Thank you very much to all of you submitted an application to the competition. The numerous entries submitted were all high quality, innovative projects and covered a surprisingly wide range of industries/applications. After long and hard deliberation we short-listed the following projects for live presentation on the 28th:

Boss Gloss (Barnaby Wynter)
VirtualGym (Richard Davis)
StudyPA (Mathieu Fradette)
Nanodome (Nick Pelling)
Building Intelligence (Andrew Tollinton)

A quick reminder of the judges panel
Bill Morrow - Founder and Director of Angel’s Den
Richard Cook - Founder of the original Cash a Cheque Chain, Richard is a serial entrepreneur and investor and now non-executive director for a number of startup companies
Aniko Zagon - Founder and Director of Entelliz Limited

On the 28th, the 5 short-listed entries will give a 3-5 min live presentation of their pitch. Each presentation will be followed by a Q&A session from the judges and also the audience.

The winner will be announced at the end of the event and receives a cash prize and free mentoring from the panel. There will also be an audience vote for "Best Live Presentation"!

Competition rules

1) Business plans may be submitted by individuals or by teams. Any area of commercial work is accepted, but applications must be the original work of those making the submission.

2) The pitch can be of a new business idea you are developing or a business that has been trading for no more than two years. Pitches targeting investors and collaborators are both welcome.

3) To enter, you must send a written summary of your pitch to [masked] and pay £20 entry fee via the FastTrack PayPal system. Your pitch must not exceed 2000 words or 5 printed pages, including tables and illustration. Please make sure that you include valid contact details for yourself.

4) Closing date for entry submissions is 14 September 2009.

5) Our panel of judges will review all entries and provide a brief written feedback to help your business develop further. The best 6 entries will be selected for live presentation based on the quality of the written pitch and the credibility of the proposal.

6) The short listed 6 presentation will be notified via email or phone on the 17-18 September. The live presentations will take place in the evening of the 28 September. Save the date in your diary!

7) All entries will receive a written feedback with valuable professional tips on how to develop your business pitch further or boost your business success.

8) Make sure you adequately protect any intellectual property that your pitch may describe. If you are not sure about how to do this, just email the Organiser for help.

9) The decisions of the judges are final, including interpretation of the rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can participate in the competition?
Anyone. To submit an entry you must however first sign up to FastTrack to be able to email the Organiser and make payment. Sign-up is free and easy.

May a written pitch be submitted to another competition?
Yes.

Can an existing business submit a pitch for an entirely new business?
Yes.

Does the pitch have to focus on funding?
No. Pitches may be submitted for any reason an for any type of business.

Do I apply by submitting a written pitch?
Yes, but your application will not become active until you pay the entry fee in full.

What are the judging criteria?
The judges will rely on the following criteria in judging the competition:
- The commercial potential of the business
- The feasibility of the business idea
- The credibility and thoroughness of the preparation behind the proposal.
- The quality of the written proposal in terms of style, composition and salesmanship.

What if I have never written/made a pitch before?
Now’s a good time to start. The written pitch will help you demonstrate that you have thought through the critical issues related to a business and give y an opportunity to practice your sales skills.

Will I get feedback on my pitch?
Yes, all applicants will receive a professional feedback from the judges.

What can I use to make my presentation?
A microphone and projector will be available to all applicants. You may bring your own laptop to make the presentation or upload a Powerpoint presentation to the laptop provided at the venue.

Can I look at other pitches submitted for this competition?
No. All written pitches submitted to the competition are considered confidential.

Can I submit a pitch if I have contact with a judge?
Yes. However, you will risk disqualification if you attempt to influence a judge, or have someone do that on your behalf.

Will my application be confidential?
Yes. The judges who read your plan are professionals who regularly deal with confidential information in the course of their work. Feel free to mark your plan—or particular piece of it—as "confidential."

Will the judges sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA)?
No. Requiring the judges to sign an NDA would overwhelm them with legal requirements that would severely inhibit their ability to participate in the competition. You should take appropriate steps to protect your intellectual property, just as you would if you talk to any potential investors, business partners or customers

What if I want to withdraw my application before judging is completed?
Let us know by email as soon as possible. This is especially important so that our volunteer judges don’t spend time evaluating a proposal that is no longer active.

Will you return my pitch after the competition is over?
No. All copies used by the judges will be destroyed after the competition.