The Career & Employment Services Department, in collaboration with Morris Entrepreneurship Centre, is pleased to introduce the first entrepreneurship competition of its kind at Northern Caribbean University. The competition was born out of our recognition of the tremendous talent and ingenuity that exist among our students and alumni, and a strong desire to seeing these attributes utilized to create your own sustainable business.
The competition will not only function as a means of displaying your business ideas, but, will also provide you the necessary support mechanisms for having your ideas developed into a long-term business venture. Benefits of entering the competition include but are not limited to:

• Training and assistance in advancing from idea to income generating operation
• Opportunities to market your product/service to potential investors
• Increased visibility among students, faculty, staff and representatives of various businesses
• On-the-spot trading of your product/service at Career Expo 2012

The intention is not for this exercise to be just a ‘one-off’ activity, but for it to lead to long-term wealth creation for each competitor leading to the fulfilment of career dreams. The intention is for it to be both a learning experience and a potential launch pad for those who wish to be in business.

The competition is open to all NCU students and alumni who may choose to enter as a team or individually.

A team may consist of students from other universities, as well as non-students. We are not opposed to NCU students/alumni working with or getting ideas from entrepreneurs, scientists, even executives from industry. However, entries will be excluded where it is clear that outsiders are using NCU students/alumni primarily as a means of gaining entry to the competition. For this reason, where NCU students/alumni choose to participate with outsiders, the NCU student/alum must be a substantive member of the founding team, and must demonstrate commitment to pursuing the venture and to participating in the equity pool in a manner consistent with his/her contribution, role and position. Also, please note that cheques for prize money will be written to NCU students/alumni only.

The competition is geared towards contemplated and embryonic businesses. That is, new ventures or businesses that are just getting off the ground, rather than existing businesses are those entries welcomed to the competition. For this reason, entrants will not be permitted to proceed to the judging stage unless they have attended at least one (1) training session with the Morris Entrepreneurship Centre. Complete absence will be considered withdrawal from the competition.

To enter the competition, a registration form must be completed and submitted to the Career & Employment Services Department (C&ES) no later than 1:00p.m. on Friday, 3rd February 2012. Registration forms are available at the offices of C&ES and the Morris Entrepreneurship Centre, as well as below . The completed form must be submitted at the office of C&ES located at the Gymnatorium, or via email at careerservices@ncu.edu.jm with the subject line reading Entrepreneurship Competition 2012. If entering as a team (as opposed to individual participation), only one (1) registration form is required. The first team member listed will be considered the main point of contact. Please note that if you do not receive an email from C&ES confirming your registration within 3 days, it is likely your entry has not been received or that contact details provided are incorrect. It is your responsibility to ensure your form has been received and the registration process is complete.
 
All entrants must agree to abide by our institutional value statement NCU C.A.R.E.S. In particular, strictly prohibited is the conduct of “surveys” of companies who are potential competitors for your proposed business venture under the guise of an “NCU project”. Openness and honesty of intentions are expected. Similarly, if working in collaboration with an outsider from academia or industry, it is your responsibility to respect the intellectual property and to treat any information received from them as confidential.

Judging will be conducted in two (2) stages:

1. Pre-judging will be conducted during the week beginning March 19, 2012. This activity entails each individual/team appearing before a panel of judges to make live presentation of their business. The presentation must include hard and soft copies of the completed business plan, promotional material, and (where applicable) a prototype or demonstration. Ten (10) finalists will be selected at this stage.


2. Final judging will take place on March 29 at Career Expo. Finalists will be expected to have a booth display with relevant supporting material First, second and third prize winners will be announced during the expo’s closing activities. Deadlines Registration form – must be submitted to Career & Employment Services Department by 1:00p.m. Friday, 3rd February 2012.

Business plan and pre-judging – the week beginning March 19, 2012. A schedule will be provided in advance. Final judging – during Career Expo 2012, March 29.

The only individuals who will have access to your business plans will be the judges, trainers and administrative team. The judges will comprise faculty and professionals who regularly deal with confidential information in the course of their work. Your work will be treated with the same care and respect for confidentiality.

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