Skip Navigation

Business Plan Competition

Eligibility and Requirements

Please review all of the information below before registering your team.

  1. Who is elgibile to compete?
  2. Am I eligible to compete in the 2012 Business Plan Competition if I have competed in prior years?
  3. How many people are required to be on a team?
  4. Can I submit a business plan for my existing business?
  5. If my company has revenue, can I still compete?
  6. What if I am not able to attend/present in any of the live presentation rounds (fast pitch, semi-finals, and final rounds)?
  7. What if I have a weekend class and cannot attend parts of the competition?

 

1. Who is eligible to compete?

Each team is required to have at least one Pepperdine University student who meets the following requirements:

  • The student must be in good standing. Good standing is defined by the guidelines of the Pepperdine University School in which the student attends.
  • The student must have an expected graduation date of August 2011 or later.
  • The student must hold a leading position within the proposed company.
  • This student may attend any of the five schools within Pepperdine University: Seaver College, the Graziadio School of Business and Management, the School of Law, the Graduate School of Education and Psychology or the School of Public Policy.
  • Students from any of the Pepperdine University campuses are qualified to participate

2. Am I eligible to compete in the 2012 Business Plan Competition if I have competed in prior years?

Teams/persons who submitted final business plans in previous business plan competitions at Pepperdine may reenter the Pepperdine University Business Plan Competition. However, the following restrictions apply:

  • Business plans previously submitted into the competition that did not advance to the semi-final or final rounds may be reformatted, updated and resubmitted.
  • Business plans that advanced to the semi-final or final rounds of the Pepperdine University Business Plan Competition are not eligible. Teams may still be qualified, but a new business not previously seen is required.

3. How many people are required to be on a team?

Teams can be of any size (1 to 100), so long as at least one member is a Pepperdine University student. It is strongly encouraged, but not required, that teams include a minimum of three members.

4. Can I submit a business plan for my existing business?

The objective of the business plan contest is to provide a meaningful learning experience for students interested in pursuing an entrepreneurial opportunity at some point in their careers. As such, plans entered in the competition must be ideas for new businesses.

5. If my company has revenue, can I still compete?

Your new business is not eligible if, by January 27, 2012, your company has made revenue or has pledged investment funds equal to or greater than $100,000 USD. All revenue and funding sources must be disclosed.

6. What if I am not able to attend/present in any of the live presentation rounds (fast pitch, semi-finals, and final rounds)?

The Pepperdine University student must be a presenter of the proposed business in all rounds of the competition. If there are conflicts, please contact Diane Singel at , as you may no longer be eligible to compete.

7. What if I have a weekend class and cannot attend parts of the competition?

The competition recognizes the scheduling difficulties of students and that conflicts can arise because of weekend class schedules.  However, the Pepperdine Business Plan Competition is an extracurricular activity and is not considered an excused absence from required class sessions.  This means that students who have class conflicts due to previously scheduled sessions on the same days/times as any round of the competition, are required to attend their class.