Call for Entries, Global Social Venture Competition which is the largest and oldest student-led business plan competition in the world
The Global Social Venture
The Global Social Venture Competition is the largest and oldest student-led business plan competition providing mentoring, exposure, and prizes for social ventures from around the world. The mission of the GSVC is to catalyze the creation of social ventures, educate future leaders and build awareness of social enterprises. The competition supports the creation of real businesses that bring about positive social change in a sustainable manner.
The GSVC is organized by the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley in cooperation with 6 Regional Partners and 3 Outreach Partners.
Each year, entrant teams from around the world compete for over $45,000 while gaining valuable professional feedback on their ventures. Each entrant team must include a graduate business student from any business school in the world or an individual who has graduated from a graduate business program within the past two years (from the date that the plan is first submitted).
The Global Social Venture Competition occurs over three rounds, the last of which takes place at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. During each round of the competition, social entrepreneurs present the social, financial, and environmental values of their business, gaining valuable feedback from and exposure to some of the greatest minds in social innovation.
GSVC is more than just a competition, so if you are interested in social innovation and impact, please also take a look at our Conference page.
The Global Social Venture Competition is the world’s preeminent social business plan competition providing aspiring entrepreneurs with mentoring, exposure, and prize money to transform their business ideas into positive real-world impact. Its mission is to catalyze new sustainable ventures that address significant social issues, build awareness of the social entrepreneurship field and educate future leaders. Founded by MBA students at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, the GSVC has evolved into a global network supported by an international community of volunteer judges, mentors and student organizers and a partnership of premier business schools in the US, Europe and Asia.
Every year more than 500 entrant teams from around the world compete for $45,000 in prizes while gaining valuable professional feedback on their businesses. Since its inception in 1999, the GSVC has awarded over half a million dollars to promising social enterprises and introduced early-stage entrepreneurs to the venture capital community, creating a new generation of sustainable social ventures including Husk Power, Revolution Foods and d.light design.
Step 1: Submit Executive Summary for Regional Round Please visit the GSVC Calendar to see which region your team should enter, and the entry submission deadline. Please review the official rules and executive summary round submission guidelines for entry.
The following table provides entry application links for each region and subregion. Region/subregion Application site The Americas EAST http://www.younoodle.com/groups/gsvc_2011 The Americas WEST http://www.younoodle.com/groups/gsvc_2011 Europe, Middle East, Africa
English language plans: http://www.younoodle.com/groups/gsvc_emea French language plans: http://gsvc.entrep-social.chair.essec.edu/
Asia and Eastern Africa - China (subregion)
http://www.isb.edu/gsvc/ - http://www.gsvcchina.org/ Southeast Asia http://www.gsvc-sea.org/ Northeast Asia http://www.socialventure.or.kr/
Step 2: Submit Full Business Plan for Regional Semi-Final Round
If you are invited to submit a full business plan, you will be contacted by the respective Partner School. Each round has different submission deadlines, so please pay close attention to dates provided on the GSVC Calendar.
Please review important semi-final round submission guidelines on the regional semi-final round submission guidelines page. The formatting and submission guidelines will be strictly enforced; if your team does not adhere to them, your entry will be disqualified.
The following table summarizes regions and hosts of regional semi-finals. Region Host The Americas EAST Columbia Business School The Americas WEST Berkeley Haas Business School Europe, Middle East, Africa London Business School and ESSEC Business School Asia and Eastern Africa Indian School of Business Southeast Asia Thammasat University Northeast Asia Social Venture Competition - Asia
Step 3: Submit Full Business Plan for Global Finals or SIA Finals Judging Round If you are selected as a Global Finalist or SIA Finalist, you will be invited to re-submit your full business plan by March 23, 2011 at 5pm PST to present on April 7, 2011 (SIA Finals) or April 8, 2011 (Global Finals) at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley. Details will be communicated to all finalists via email.
http://www.gsvc.org/
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