BUFFALO, NY – 43North, in collaboration with the City of Buffalo and New York Business Development Corporation (NYBDC)/Excelsior Growth Fund, is proud to announce that the application period for the 2nd Annual THE PITCH business plan competition is now open. The competition, which has more than doubled its prize pool to $50,000, is designed to support minority and female entrepreneurs in Erie County.
NYBDC/Excelsior Growth Fund is the Signature Sponsor of THE PITCH, with additional support from KeyBank, ECIDA, Kaleida Health, Foit-Albert Associates, and Iroquois Construction Services.
This year, there will be two categories to the competition: Growth Companies and Main Street Business. They are defined as follows:
- Growth Companies aim to be leaders in their industries based on a stronger level of growth than other companies in their respective fields. Growth companies typically require significant cash flow and have an innovative product or a service that draws in more consumers and income. Many tech startups are in this category because they are designed to grow quickly and sell to a very large market.
- Main Street Businesses are also known as community small businesses. Examples may include local restaurants, professional service providers and retailers that are part of the fabric of our daily lives. Many owners are focused on earning a living and contributing to the community by hiring employees. The primary focus is not on high growth expansion.
Each category will have one grand prize of $15,000 and one runner-up prize of $5,000. There will also be the Five Star Bank People’s Choice Minority and Women Small Business Award of $10,000. In addition to cash prizes, each winner and finalist will get the opportunity to participate in Allstate’s Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs Program.
The application deadline is Friday, September 1, 2017 at 12pm EDT. To be eligible for consideration, a business must be minority or women-owned and located in Erie County, but do not need to be MWBE-certified. The business must not have more than 50 full-time employees and it must have been operating for a minimum of one fiscal year by the application deadline.
Submit your application at this link: https://thepitch.43north.org/
43North is Now Accepting Applications for 2nd Annual THE PITCH Business Plan Competition
Competition Focuses on MWBE Businesses in the Buffalo Area BUFFALO, NY – 43North, in collaboration with the City of Buffalo and New York Business Development Corporation (NYBDC)/Excelsior Growth Fund, is proud to announce that the application period for the 2nd Annual THE PITCH business plan competition is now open.
We work with high-growth startups and organizations that support the startup and innovation ecosystem. We build highly specific non-dilutive funding menus, provide proposal preparation services, and measure outcomes of funding through evaluation. Schedule a consult call with us HERE.