Official Rules and Information

Competition Overview:                                                                                                      

Rollins MBA Venture Plan Competition provides members of the Rollins family an opportunity to take an idea for a new product or business and develop a plan to introduce it to the market place.  New ventures are defined as seed, start-ups, buyouts, the expansion of established enterprises, or site-specific franchises.

Participating teams are encouraged to create and present a plan that clearly illustrates creativity and potential for success.  Newly created enterprises rely as much on the presentations of the concepts as they do on the detailed business plan and financial projections.

Dates:

February, 13-17 2012 9 AM --- Early Bird Application Period

The cost to enter the competition during the Early Bird Application period is $15.  The application fee is waived for teams including a member of Rollins CEO.  Applications can be downloaded at: www.rollinsceo.com.  Early Bird applications must be submitted via email to Joshua Snyder at the Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by no later than 9 AM on February 17, 2012 to receive the Early Bird Discount.

February, 20-27 2012 9 AM --- Regular Application Period

The cost to enter the competition during the Regular Application period is $30.  The application fee is waived for teams including a member of Rollins CEO.  Applications can be downloaded at: www.rollinsceo.com.  Regular applications must be submitted via email to Joshua Snyder at the Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by no later than 9 AM on February 27, 2012 to participate in the Venture Plan Competition.

March 5, 2012 9 AM --- Business Plan Submission Deadline

Written Business Plans must be submitted via email to Joshua Snyder at the Center for Advanced Entrepreneurship at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by no later than 9 AM on March 5, 2012 to participate in the Venture Plan Competition. A panel of judges will evaluate the plans and select the semi-finalists.  The Semi-final round will be limited to no more than 8 teams. Semi-finalists will be informed no later than 12 PM on March 7, 2012.

March 13, 2012 1pm to 6 pm --- Semi-Final Round

Oral Business Plan Presentations of no more than 15 minutes will be made by the semi-finalists teams.  PowerPoint may be used.  Up to 10 minutes of questions will be asked to each team.  A panel of judges will determine the 4 teams that will move on to the final competition.  Finalists will be notified at the end of the semi-final presentations. 

March 16, 2012 3 pm to 5pm --- Final Round

Oral Business Plan Presentations of no more than 15 minutes will be made by the finalist’s teams. PowerPoint may be used.  Up to 15 minutes of questions will be asked to each team.  A panel of judges will determine the winners of the competition.  Winners will be notified during a reception immediately following the final presentations. 

Eligibility

• At least one team member must be a Rollins College student, alumnus, staff member or faculty member and hold a senior management position in the proposed new venture.
• Business plans must be the original work of the plan competition teams.
• Teams that have already secured arrangements for capital from any source, including loans, grants, or outside investments must disclose the amounts and sources clearly in their entries. The amount from these sources must not have exceeded $100,000 as of December 31, 2011. Revenues generated by the proposed venture must not have exceeded $20,000 by December 31, 2011
• Any questions about eligibility requirements should be directed to Cari Coats at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Mike Bowers, Ph D. at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Joshua Snyder at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Written Plan Requirements

Business plans may not exceed 25 total pages (including cover, text and appendices) in length based on a document that is double spaced, using 12 point font with one inch margins. All submissions are to be made in Microsoft Word or PDF format. No paper copies will be accepted. It is up to the teams to be sure that when the plans are printed, they do not exceed the guidelines.

Judging

Judges will be selected from experienced entrepreneurial-minded practitioners and investors in the business community. While each judge probably has his/her own idea about what constitutes a great new venture business plan, there are some criteria that all judges will take into account, as follows:

1. All issues critical to the success of the project have been well covered.
2. The subject has been addressed with creativity and a spirit of innovation.
3. The material is well organized and well presented.
4. The plan’s financial viability is visible.
5. The market verification is visible.

Prizes

Winners will receive cash prizes for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place.  A special prize will be awarded to the team presenting the best “green” concept.  Prize amounts will be announced.

Please direct all questions to:

Mike Bowers, Ph.D.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it                        

Cari Coats                   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Joshua Snyder           This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it