Startup St. Bernard Accepting Entries For Annual Business Pitch Competition
ST. BERNARD PARISH, LA – The entry period is open for the eighth annual Startup St. Bernard competition, presented by the Meraux Foundation and the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation. Startup St. Bernard seeks out dedicated, enthusiastic entrepreneurs who want to grow their business to the next level. Entrepreneurs are invited to apply for the opportunity to pitch their business to a panel of judges. The entry period closes at 12:00 PM noon CST on June 10, 2022.
Three finalists will be selected to "pitch" their business to a panel of judges on August 4. This year's prize package is still being developed and will be announced soon. All three finalists will receive a cash prize of at least $5,000. The winner will receive the grand prize package including a mix of cash and in-kind donations. In the past, in-kind donations have included services ranging from legal and accounting to marketing and public relations.
The Startup St. Bernard Challenge is open to any business that will:
Locate their base of operations to St. Bernard Parish for at least 2 years
Improve St. Bernard Parish
Actively participate in the St. Bernard Parish entrepreneurial ecosystem
To qualify, entrants must be in business for five years or less or be an existing business creating a new division or entity, have yearly revenue under $1,000,000, and have five employees or less. Past Startup St. Bernard cash winners and nonprofit organizations are not eligible to enter.
The “Shark Tank” style public event is open to any business that meets the entry criteria and is passionate about joining St. Bernard Parish’s growing business community. Previous winners have been 40 Arpent Brewing Company, Christie’s Dreams Seafood, Reactive Digital Systems, LLC, Clean Course Meals, Schmelly's Dirt Farm, CORE Louisiana Counseling & Recovery Center, and Glass Half Full.
Judges will score entries based on the quality of the business plans and how the startups will improve St. Bernard by creating jobs, investing capital into the parish, providing needed products or services to the region, and/or contributing to the growth of the core Startup St. Bernard sectors: creative digital media, cultural arts/cultural economy, health and wellness, advanced manufacturing/value-added manufacturing, logistics, and the seafood industry.
The application is now live at https://www.startupstbernard.com/.
HOW IT WORKS
Submit Your Business Plan Online
Entrepreneurs must complete the entry form and submit a business plan at www.startupstbernard.com by 12:00 PM noon CST on June 10, 2022.Committee Selects Finalists
An independent selection committee with business expertise will review the submissions and choose three finalists that will be selected to “pitch.”Finalists Pitch for a Chance to Win
Finalists will pitch their businesses to a panel of judges in a TED Talks-style presentation format. The live public event will take place on August 4, 2022.
Questions about the competition or entry criteria can be directed to contact@sbedf.org.
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About St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation
St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation (SBEDF) is the official economic development organization and public-private partnership of St. Bernard Parish formed to create and retain jobs, build prosperity, and improve quality of life. To learn more about SBEDF and how the organization works to foster business attraction, retention and expansion, neighborhood revitalization, small business assistance, and talent and workforce development in St. Bernard Parish, sbedf.org.
About The Meraux Foundation
The Meraux Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was established by Arlene Meraux to benefit the community of St. Bernard Parish by leveraging its landholdings. Today, the Foundation’s board of directors is presided over by Arlene’s niece, Rita Gue, and consists of members Floyd Gue, Bill Haines, Chris Haines, and Sidney Torres, III. Guided by Arlene’s vision, the Board is implementing an innovative strategy to create lasting change and build a better St. Bernard. The Meraux Foundation is a founding sponsor and organizer of Startup St. Bernard. More at merauxfoundation.org.