How can I protect the confidentiality of intellectual property?
We are committed to preserving the confidentiality of every submission. Our judges are professional venture capitalists and business service providers who will treat the information contained in every business plan according to the highest professional standards of privacy. You should mark pages/documents as confidential, as appropriate.
All Big Bang! team members will sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) guaranteed by the Dean of the Graduate School of Management
I am not affiliated with UC Davis, but I want to participate in the Business Plan Competition. Can I still participate?Yes. We suggest you enroll in the Entrepreneur’s Exchange Program. They’ll connect you with a UC Davis student, alumni, faculty or staff member who might be interested in joining with you.
What type of assistance is available for contestants?Big Bang! provides contestants with workshops and expertise through the Entrepreneur’s Exchange Program., In addition, the Big Bang! organizers can direct you to additional resources, on a case-by-case basis.
Who are the judges and what are their backgrounds?Judges include professional venture capitalists and experienced managers from the Sacramento Valley and San Francisco Bay Area.
How big should a team be?Your team should be as big as is necessary to produce a polished and professional business plan. Typically, teams range from three to six members.
Can I be on more than one team?Yes, but the judges may regard this as lack of focus and commitment.
Who are our sponsors?Big Bang! has attracted support from top venture capitalists and corporations. Click here to see our list of Sponsors.
What are the benefits for competitors?Participants receive valuable lessons learned through the competition’s workshops, team interaction, interdisciplinary effort of writing the executive summary and the business plan, and networking with successful investors and professionals who serve the new business market. Top venture capitalists and angel investors, who mentor the semi-finalists during one-on-one sessions, carefully review plans. Winners will receive cash awards.
Online Resources
Check the Center for Entrepreneurship's Resources page for more help.
More help for writing your Business Plan
One of our judges gives a detailed description of what VCs expect to find in a business plan.
Additional information and resources for entrepreneurs can be found at Golden Valley Network.
Contestant Executive summary Checklist:
It is suggested that you address the following areas in your executive summary, for more details, click here.
Please consult the Business Plan Workshop Presentations if you would like more details.
- Summaries should be kept to 1-2 pages MAX
- Overview - business description and mission
- Market size, growth rate and opportunity
- Management team and organization
- Product(s) and underlying technology
- Competition and sustainable competitive advantages
- Market and Sales Strategy
- Financials and Projections
- Contact Information
Please be aware that any summary that does not clearly address these elements will be considered incomplete.
Top Ten Geek Business MythsVenture capitalist Ron Garret has posted a list of eleven (despite the title) common mistakes entrepreneurs with a technology background make.