University Business Plan Competitions

"We have an advantage as students, because we know our peers and we live with them and around them."

The competition is open to all full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in colleges and universities located in the state of Montana during the current academic year, i.e., from August/September 2011 through July/August 2012. – Deadline for submitting written business plan – Wednesday, April 25, 20112

"Your time is now. Find many mentors, and be open to new ideas/new people."

Steven McKean, Community Track

Less planning, more legwork. That’s the formula some business schools are using to overhaul the competitions they conduct each year to test their students’ mettle as entrepreneurs.

The contest, open to full-time U.S. and Canadian students enrolled in a two- or four-year college, provides an opportunity for the next generation of communicators to share their vision of where they see public relations and communications headed in the coming years. Video submissions will be reviewed by a special judging committee of Business Wire senior managers on creativity, originality and appropriateness to theme.

With such a large number of business plan participants (70%) and a corresponding group
indicating that success at a business plan competitions (45%) was an important measure of
success, one might infer that a lack of success at business plan competitions, when judged
against your peers, could be indicative of a less than successful entrepreneurship center or
program.

Montana’s next generation of entrepreneurs took home more than $30,000 in prize money during The University of Montana’s 22nd annual John Ruffatto Business Plan Competition, hosted May 12 by the UM School of Business Administration.

John Beltrone and Emese Vitalis and CreativiTea won the 22nd annual University of Montana John Ruffatto Business Plan Competition, which showcases the entrepreneurial aspirations of students across the state.

Even though some of them didn’t make the next round, or even have websites yet, we could be hearing more from these folks in the future.

Students attending two-year colleges throughout Montana spent two days developing solutions to a real problem posed by the USDA–Gallatin National Forest.