Think Big: Business Growth Application Form

Transcription

1 Think Big: Business Growth Application Form An electronic copy can be found online at When completing your application please provide as much detail as possible to assist the judges when considering your application. Terms and conditions apply. Section 1 - About you Title First Name Surname Address Town Postcode How long have you lived at address above? Name of Business How long has your business been trading? address Telephone Number (Home) Telephone Number (Mobile) Website address

2 Section 2 - Tell us how a share of the Think Big prize fund will help to develop your business In no more than 25 words, please summarise your overall business proposal. Tell us what your business is, and what it will do. In no more than 500 words, please provide an overview of your Business Growth idea. Please give as much detail as possible about what products or services your company plans to offer, who your customer base will be and your plans for the future. It will help the judges if you explain what needs your Business Growth idea solves and if you have any copyright protection or patents.

3 Please provide a short descriptions of how your business will be financed, and how you aim to develop a profitable and sustainable business model.

4 In no more than 500 words, please give details of how you will use a share of the Think Big prize fund to further develop your business.

5 In no more than 250 words, please outline why you feel you should be successful in this competition and why you should be awarded a share of the Think Big prize fund.

6 BUSINESS PLAN SECTION Please note you must include the following business plan section in your application for the judges to look at. If you require help putting together the business plan we can provide free mentoring support for you. The closing date for help with this is the 4 November If you require help please contact Pauline McDonald on enterprise@dundeeandangus.ac.uk or call: Executive Summary This summary should provide an overview of your business detailing the purpose of the plan and the key points drawn from your business plan. It may be useful if you complete the other sections first before completing the Executive Summary section. Please provide details of the business and its products/services Marketing and sales strategy. Please include your market research, trends, customers and competition.

7 Marketing Mix. Please provide a full description of product or service including whether you will manufacture, distribute or sell to end user or whether you will be providing a service. Please also include what the product/service will do for the customer and what benefits it will provide to the customer. SWOT Analysis. Please include your product/service strengths, weaknesses, opportunities in the marketplace and the threats.

8 Management and Personnel. Please include who is going to manage the business detailing roles and responsibilities, as well as any qualifications and training pertinent to the business. Operations. Please include details of the day to day running of the business including trading hours, employee details, production, suppliers, premises equipment, licences, insurance, any workplace and environmental regulations and trademarks, copyrights and patents.

9 Financial performance and forecasts. Please include start-up costs and finance, sales forecasts, cash flow forecasts, profit/loss forecasts, balance sheet forecast, how you intent to monitor your business, taxation and risk analysis. This can be done in an Excel spreadsheet and sent independently if need be. I agree with the Terms & Conditions of the competition entry rules Signature: Date: Mentoring services closing date: 04 November 2016 Closing date for applications: 25 November 2016 Shortlisted entrants should be available on 16 December 2016 for presenting to the judging panel. Please return completed forms to Pauline McDonald at enterprise@dundeeandangus.ac.uk or by post to Pauline McDonald, Dundee and Angus College, Keptie Road, Arbroath DD11 3EA.

10 Terms and Conditions Eligibility Criteria To be eligible to enter the Think Big Business Growth competition you must be a resident of, and your business owned or operated in, the Dundee and Angus local authority areas and you must be aged 16 or over. Social Enterprise applications will be welcomed. You must have already started your business, and it must have been trading for more than 1 year, but less than 5 years as at the closing date. Dundee and Angus College staff (and their immediate family) are not eligible to apply. You agree to be bound by any financial reporting arrangements required in respect of a prize awarded and agree to meet with the any of the judges if required. The Judging Process All entrants must complete the Think Big Business Growth application form and submit to the following address by Friday 25 November Pauline McDonald, Business & Enterprise Assistant, Dundee and Angus College, Keptie Road, Arbroath, Angus, DD11 3EA or ed to enterprise@dundeeandangus.ac.uk All applications must be signed by the entrant and by signing you are indicating that you agree to all terms and conditions. *Entrants must complete the business plan section on their completed application form. Candidates can ask for support with this up to 04 November No additional materials or information other than the application form should be sent for the first judging phase. The panel of judges will be made up of senior staff from the Think Big Competition sponsors and Dundee and Angus College staff/board. Judges will meet to consider all entries and select those they feel merit a shortlist position. All entrants will be informed of the first stage result by 09 December All entrants who are successfully shortlisted will be invited to give a short presentation to the judges at the Gardyne Campus on 16 December The winners will be announced at the Dundee and Angus College Awards Ceremony which will be held at the Gardyne Campus on 19 January Candidates may be required to provide a short pitch to the judges. Sending an is not proof that we have received your entry. No responsibility will be accepted for entries which are lost.

11 The judges reserve the right to split the prize fund (which may be a mix of cash, and business services) as they see fit depending on the quality/quantity of entries and to gain best impact from the prize fund available. The judge s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered in to. By submitting an entry candidates are agreeing to participate in any publicity stemming from the Think Big Business Growth Competition. By submitting an entry to the Competition, candidates are thereby agreeing to complete a proforma on request by Dundee and Angus College to show how their business has progressed, should they be one of the winning entries.