Regardless of your discipline, the Rohrer New Venture Competition provides opportunities for you or your team to develop the deliverables required for competing.

Please check Startup Tree for dates, deadlines and more information for this year’s competition.

The Rohrer New Venture Competition is phased and requires students or student teams to submit various deliverables. A summary of each phase is below.

Phase 1 - Intent to Compete

Each company must register on StartupTree and provide a brief summary of the business idea. The following links will help you prepare your Executive Summary:

• Small Business Administration
• Bplans.com
• Template from entrepreneur.com

Phase 2 - Workshops

RCIE prepares initial entrants through a series of four mandatory workshops on Business Model and IP, Customer Discovery and Development, Financial and Presentation Skills.

Teams will be assigned a mentor and will work on the viability of their business concept and business plans throughout the preparation weeks.

Phase 3 - Semi-Finals

Teams are required to submit a video pitch and business plan that will be evaluated by a team of judges. Five finalists will be selected to move on to the competition.  

Phase 4 - Business Plan Phase 

Five finalists present their business plans to a panel of industry-leading judges and live audience, followed by a round of Q&A from the judges.

Rohrer New Venture Competition finalists have access to a prize pool valued at over $40,000. Prizes come in multiple forms, including a $25,000 convertible note, acceptance into the AccelerateRU program inclusive of non-equity seed funding, and other assorted cash and in-kind prizes. The following prize structure is in place, with final award distributions subject to the approval of the RCIE Executive Director: 

1^st Place:

• $25,000 Rowan Innovation Venture Fund convertible note investment option*
• $5,000 in non-dilutive seed funding with automatic acceptance into AccelerateRU

2^nd Place:

• $2,000 in prize money + the ability to apply to AccelerateRU for additional non-dilutive seed funding and support

3^rd Place:

• $1,000 in prize money + the ability to apply to AccelerateRU for additional non-dilutive seed funding and support

Honorable Mentions:

• Certificates of Merit + the ability to apply to AccelerateRU for additional non-dilutive funding and support

*Specific criteria must be met to activate this funding through RIVF. Please see full details here.

I. Individual Requirements

1. One member on each team must either be a full-time or part-time student of Rowan University or must have graduated from Rowan University within the last 12 months of the time of registration. 
2. Students of any major are eligible and are strongly encouraged to participate. 
3. Participants must be legal residents of the United States. 
4. Full-time employees of Rowan University, the judges and immediate family members of each such person are excluded from participation. 
5. An individual may not enter the Competition with more than one team. 
6. There is a maximum of 5 team members. 
7. A team may consist of just one team member (not recommended). 

II. Competition Guidelines

1. All decisions made by the host or the judges relating to this Competition are final and binding in all respects. 
2. Finalists are required to follow the event presentation guidelines, including an oral presentation. 
3. Judges will be asked to evaluate the plans based upon their likelihood of it actually becoming the basis for a viable business.
4. Teams are encouraged to seek guidance of Rowan University faculty, alumni, researchers and staff. 

III. Team Leader

1. The designation of a Team Leader is required by all teams. This person is usually the member of the team that would be named as the leading officer in the proposed company (CEO, COO, CFO, CIO or Executive Vice President). 
2. All the important information about the competition will be sent to this designated member. 

IV. Business Plan Qualifications

1. The technology used in the business plan does not have to be original. 
2. Contestants may use any reference materials or consult with professors at Rowan University and beyond (as long as the consulting source is not a judge in the competition). 
3. All submitted materials must be the original work of the participating team. 
4. Contestants must properly acknowledge any patents, trademarks or copyrighted materials of others that are incorporated into the contestants’ materials. 
5. All team members must certify that all work on the Business Plan is original as part of the registration process. 
6. Prize money is awarded to the winning Businesses, not to individual team leaders or members. Thus, the business must be formally established and be able to accept funding for payment of business expenses such as equipment or inventory, marketing, legal services or other legitimate needs associate with the start-up and launch phases. 

V. Business Qualifications

1. The judges of the Competition will have the right at their judgment to determine whether or not a team is eligible for the Competition based on the above eligibility requirements.
2. The Competition is for new, independent ventures in the seed or start-up stage or companies moving into significantly new markets or products outside of their current business ventures. 
3. If a team previously competed in the final round of the Business Plan Competition, they may NOT compete again with the same business idea. The same team may, however compete with a completely new idea.
4. If a team previously competed in any round of the Business Plan Competition EXCEPT for the finals, they are permitted to compete again with the same business idea.
5. The business may license technology from another company for manufacturing and/or distribution purposes. The licensing from universities or research labs of technologies that have not been commercialized previously is acceptable and encouraged. 
6. Outside Funding A team entry that has already received venture capital funding or funding commitments in excess of $25,000 is ineligible for the Competition. 
7. All teams that have received funding or funding commitments equal to or less than $25,000 must disclose in writing on the team registration form and within the business plan the source and amounts of all funding received and/or committed 

VII. Intellectual Property – Ownership/Disclosure

1. Contestants shall retain the copyright in the material they create for the contest. All copies of the Business Plan and PowerPoint presentations whether in digital or physical format will be destroyed by Rowan University after the completion of the competition. 
2. Contestants must acknowledge the use of material owned or authored by others. Failure to do so subjects the team to disqualification from the competition and possible legal action for violation of federal copyright law. 

RCIE provides mentorship to teams as they prepare for the Semi-Final and Final rounds. Workshops are offered and required leading up to the Semi-Finals and faculty and staff are available to provide guidance for written feasibility and business plans. Additional online resources and sample plans are also available.

Please check Startup Tree for dates, deadlines and more information for this year’s Expo.

Phase 1 - Intent to Compete

Each company must submit an initial idea application on StartupTree and provide a brief summary of the business idea. 

Phase 2 - Virtual Toolkit

Upon registration, students will receive a link with access to a virtual toolkit for student startups with resources that will help prepare entrants for the New Venture Expo.

Phase 3 - The Expo

Companies showcase their business at a decorated expo booth in the Hub of Business Hall and present their idea to students, faculty and over 45 local entrepreneurs, business leaders and Rowan Entrepreneurship alumni acting as judges. Students are encouraged to think BIG and BOLD when planning their booth. A 6ft table, linen table cloth and power (if requested) will be provided. 

Awards for the New Venture Expo will be announced during the Rohrer New Venture Competition, which runs the same day from 1:30-4:30pm in BUSN 209. Competing Expo teams should expect to stay the duration of the Competition (at least two members per team). If a competing team is selected for an award but is not there to receive it, the award will be given to the runner-up team. 

*Award packages are prizes valued at listed dollar amount