There is still time to enter the University of Aberdeen’s Business Ideas Competition! What you need to win is an outstanding idea and a robust plan that outlines the development of your proposal. Ideas could come from work carried out in the University or from a completely separate activity.
The winning entries in each of the staff and post-graduate categories will receive £2000 and up to £10000 to help get their idea off the ground. Second and third prize winners will receive £1000 and £500 respectively.
How to enter
First; register your interest to Fran Butler by Friday 14th April
Next, submit the text of your 200 word idea by email to Fran by 5pm on Wednesday 19th April
Round 1, 21st April
Present your 200 word entry as an A4 poster in the Old Town House on Friday 21st April.
The panel will shortlist four post graduate and four staff entries to go forward into Round 2.
Round 2, 2nd May
The eight shortlisted entries will be asked to present their idea directly to the panel of judges.
The prize winners will be announced on 2nd May.
For more details on how to prepare your entry and who to contact read on:
Entrants should register their interest by 7th April by sending an email with their name(s), category and the title of their business idea to Fran Butler (f.butler@abdn.ac.uk)
A 200 word entry should be submitted by 5 pm on Wednesday 19th April to Fran Butler together with any figures in electronic format. Entries should be non-confidential whilst still explaining and promoting the business idea. Contact R&I for advice if you are unsure about confidentiality issues.
Applicants must print their entries on to A4 paper and post them in the Old Town House by 2 pm on Friday 21st April. If you are unable to post your entry then R&I will do this for you. Entrants will not be admitted to the hall during judging.
Judging will begin at 2 pm and the eight shortlisted entries will be announced before 5 pm.
The lucky eight entries from the first round will receive further training in developing a winning pitch for their idea in the week beginning 24th April (date and time TBC).
The presentation of the ideas to the judges will take place on 2nd May between 2.30 and 4.30.
The decision of the judges is final.
Contacts in R&I; m.ferguson@abdn.ac.uk (50584/2918) or r.wakefield@abdn.ac.uk (4364) or a.lewendon@abdn.ac.uk (2477)
Professor Dominic Houlihan, Vice Principal for Research and Commercialisation