Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Northwest Entrepreneurship Competition logo
The Spokane University District and North Idaho College are excited to announce that the submission process is now open for the 2021 Northwest Entrepreneur Competition, culminating with a virtual pitch event and awards ceremony on Thursday, April 15, 2021.
The Northwest Entrepreneur Competition (NEC) is the largest student entrepreneur competition in the region, welcoming 60-100 student teams each year and open to all current college and high school students throughout the Washington & Idaho Region. The NEC provides students with the invaluable academic experience of pitching their business idea to judges through three different qualifying rounds, gaining feedback and confidence as they compete with their peers for a total of $42,000 in prize money.
Due to COVID-19, for the health and safety of participants, the 2021 NEC will be hosted as a 100% virtual event.
“We’re excited to be hosting the 2021 NEC virtually as not only a safe alternative to our traditional in-person format, but as an opportunity to better engage competing students across a large geographic region,” says Ryan Arnold, co-manager of the 2021 NEC, “The NEC has always been about connecting students to resources and feedback, and we believe that a virtual event can deliver that effectively to better impact learning outcomes.”
The 2021 NEC will have three competition categories for student teams to choose from, each with a top prize of $10,000 generously funded by the Herbert B. Jones Foundation, with additional awards supported through other community sponsors.
“The Herbert B. Jones Foundation believes that entrepreneurism and small business are the backbone for the strength of our economic system,” says Foundation President Michael Bauer. “Supporting the Northwest Entrepreneur Competition is an impactful way to encourage, stimulate and sustain economic enterprises in our communities.”
2021 NEC participants are required to submit a 90-second “elevator pitch” describing their business idea by Feb. 26. Interested participants are encouraged to attend one of two free “Prep Your Pitch!” informational sessions, scheduled on Dec. 16 and Jan. 13.
More information regarding the 2021 NEC including participation and Prep Your Pitch! sessions can be found at https://nwentrep.com/.
Business community participation, including business plan judges and NEC sponsorship opportunities are still available. Inquiries can be sent to Sam Koester at Sam.Koester@NIC.edu.