New York Business Plan Competition: Capital Region

Registration

The application is located here. 

Semi-Finals
Student applications are due by April 9, 2021. Judges for each track will evaluate the applications remotely. By April 21, 2021, the semi-finals winners will be announced, and student teams will receive judges’ feedback.

Statewide Finals

The statewide finals will be held on a virtual platform. Teams finishing in first and second place in each track at each of the regional competitions will advance to the statewide final competition on Friday, May 7, 2021. Visit  NYBPC for more information on the state competition.

In order to be eligible to apply for and participate in the NYBPC, all teams must meet the following criteria: 

• “Students” are any graduate, undergraduate, and/or community college students enrolled part- or full-time in accredited New York colleges and universities during the current academic year. Students who graduate during the Fall semester are still eligible to compete in the competition during the Spring semester. 

• Students must be the presenters in all stages of the competition. 

• Teams may compete in only one region per year.

• Students may not participate in more than one team per year. 

Grand prize winners from previous years’ competitions are not eligible to participate in the competition. They are encouraged to participate as speakers, mentors, volunteers, and judges! Individual members of the winning team may return with new teams in subsequent years. 

The following rules apply to teams with incorporated ventures (teams do not need to have incorporated legal entities): 

• Cumulative public and private capital raised may not exceed $100,000. This does not include research funding that may have supported the development of technology in an academic laboratory.

• The business venture must be at least 80% owned by students.

The New York Business Plan Competition reserves the right to withhold prize money from winning teams who do not comply with the eligibility requirements. 

The competition is divided into six categories, called tracks, at all levels of competition.

To keep pace with our rapidly changing world and to provide a balanced competition, track definitions will be finalized and announced on March 1, 2021.

This will allow time for a review of this year’s applicants. Students will no longer select a track on their applications, but will instead select one or more category tags. These tags may align with the track definitions or with special prize definitions or with neither. They could relate to the type of business, attributes of the team, the type of product or service, or target markets or customers.
The list of tags will not be finalized until the student application opens on January 1, but some possible tags could be agtech, athletics, clothing, college students, education, entertainment, environmental Impact, fintech, food, government, medtech, mental health, military, mwbe, software, travel, utility, veteran-owned.

Student teams will be informed of their track assignments prior to the regional competitions.
Teams in each of the tracks may represent for-profit or non-profit ventures. All tracks are judged according to the same criteria and rubric.

For more information on the track definitions and judging criteria please see the 2021 Rule Book.

TBD

The New York Business Plan Competition is New York State's premier collegiate business plan competition, attracting entrepreneurial-minded college students from throughout the state. Celebrating its 12th year, the Capital Region regional qualifying event will generate proceeds to support ongoing student programming, to ensure access to the best entrepreneurial education.

Sponsorship Opportunities

PRESENTING Sponsor - FILLED. Thank you Sunmark Credit Union!

• Opportunity to welcome the group
• Inclusion in all media releases, web articles and other promotional materials
related to the event noting your company as the Presenting Sponsor
• Company name/logo listed on event website and program
• Thank you & recognition during and post-event
• Exclusive opportunity to join program director in check presentation to winner
• Display a sign or banner at the event
• Opportunity to distribute a gift appropriate to the event

ANGEL Sponsor – $2,500

• Inclusion in all promotional materials related to the event noting your company
as an Angel Sponsor
• Company name/logo listed on event website and program
• Thank you & recognition during and post-event
• Display a sign or banner at the event
• Opportunity to distribute a gift appropriate to the event

CEO Sponsor – $1,500

• Inclusion in all promotional materials related to the event noting your company
as the CEO Sponsor
• Company name/logo listed on event website and program
• Thank you & recognition during and post-event

Friend of the Competition – $500

• Company name/logo listed on the event website and program

How to Sponsor

Complete and send the sponsorship form.

For more information contact [email protected]

The application is located here. The teams finishing in first and second place within each track at each of the regional competitions will advance to the statewide final to be held online in May. Finalists will submit pitch videos and slide decks due by April 25, 2021. The top three teams in each track will be invited to pitch to a panel of finals judges with live Q&A. Winners will be announced at an online awards ceremony on May 7, 2021.

All students are invited to the virtual finals event to cheer for their teammates, meet mentors, attend workshops and gain exposure to entrepreneurial resources from across New York.

The NYBPC provides opportunities for students enrolled in colleges and universities across New York to gain entrepreneurial skills and compete on their ingenuity, first on campus, then in the region, and for top teams, the statewide finals.

• More than $150M+ economic impact including follow-on funding for 100+ start-ups
• Hundreds of innovative solutions, including patented technologies

2020 New York Business Plan Competition Capital Region Semi-Finals

1st and 2nd place track winners advanced to the state competition. Event sponsor Sunmark announced the winners.

Capital Cup
Bioflow,  John Moon, Albany Medical College

Track winners

AgTech & Food    
1st     Pure Juices, Darrio Lewis, University at Albany
2nd    Alternative Greens on the Go! Paula Hauser, University at Albany

Consumer Products & Services
1st     Oga Faaji, LLC, Afolabi    Soetan, University at Albany
2nd    FRMKTS, Mackenzie Frederick, University at Albany

Energy & Environment    
1st     TrashlogiX, Josh Frederick, University at Albany
2nd    Greenlet, Matthew Whitman, University at Albany

MedTech & Well-Being    
1st     Bioflow, John Moon, Albany Medical College
2nd    LÚA, U-Leea Santos-Fabian, Siena College

Military & First Responder
1st     Intelligent Medicine, Adam Ryason, RPI
2nd    Brushi, Abdul Shakir, University at Albany

Technology & Entertainment
1st     Vewr, Bailey Ryan, RPI
2nd    Dolphin Data LLC, Hayley Roy Gill, RPI

Thank you to our sponsors: Sunmark Credit Union and the University at Albany Foundation.

Thank you to our judges:
Shawn M. Allan, Lithoz
Donald Berchoff, Tru Weather Solutions
Richard Bonnet, Sunmark
Victor Cardona, Heslin RFM Law
Mario Cometti, Hedgeman Law
Anthony DeBonis, Troy Web Consulting
Donald Devito, Kirsh Helmets
Joanmarie Dowling, Dowling Law NY
Patricia Fusco, Fusco Personnel
Hanson Grant, Think Board
Catherine Hover, Palette Cafe
Daniel T. Kane, Dan Kane
Murray Massry, Tri-City Rentals
Julie Massry-Knox, Tri-City Rentals
Patrice Perkins , The Word Architect
Daryian Rhysing, United Air Tek
Evaguel Rhysing, United Air Tek
Mike Riley, Peak Neuro Group
Michael Roach, Michael Roach Creative
Lou Sackal, Elemental FPG
Jeffrey B. Schwartz, Phillips Lytle
Richard Sleasman, CBRE
Matthew Wagoner, Wagoner Law Firm
Spencer Warnick, Hoffman Warnick Law
Ken Zhang, Think Board