The nationally recognized Johns Hopkins University Business Plan Competition, hosted by the Center for Leadership Education, provides an opportunity for students to take a novel idea or innovative technology and develop a business plan based around it. Starting with a concept, students build an understanding of their target market, analyze potential competitors, craft an effective market entry strategy, and present their plans to industry professionals and venture capitalists. This highly popular event, held on the Homewood campus, draws teams from all divisions of the university as well as across the nation. The Business Plan Competition awards more than $70,000 annually in prize money.
The Johns Hopkins University Business Plan Competition provides an exciting opportunity for students to reap rewards for developing their business ideas. First launched in the 1998–99 academic year by the W.P. Carey Program in Entrepreneurship and Management (now part of the Center for Leadership Education), the competition was open to undergraduate students on the Homewood campus. It has grown significantly since the inception of the competition and continues to expand as more students take an interest in business. The competition is larger than ever before. Open to full-time and part-time students including postdocs from any of the nine academic divisions of the university. In addition, the Medical Technology Graduate Track and Medical Technology Undergraduate Track now accept national and international participants. The Social Enterprise Category has also begun to accept eligible participants from the Delmarva region.
The competition showcases the talent of our students as they present business plans that they have developed. All the business plans in each category are reviewed and scored by a panel of judges. The finalists give a refined seven-minute presentation followed by eight minutes of questions from a panel of judges composed of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and alumni.
Key Dates
2/16/15—Business Concept and Strategy & Video Pitch Submission Due 2/23/15—Sixteen Semifinalists per Category Announced 3/2/15—Executive Summary (Small Business Plan) Submission Due 3/16/15—Eight Finalists per Category Announced 3/30/15—Full Written Business Plan Submission Due 5/1/15—Final Presentations Round and Winners Announced
Final Presentation Schedule
noon–1 p.m.: Finalists' Registration 1–4:15 p.m.: Final Presentations 4:15–5 p.m.: Judge Deliberations 5–7 p.m.: Dinner & Awards Ceremony
Final Presentations will be held at the Johns Hopkins University Homewood campus in Baltimore.
For complete details visit the competition website.
