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Ideas Competition 2012
Competition Details
Have you got the next best idea? Say Y.E.S. to IDEAS 2012.
IDEAS 2012 is a competition open to all NSCC students that encourages entrepreneurial-thinking, innovation and creativity. The challenge – develop an idea that excites you and has the potential of having business or community impact – think new products, services, business ventures or community services. Build a case to sell it and you could win fantastic cash prizes and other incentives.
Learn about the contest and your chance to win cash prizes.
Register
**Registration closed on January 21, 2012**
Why participate?
- Opportunity to work on an idea with guidance and feedback from mentors
- Awesome portfolio experience and résumé builder
- Networking possibilities and learn about funding opportunities
- Cash prizes: up to $1,000 in prize money at each campus competition
- Winner from each campus advances to the provincial competition to compete with other college and university students and have the chance to win $10,000 in additional cash prizes and formal mentoring to help make the idea a reality!
Schedule
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| November 21, 2011 – January 21, 2012 | Registration |
| January 21 – February 24, 2012 | Prepare: Get your idea on paper – you'll need to submit a 3-5 page summary of your idea on February 24, 2012. Now that registration is closed, a campus coordinator will contact you to help you with this phase of the competition. They'll provide advice, links to videos and online resources, and connect you with a mentor if you like! |
| February 24, 2012 | Deadline for paper submission |
| Week of February 27 – March 2, 2012 | Campus Pitch Days Deliver a 7-8 minute presentation for a panel of judges |
| March 22, 2012 | Provincial Competition
The Hub Halifax Pitches: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM with reception to follow |
Submissions
Once you register, you will be contacted by your campus coordinator. He/she will provide you with a more detailed schedule for the competition and will act as your point person at your campus.
Judging Criteria
So what makes a good idea? Here's how you'll be judged. (Our videos, tools and resources will all assist you in making a good pitch).
- Overall innovation (40 points)
- Clear description of the idea, features and benefits
- Uniqueness of product or service
- Market & Marketing Strategy (20 points)
- Description of target market (who will you sell to?)
- Market opportunity
- Understanding of the market and the competition
- Go to Market Strategy (20 points)
- Understanding of how you might make your idea a reality
- Overall viability
- Understanding of the challenges and opportunities with getting the idea to market
- Costs required (10 points)
- General understanding of the financial requirements to make the idea a reality
- Overall Presentation (10 points)
- Professional, able to answer questions, well prepared, communicated the idea clearly, good use of time
Rules
- Idea contained within the plan cannot currently be in operation, have operated in the past or been submitted previously
- Ideas must be innovative. Entries will be evaluated for these criteria by the organizers. (If you are not sure, talk to your campus coordinator.)
- Idea and entries must be original and authentic.
- Competitors must be students in good standing at participating Nova Scotia Community College campuses
- Students must participate in their NSCC campus competition to be eligible for the provincial competition.
- Student can enter as individuals or in teams to a maximum of three students.
- All concept papers must be submitted electronically and as a hard copy.
- Papers must be no less than 3 pages and no more than 5 pages (not including a cover page and optional appendices).
- Papers must include a cover page indicating the names of all entrants.
- Papers must be double-spaced, use Times New Roman font at size 12.
- Campus presentations may include various types of technology. Participants must indicate their technical requirements one week in advance of presentation. No presentation will be longer than 8 minutes and students must be prepared for several minutes of questions from judges.
- Each campus competition winner will prepare for the provincial competition with the help of technical and/or entrepreneurial support from their home campus.
- Non- Disclosure: In order to avoid any concerns or conflicts regarding the ownership of Ideas presented in this competition, students have the option of requesting judges, coordinators and mentors sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement to protect the rights of the 'idea owners'. Students will not present their ideas in front of other students; rather, only judges will hear each pitch and read each submission.
Partners
This competition is a partnership between the Nova Scotia Community College, the Nova Scotia Association of Community Business Development Corporations and the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development.
The goals of this competition are as follows:
- Create a venue for students to participate in creative entrepreneurial thinking that will help shape the way they work in their professional lives.
- To foster the development of an entrepreneurial culture in Nova Scotia.
- Engage students from the sciences, arts, trades and business schools in Nova Scotia to further an entrepreneurial culture in Nova Scotia.
- Provide an opportunity for students to connect their learning to their futures using experiential processes.
- Celebrate the ingenuity of Nova Scotia students by providing a public forum for their work to be showcased.
- Develop successful commercial entities that will improve the quality of life in Nova Scotia.
Campus Winners
| Campus | Winner(s) |
|---|---|
| Akerley Campus | Dave Furey |
| Annapolis Valley Campus | Adam Hayter |
| Burridge Campus | Dean Pearce |
| Cumberland Campus | Mike King |
| Institute of Technology Campus | Cate Wallace |
| Kinsgtec Campus | Mackenzie Watson |
| Lunenburg Campus | Katelyn Pierce |
| Marconi Campus | Darren Colbourne |
| Pictou Campus | Derek Hansen & Tim Grosvold |
| Shelburne Campus | Izaak David |
| Strait Area Campus | Blaise Sullivan & Kirby Lumsden |
| Truro Campus | Jon Hutt |
| Waterfront Campus | Stuart Lenehan, Gerry MacIsaac & Duncan Grant |
Questions?
Contact your campus coordinator or .
Ideas 2012 – Campus Coordinators
| Campus | Contact | |
|---|---|---|
| Akerley Campus | Robert DuHart | |
| Annapolis Valley Campus | Maureen Gillis | |
| Cumberland Campus | Peggy Carter | |
| Institute of Technology Campus | Stephen Parsons | |
| Burridge Campus | Mary Thompson | |
| Kingstec Campus | Melanie Russell | |
| Lunenburg Campus | Jake Smith | |
| Marconi Campus | Maria MacDonald | |
| Pictou Campus | Cynthia McDermid | |
| Shelburne Campus | Wendy McGill | |
| Strait Area Campus | Theresa Landry | |
| Truro Campus | Shari Mallory-Shaw | |
| Waterfront Campus | Michael Hobeck |
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