2012 International Business Plan Program

Purpose:

Successful organizations are increasingly global organizations.  Students must be able to effectively participate on teams comprised of a variety of nationalities, cultures, and educational disciplines which are further challenged by vast geographic distances and time zones, in order to compete and collaborate globally.  The Free Trade Alliance Future Global Leaders:  International Business Plan Program was created in partnership with corporate and educational partners with this global perspective in mind, and to foster the entrepreneurial spirit of students.

Organizations must also increasingly develop and utilize technology which fosters sustainability, utilizes renewable resources and addresses disposal of its product and packaging after consumption, all while fulfilling a market need, creating consumer demand, and remaining price competitive.  Working with mentors from a variety of global corporations, participating students will address these issues while gaining experience from cross-cultural and cross-functional teams.

The Evaluation Criteria:

  • The business plan must be international in nature, involving the import and/or export of a good or service and not exceed 12 pages, 2 of which must be projected financials.  An appendix, not to exceed 10 pages, may be included.
  • Company overview: Presents a vision, strategy, goals, mission and objectives for the business.
  • Products and/or services:  Describes the key features and benefits, current stage of development, proprietary position and competitive advantages of the product or service.
  • Sustainability and environment: Each business plan must address an environmental concern such as waste reduction in its packaging, minimizing the carbon footprint of its production or reducing emissions related to distribution.
  • Management team: Description of business, the strength, readiness and capacity of the venture’s management team, including its management’s experience and expertise in relevant markets and industries.  Teams are highly encouraged to include individuals from a variety of disciplines (engineering, business, life sciences, etc.)
  • Financing: Clearly present the amount, timing, type and use of funds required for the venture.  The financing aspect of the report should also outline sources of funding.
  • Growth plan: Describe the target market and how the new product or service will meet a new or existing need better than the competition, be promoted, priced, sourced and distributed.  Current capital requirements and exit strategy should also be discussed.
  • ProForma Financials: Discuss projected revenues, expenses, gross margins and net profit/loss along with cash flow analysis with assumptions. (Must be included)
  • Scoring: -Written business plan – 40%     -Presentation – 40%     -Teamwork – 20%
  • Bonuses:
    • Globalization bonus – Two (2) additional points will be awarded for each additional   nationality represented on a team.  Proof of foreign citizenship is required. (Ex. Five nationalities on a team equates to ten (10) bonus points.  A team of the same nationality receives no globalization bonus points).  Dual citizens may qualify for the bonus, but must declare their nationality in the application process.
    • Foreign Office bonus: Two (2) additional points will be awarded for each additional education institution represented on a team. (Ex. Teams with two education institutions represented receive four (4) bonus points.  Teams comprised of members from the same institution receive no bonus.)
    • Teams may receive both bonuses.  (Ex. A team of 5 with 3 US citizens and one Mexican citizen attending the same university, plus one team member attending a Chinese university and is a Chinese citizen will receive six (6) bonus points for the three nationalities (US, Mexico and China) and two (2) additional points, as more than one university is represented on the team, for a total of eight (8) bonus points.

Important Dates and Deadlines:

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 – Deadline for student applications

Thursday, January 19, 2012, 4:00pm – 5:00pm CST:  Business Plan Program kick-off meeting and welcome reception.  (web conferencing available on request) (Mentors/Judges need not attend)
 
 
Friday, January 20, 2012, 9:00am – 10:00am CST:  Business Plan Program kick-off meeting via web conferencing (same info as Jan. 19 session)
 
 
Wednesday, February 15, 2012: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) due to Alliance.  FAQ’s will be compiled, answered and distributed by February 20th. 
 
    
Wednesday, April 4, 2012, 5:00pm CST:  Business Plans Due
 
    
Saturday, April 14, 2012, 9:00am – 5:00pm CST:  Team Presentations (Open to the public)
 
    
Saturday, April 14, 2012, 6:00pm – 8:00pm CST: Participant reception (Judge/Mentor attendance  encouraged)
 
    
Friday, April 20, 2012, 12:00pm – 1:30pm CST (registration at 11:30am): Business Plan Program Awards Ceremony (Judges/Mentors encouraged to attend)
 
 

Awards:

1st Place Awards:

  • $10,000 cash prize to the graduate team; $5,000 cash prize to the undergraduate team.  Cash prize will be divided equally amongst team members, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing.
  • A quarterly leadership session with a high profile global leaders
  • 1st Place certificate for each team member
  • International Business Plan Participant Certificate
  • Recognition at award ceremony
  • Featured on Free Trade Alliance website and newsletter

2nd Place Awards:

  • $5,000 cash prize to the graduate team; $2,500 cash prize to the undergraduate team.  Cash prize will be divided equally amongst team members, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing.
  • A quarterly leadership session with a high profile global leader
  • 2nd Place certificate for each team member
  • International Business Plan Participant Certificate
  • Recognition at award ceremony
  • Featured on Free Trade Alliance website and newsletter

3rd Place Awards:

  • $2,500 cash prize to the graduate team; $1,250 cash prize to the undergraduate team.  Cash prize will be divided equally amongst team members, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing.
  • A quarterly leadership session with a high profile global leader
  • 3rd Place certificate for each team member
  • International Business Plan Participant Certificate
  • Recognition at award ceremony
  • Featured on Free Trade Alliance website and newsletter

Finalist Awards:

  • International Business Plan Participant Certificate
  • Featured on Free Trade Alliance website and newsletter

Eligibility/Rules:

The program is open to all students currently enrolled in an institution of higher learning who meet the following criteria:

  1. Currently enrolled at an institution of higher learning.
  2. Teams may be comprised of no less than two students and no more than five students. Categories are available for undergraduate and graduate students.  Participants must be enrolled as a student throughout the program and their category (undergraduate or graduate) will be determined by their status as of the date business plans are due.  Teams may mix undergraduate and graduate students, but will be considered as participating in the graduate student category.
  3. Individuals may apply and will be placed on a team at the discretion of the Free Trade Alliance.
  4. Each business plan must address an environmental concern such as waste reduction in its packaging, minimizing the carbon footprint of its production or reducing emissions related to distribution.
  5. A completed application and application fee (USD$45.00 for undergraduate and USD$75.00 for graduate students) must be received by Friday, November 30, 2011.  Free Trade Alliance Future Global Leaders Coalition members and student members receive a USD$10 discount.  Not a Coalition or student member?  Ask us how to join or start a Coalition.  Financial aid is available to those that qualify.
  6. Each team will be assigned a corporate mentor by the Free Trade Alliance.  Requests for mentorship from participating companies will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis, as available.  If a company you are interested in is not participating, let us know and we will request their participation.
  7. Business plans should have an import or export focus for either a good or service.
  8. Business plans should be for new business opportunities or for a new or existing business.
  9. At least one participant from each team will be required to participate in the team presentation to be held on April 7, 2012. If unable to physically attend the presentation, a video conference presentation is acceptable.  Scheduling of an alternate presentation date/time is solely at the discretion of the Free Trade Alliance.  Failure to present will result in disqualification.
  10. By participating in this business plan program, you may qualify for credit toward your degree.  Check with your school to determine if you are able to receive course credit for participation.  It is the responsibility of the participant to submit any required information to their professor/advisor in order to receive course credit.  Your professor may attend your presentation on April 7, 2012 and be copied on your final scoring.
  11. English proficiency is required.
  12. Participants cannot be directors, officers, employees or immediate family members of employees of the Free Trade Alliance Education Foundation.  Student interns of the Alliance and prior participants may compete, as long as they meet other rules of eligibility.
  13. All business plans will be reviewed and evaluated by a panel of judges made up of business professionals.
  14. In the event that a team believes that a member is not contributing to the plan, they may bring the matter to the Alliance for resolution and possible removal of the student.  In this event, the team should provide their grievance in writing to the Alliance no later than April 4, 2012.  The Alliance will then consult with all members of the team to suggest possible solutions and, if deemed appropriate, remove the participant from the team.  The removed participant will be unable to share in any prize monies or awards and will not receive a refund of their application fee or be placed on a different team.  Grievances received after April 4, 2012 will not be accepted and any prize monies earned by the team will be divided equally amongst its members, or as previously agreed by the team members.
  15. The only individuals who will have access to the business plans will be the Educational Outreach Committee, the judges and any professors that require them for purposes of course credit. All business plans submitted will be treated as confidential.  Should the team submitting the business plan be considering implementation of the plan, they should advise the Alliance in writing so that, should there be a possible conflict of interest with one of the judges, that judge may recuse themselves from judging.
  16. Note that an abbreviated description of the business idea (provided by the applicant) may be used in public documentation relating to the contest.

Judges Evaluation:

The business plans will be evaluated by a panel of professionals with expertise in each of the areas of a business plan. Judges will consist of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, academia, Alliance staff and professional service providers experienced in the entrepreneurial process.  Judges will use a point system to evaluate all business plans.  The decision in the final round will not necessarily be based on the number of points scored, but rather on the judges’ qualitative evaluation of the plan’s entire business model and consultations with each other during their deliberation session following the presentation.  Critical evaluation criteria used by the judges will include: expectation of significant growth, attractiveness of the return on investment and plan for implementation.  The decision of the judges is final.  The Free Trade Alliance may modify or cancel this program, at its discretion, with or without notice.

To register: Click here to view the application. Questions? Contact the Free Trade Alliance at globalleaders@freetradealliance.org  or by telephone at 210.229.9036.