Format

The format for the 2012-2013 Clean Energy Venture Challenge is very different from that of the typical business plan competition.  Rather than using a gauntlet of presentations, plans and financial analyses to thin out the pool of teams along the way, the CEVC will select teams early and push them through a series of steps that help move them closer to their entrepreneurial goals.  If a traditional business competition is a funnel that gradually narrows the field to a trickle of winners, the CEVC is a pipeline that propels all the teams forward and gives them the best possible chance for success.



This pipeline is broken into four phases:

Application Phase:  During this phase, all applying teams are interviewed by experienced entrepreneurs, their peers and potential investors to see if they have the “right stuff” to make significant progress.

Skill Building Phase:  This is where each team is taught the skills necessary to succeed as an entrepreneur.  This includes Customer Discovery, Business Model Canvas tracking, Business Basics and Pitch Creation.

Acceleration Phase:  This is the phase where the rubber meets the road.  During this phase each team is assigned multiple mentors and actively engages in customer discovery, pivots, research, prototyping, etc.

Presentation of Results:  This final phase is the equivalent of the “Awards Ceremony” for a business plan competition.  However, in the Venture Challenge, all the participating teams show their results and awards are given to those who have made the most progress in moving their venture forward.