Official Rules

Overview

The CSU-Pueblo Healy Center Entrepreneurship and Economic Development enthusiastically announces the Eleventh Annual Southern Colorado Entrepreneurship Competition which consists of a Student Business Plan Competition and an Adult Venture Capital Competition. The Student Business Plan Competition is open to any student enrolled from 3rd through 12th grade, and online entry is free, but registration and completion of certain forms is required. The Adult Venture Capital Competition is open to any adult who creates or has created a business in Southern Colorado and demonstrates a willingness to expand business operations. Entry for the Adult Venture Capital Competition is also free, but contestants must register and submit certain forms before the event. The competition intends to encourage entrepreneurial thinking and action in our region. All participants have a chance to win prize money and prize packages. Prize packages are redeemable under certain restrictions (See PRIZES section).

The grand prize for the Student Business Plan Competition is a scholarship to CSU-Pueblo that may be redeemed only when the winning student enrolls in business courses at CSU-Pueblo. Possible prizes for the Adult Venture Capital Competition include cash prizes, “in-kind” benefits (such as legal fees), and venture capital seed money or loans redeemable from the venture capitalists or banks when the entrepreneur officially opens the business, ultimately stimulating the economy in Pueblo County. Winners of any cash prizes in the adult competition must demonstrate intent to start their business by presenting a valid Employer Identification Number, which can be obtained when applying for a business license (fee is $50 at City Hall).

Eligibility and Submission Guidelines

Participants who meet the following criteria are eligible to enter the Student Business Plan Competition:

• Be enrolled in a Southern Colorado School, which includes, but is not limited to; District 60 (Pueblo City Schools), District 70, Schools in Colorado Springs, Canon City, Trinidad, Lamar, La Junta, home-schooled, charter schools, and online schools.
  • Employees, and family members of employees, of Colorado State University-Pueblo and any sponsor or partner are allowed to enter and compete if (1) they meet the aforementioned school eligibility criterion, and (2) this relationship is disclosed at the time of competition registration. Failure to disclose this relationship will result in disqualification of the entry.
• Be enrolled in the 2025-2026 school year.
  • Participant must be considered in good standing, or similar, non-probationary standing, at their respective institution(s).
• Complete registration on the website by March 6th, 2026.
• Follow “Rules of Submission” at (Website TBA) and submit business plan entries via electronic drop box through a link that will be provided on the healycenter.org website by March 13, 2026 by 11:00 pm MST.
• Registration is free for entrants in both student and adult division, but requires name, age, email address, mailing address, telephone number and respective school the participant is currently enrolled/attending. Entrants must also submit a completed W-9 and CSU Pueblo Vendor form.
• Each participant, as an individual, or as part of a group entering the Student Business Plan Competition must submit only one (1) business plan or business canvas model to the competition.
• FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (Grades 9 – 12), the entrant may register individually, or the entry may represent a small team of up to five authors. An individual can only enter the competition once, so if they are registered as an individual, they may not be included as part of a team, nor may an individual register for more than one team entry. Any group awarded prize money will have to split the cash price. Only individual entrants shall be eligible for any scholarship prizes. In the event that a team of two or more are selected as the grand prize winner all scholarships may be forfeited and only eligible to be awarded lesser cash prizes.
• FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS (Grades 3-8): the entrant may register individually, or the entry may represent teams up to the size of their entire class. An individual can only enter the competition once, so if they are registered as an individual, they may not be included as part of a team, nor may an individual register for more than one team entry. Prize distribution will be handled in the same manner is it is for High School Students.
• To be eligible for prizes, the student submission must be selected for finalist presentation and the student(s) must present their business plans to a panel of judges on April 18, 2026, at the CSU-Pueblo Life Sciences Building Auditorium. If a student is unable to present, they will forfeit their eligibility to claim a prize. In such an event, any prizes may be distributed to other contestants.
• Students enrolled in Grade 12 who turn 18 years of age on or before April 17, 2026, may elect to enter the “Adult” Division, but may not simultaneously enter both. This declaration must be made at the time of business plan submission. If the declaration to move to the Adult Division is not made, the default assignment will be to the Student Division, and may not be appealed.
• All work submitted must be the original work of the participant(s). It does not have to be an operating business and could be hypothetical however, submissions must not contain material that infringes on the intellectual property rights of others. Any submission that violates this rule will be immediately disqualified. 

Participants in the ADULT BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION: Each adult business plan submitted must list only one (1) author, to whom any and all prizes will be awarded. Up to six people may present on stage during the finale, including the author.

• For the Adult Division, entries must include a business plans for the business. Businesses may be start-ups (advanced business plan stage) or may be currently in operation, but must have been launched within the last three years from the contest date of April 17, 2026. (Businesses must have been started on or after April 17, 2023). Proof of start date shall be constituted by either a dated business license, or the date upon which an LLC is granted.
• All work submitted must be the original work of the participant(s). Submissions must not contain material that infringes on the intellectual property rights of others. Any submission that violates this rule will be immediately disqualified.

Participants who meet the following criteria are eligible to enter the Adult Venture Capital Competition:

• Be 18 years of age on or before April 17, 2026.
  • Employees of Colorado State University-Pueblo, and family members of employees, and any sponsor or partner are allowed to enter and compete if (1) they meet all other eligibility criterion, and (2) this relationship is disclosed at the time of competition registration. Failure to disclose this relationship will result in disqualification of the entry.
• Create a plan to open a business in Southern Colorado, or expand an existing business that has operated for less than three years.
• Register to participate on the website by March 6, 2026, and enter name, age, email address, mailing address, telephone number. Entrants must also submit a completed W-9 and CSU Pueblo Vendor form.
• Follow “Rules of Submission” and submit business plan entries via electronic drop box provided through a link on the healycenter.org website by March 13, 2026, by 11:00 pm MST.
• Each participant may submit only one (1) business plan to the competition.
• Each adult business plan submitted may list up to six partners, but any and all prizes will be awarded to only the first author listed.
• Businesses may be new ventures, or operating for not more than three years prior to April 12, 2025.
• All work submitted must be the original work of the participant(s). Submissions must not contain material that infringes on the intellectual property rights of others. Any submission that violates this rule will be immediately disqualified.
• Entry submission constitutes a good-faith interest in actually starting and operating the business described in the plan.
• To be eligible for prizes or possible venture capital funding, contestants must present their business plans, if selected for the final round, to the panel of judges on April 17, 2026, at a location to be determined. If the owner is unable to present, eligibility to claim a prize is forfeited. In such an event, any unclaimed prize or prizes will be distributed to other contestants or kept in an account to be used for next year’s competition. In order to claim any cash prizes awarded, winning contests must submit a copy of their Employer Identification Number (For a business operating in Pueblo, obtain a business license from the City of Pueblo City Hall Building, $50 fee. Visit: http://www.pueblo.us/516/Business-Licenses)
• It is the responsibility of the contestant to negotiate any and all terms of venture capital funding with the offering venture capitalist(s). Contestants are encouraged to consult with legal and financial professionals of their choice before signing any agreements with venture capitalists. An offer made during the live portion of the event constitutes a good faith offer, but is not legally binding until a contract between the venture capitalist and the entrepreneur is signed. Only contracts signed by all involved parties are legally enforceable.

Conditions for Participation

The Healy Center may use the prizewinner’s name, likeness, and other identifying information (such as hometown, school, grade, profession, etc.) in promotional materials relating to this year and future competitions.

• Finalists and winners (or their parents or guardians) will be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility, originality, and compliance with official rules, a liability release, and a publicity release as a condition to receiving their award.
• All taxes shall be the responsibility of competition winners. Prize winners will be required to submit a completed IRS Form W-9 and a CSU Pueblo Vendor form as a condition to receiving their respective award. Additionally, adult prize winners will be required to submit a copy of their Employ Identification Number, provided by a City or State governmental entity when registering your business – modest fee is typically required.
• If you are selected as a finalist for the respective competition, you will be required to give at least one practice pitch presentation to the Healy Center staff. This practice pitch will help refine your presentation, prop setup, and your business plan or business canvas model.

Past Winners:

Prizes

Prizes will be awarded based on entry into one of two divisions: (1) Student Business Plan Competition grades 3-12, and (2) Adult Venture Capital Competition. Students enrolled in grades 3-12 are automatically placed in the respective category and compete for prizes based on those categories. Twelfth grade students who turn 18 on or before April 17, 2026 may elect to compete in the Adult Venture Capital Competition (See ELIGIBILITY section). All others will be assigned to the Adult Venture Capital Competition category.

The top three (3) to five (5) business plans in the student division selected by the judges will present live on April 18, 2026, at the CSU Pueblo Life Sciences Building Auditorium. If for any reason, a designated contestant is unable to present, the contest managers have the option of substituting another contestant, or allowing the contestant’s position in the finals to expire, meaning that the prize will be forfeited and placed in a reserve account for next year’s competition. The top business plan presenters will compete for the prizes listed below. More prizes may be added before the competition date.

Student Business Plan Competition:

Grand Prize: $4,000 in a CSU-Pueblo Hasan School of Business scholarship. Scholarship is forfeited if competing as a team of two students or more. Scholarship may be redeemed only by the grand prize winner and is non-transferrable. In order to receive the scholarship, a student must enroll at CSU-Pueblo, be a business major, and accept the scholarship distributed at the rate of $1,000 per year, for up to four (4) years. To maintain eligibility for the scholarship, the student must be enrolled full-time, maintain minimum grade point averages as described in the applicable CSU-Pueblo catalog, and receive the scholarship distribution in four (4) consecutive years. Scholarship distribution eligibility will be revoked if the above criteria are not met.

• 2nd -$1,000 Sponsored by __TBA______
• 3rd -$500 Sponsored by __TBA______
• 4th -$250 Sponsored by ___TBA_____

Adult Venture Capital Competition:

The top five (5) or more business plans selected by the judges will present live on April 17, 2026, at the CSU Pueblo Life Sciences Building Auditorium. If for some reason, a designated contestant is unable to present, the contest managers have the option of substituting another contestant, or allowing the contestant’s position in the finals to expire, meaning that the prize will be forfeited and placed in a reserve

account for next year’s competition. The top business plan presenters will compete for the following prizes:

• Prizes may be offered in multiple categories, and each contestant has the opportunity to compete for possible venture capital seed money. Prize offerings and categories may be added. In the 2025 student and adult competitions, more than $14,000 in total prizes were awarded to contestants registered in the student and adult divisions. Current prize offerings:
• Venture Capital – Amount and terms negotiated with venture capital judges. Amounts could conceivably range from $1,000 - $250,000, or more. Venture capital is made available solely at the discretion of the venture capitalists.
• Additional prizes which may be added later in this package are subject to similar restrictions and announcements about prizes and possible restrictions will be made as prizes are added.

Judging

• A panel of judges will be comprised of, but not limited to, sponsors, business leaders, Pueblo entrepreneurs, educators, and Colorado State University-Pueblo administrators.
• All decisions are made by the panel of judges using criteria identified jointly by the CSU-Pueblo Healy Center. Criteria will be posted on the website and available for download by registered entrants.
• Before prizes are awarded, participants’ eligibility must be verified. If there is any information that deems the participant ineligible, the participant will be disqualified.
• Participants are required to present their ideas to a panel of judges in the final round.
• All judges’ decisions are final

Confidentiality Of Business Plans 

Business plans submitted are shared with screeners, judges, and venture capitalists. Reasonable precautions will be taken to ensure that only contest officials and their agents will view business plans, however, the event is live-streamed to the public, and confidentiality cannot be maintained. Contestants are strongly encouraged to retain their own legal counsel to ensure adequate protection of intellectual property, including, but not limited to patents, copyrights, and trademarks.

Venture Capital Opportunities/Legal Considerations

It is possible that a judge or venture capitalist may have a financial interest in a business proposal over and above the prizes available to the winners. This may include non-finalist plans submitted to either the Student Business Plan Competition, or the Adult Venture Capital Competition. To protect the intellectual property rights of any business plan writer entering the competition, it is incumbent upon the winners, or in the case of minors, the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the winners to negotiate with appropriate legal and financial counsel. A list of professionals available for consultation may be provided without prejudice to any specific counsel.

Miscellaneous Items

• Rules and Regulations subject to change at the discretion of the Healy Center Director Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, or the Dean of the Hasan School of Business.
• Your business idea may change over the course of the competition period, however, you may only submit your business plan entry one time. Be sure that your business plan is exactly what you want to submit, and that you are submitting your preferred draft. Once submitted, revisions and changes are not allowed unless discussed with Healy Center staff during the workshop period.
• Bribing Judges is NOT allowed. If you know a Judge, you are not allowed to ask for help and neither are they allowed to provide it.

Indemnity Agreement

By participating in any part of the CSU Pueblo Hasan School of Business Healy Center SOCO Entrepreneurship Competition, participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System, CSU-Pueblo, Hasan School of Business, CSU-Pueblo Healy Center, all SOCO Entrepreneurship Competition sponsors and partners, and all employees, agents and volunteers of the aforementioned entities, in any and all actual or alleged claims, actions, demands, or liability, including matters related to omission, negligence, incidents by personnel, loss of property, protection of intellectual property, privacy, or any other legal matter related to this competition. This indemnification applies to and includes without limitation, the payment of all penalties, fines, judgments, awards, decrees, attorney fees and any other related expenses associated with it.

Key Dates:

• March 6, 2026 – Last day to register for competition.  
• March 13, 2026, by 11pm MDT is the deadline for all entry submissions. Includes Business Plans, Presentations, W9 and Vendor Form. 
• Beginning March 13, 2026, the Business Plans will be evaluated and ranked. 
• March 16, 2026, entrants will be contacted if they are selected as finalists 
• TBA March 16 - April 10, 2026 presentation workshops individually scheduled. Individuals or groups may be required to attend more than one workshop to develop and refine their presentations. 
• April 17 & 18, 2026, the top ranking entries in each division will present live in front of the judges. 

Official site: https://healycenter.packsites.net/soco-competition

Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors and partners for supporting entrepreneurship in Southern Colorado.