Michigan Business Challenge - Format

Overview | Format | Awards | 2008 MBC Winners | 2007 Intercollegiate Winners | 2008 Competitions

Round One
Deliverable
Everyone who submits a complete executive summary and the Intent to Compete form to zlicontact@umich.edu will compete in the first round.

The deadline is 8 a.m. on November 16, 2007.

Relevant Business Development Seminars
Friday, October 12 at 10 a.m.
Room E1540
Competing in the Michigan Business Challenge; intercollegiate business plan competitions

Monday, October 29 at 4 p.m.
Room W2740
The business plan

Tuesday, October 30 at 12 p.m.
Room K1320
The feasibility study

Wednesday, October 31 at 2:30 p.m.
Room E0550
Business hypothesis

Wednesday, October 31 at 5:30 p.m.
Room W0768
The executive summary

Monday, November 19 at 12 p.m.
Room E0530
The elevator pitch

Monday, November 19 at 5:30 p.m.
Room K1310
The elevator pitch

Competition and Format
Great Lakes Room of Palmer Commons
Friday, November 30 at 1p.m.
During Round One, teams give a three-minute pitch to a panel of judges and followed by answering three minutes of questions. Sixteen teams are chosen to advance to Round Two and they will receive $200. All teams will be notified of the decisions by 5 p.m. on Monday, December 3.

Round Two
Deliverable
The 16 teams that advance to Round Two will submit a seven-page Market and Financial Overview that describes the market need or pain, market size, and preliminary financial assumptions. Students that wish to compete for the Williamson Award and/or the Erb Award for Sustainability should submit these application with the Market and Financial Overview. These should be sent to zlicontact@umich.edu before 8 a.m. on January 4, 2008.

Relevant Business Development Seminars
Thursday, December 6 at 5:30 p.m.
Room W2759
Articulating market information

Monday, December 10 at 5:30 p.m.
Room W0768
Constructing financial information

Competition and Format
Great Lakes Room of Palmer Commons
Friday, January 11 at 1 p.m.
During Round Two, teams give a seven-minute presentation that describes their company's solution to a pressing market need or pain, an estimation of the market size, and support for the team's financial assumptions. Competitors then answer ten minutes of questions by the judges. Eight teams will advance to the Semi-finals and they will receive $300. All teams will be notified by 5 p.m. on Monday, January 14.

Semi-finals and Finals
Deliverable
The eight teams that advance to the Semi-finals must submit a complete, bound hard copy 20-page business plan with full financial information to the Institute's main desk in E2420 and a single .pdf version should be sent to zlicontact@umich.edu before 8 a.m. on February 1, 2008.

Relevant Business Development Seminars
Tuesday, January 15 at 5:00 p.m.
Room K1320
Proposing exit strategies

Friday , January 25 at 12:30 p.m.
Room E1530
Assembling the business plan

Wednesday, February 6 at 4:30 p.m.
Room E1530
Presenting the business plan

Competition and Format
Great Lakes Room of Palmer Commons
Friday, February 15 at 9:00 a.m.
During the Semi-finals in the morning, teams present their entire business plans for 15 minutes and respond to judges' questions for another 15 minutes. After all eight teams present, the judges choose four teams advance to the Finals held in that afternoon. These four finalists discuss their businesses with the judges in a 25-minute interactive session. The winning teams for all of the awards and the Winter 2008 recipients of Dare to Dream grants will be announced during an evening reception in the Great Lakes Room at Palmer Commons. All teams, applicants, and guests are welcome to attend.