).
All staff members of the Organizer are not eligible for the Contest.
All submissions will be categorized as either a start-up or growth business. The Organizer reserves the right to make all final decisions regarding if the submitted plan is considered for any of the Contest Award Categories.
The Organizer reserves the right to update the Rules of the Contest at any time and will do their best to keep Participants informed of changes but it is ultimately the responsibility of each and every Participant to be aware of any updates.
Successful Participants understand that this contest should not be construed as an endorsement or determination of future success by the Organizer.
All successful Participants that make the top 10 shortlist in each category authorize the Organizer to conduct credit and references checks before the top 3 award recipients are confirmed in each category.
The Participant authorizes the Organizer to identify successful Participant (name/picture) in connection with organizing or promoting the Contest. Only successful Participants will be notified by February 17, 2009.

Confidentiality Clause:

All business plans, references and credit checks will be treated as confidential, seen only by the Judging Panel, and kept in a locked and secure location during the judging process.
The Organizer agrees to maintain the information submitted in confidence and to not reproduce / distribute / communicate the information within, except to the members of the judging panel, without expressed written consent of the contest entrant.
All plans submitted will be DESTROYED (shredded) after two weeks of winners’ ceremony held on March 3, 2009.

Judging Criteria:

A diverse group of business professionals will be invited to be in the contest’s judging panel. The judging panel will base their decisions on the following criteria:

Well-written business plan;
Feasibility and innovativeness of business concept;
Strong business viability and overall business strategy;
Concrete and consistent evidence of good financial practices and the financial strength of the company;
Solid management team: experience in relative industry and good credibility;
Logical plan of action to implement business;
Dedication to workplace health and safety;
Sustainability where the business is based on significant social and environmental returns.

Selection Process:

The Judging Panel will review all business plan submissions that meet the eligibility requirements.
The top candidates in each award category will be subjected to a due diligence process carried out by the Judging Panel.
Selected shortlisted participants will be required to face the judges during the Finalists Business Pitch Presentations during February 9-13, 2008, where they will have an opportunity to present their business plan “pitches” to judges, following which judges will have an opportunity to pose questions to finalists.
After the Finalists Business Pitch Presentations the top three participants in each award category will be ranked first, second and third place as well as one winner in each bonus award category will be selected.
Judging and due diligence will be completed by February 19, 2009.
Award recipients will be confirmed by February 19, 2009 and invited to attend the Awards Ceremony to be held in Vancouver on March 3, 2009.
All other applicants will be notified in writing after final selections are made.
The Judging Panel reserves the right to judge and to evaluate the entries, the function of which is reserved solely for the invited judges.
The Judging Panel reserves the right to disqualify any participant if it is determined that the Participant has submitted false information, committed fraud, and/or plagiarism.
The participants understand and agree that the Judging Panel reserves the right to make all final and binding decisions with respect to all aspects of the Contest, and the participants agree to be bound by all decisions of the Judging Panel. The Judging Panel’s selections are final and are not subject to any review.

Finalists Business Pitch Presentations (Feb 9-13, 2008):

Selected shortlisted participants will face the judges during the Finalists Business Pitch Presentations during February 9-13, 2008, where they will have an opportunity to present their business plan “pitches” to judges, following which judges will have an opportunity to pose questions to finalists.
Finalists will make their pitches to the judging panel using one of Small Business BC's partnering video conferencing sites.
Finalists will each be given a strict time limit of ten minutes to present their pitch.
After each pitch, the judges may ask a number of questions. All answers must be kept to less than one minute.
After all of the finalists have completed their pitches, the judging panel will decide on the winners for each category based on the Judging Criteria.

Winners:

The first place winners for the CGA-BC Business Start-Up and the Telus Business Growth Awards receives $5,000 each; 2nd place winners $2,000 each; 3rd place winners $1,000 each; and $1,000 each for the Community Leadership Award and the Going Global Award bonus categories. The winners will be honored at the Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, March 3, 2009 in Vancouver, BC.
The names of the Contest winners will be posted on www.bizplancontest.ca and www.smallbusinessbc.ca by March 3, 2009 after the selection and verification of the winners.
It is possible for a Contest participant to win a bonus award (Community Leadership or Going Global) as well as a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place prize in the Start-Up and Growth categories.
The winners will receive media coverage through our sponsors Omni TV, Make it Business Magazine and various local business publications.
Press releases will also be distributed to the winner's local media outlets.