The Global Social Venture Competition (GSVC) is looking to launch the next generation of social enterprises by providing aspiring entrepreneurs with mentoring, exposure, and the opportunity to win $50,000 in prizes to turn their ideas into businesses creating real impact.
The competition began in 1999 by MBA students at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and each year, a global final is held at Berkeley in April. In 2012, the competition received over 600 entries from 50 countries.
Currently, the competition is looking for participants for the April 2013 final. The contest is run in partnership with universities and organizations from around the world. Teams will enter through regional partners based on where they are located. The deadlines for submissions vary, and the majority has a first submission deadline this upcoming December and January.
Each team must include a graduate business student from any business school or an individual who has graduated from a business program within the past two years. The competition is broken down into three parts: executive summary rounds, regional finals where teams deliver a full business plan, and global finals where teams deliver a revised plan and presentation.
Teams are eligible for the competition if:
- The venture plans to be financially sustainable and profitable
- The venture is early-stage (operating for no more than 3 years)
- The venture has a quantifiable social and/or environmental bottom line
- The venture is scalable long term
- The (recent) graduate business student is actively involved in the venture
Photo from the Global Social Venture Competition.