Here are the stakes. Approximately 1,500 attendees from around the world will pile into Harvard’s 14th annual Social Enterprise Conference come February 2013. A total of $12,500 in prize money and consulting hours from leading social enterprise organizations are up for grabs. What’s the deal? The Harvard Social Enterprise Conference is hosting a Pitch for Change competition for new social enterprise venture ideas.
Up until January 20, 2013, individuals or teams are invited to participate in the competition by submitting a 1000-word proposal of an idea that will create significant social value in a sustainable manner.
The competition is intended for early-stage projects, meaning they must have had less than $25,000 in total revenues or donations since inception and have begun operations after January 1, 2012. They should also be operating independently of established organizations.
Ten semi-finalists will be invited to the Social Enterprise Conference for in-person pitches. The ten semi-finalists will go through several phases of judging, after which three will have the chance to pitch their idea to the full audience. The judges will then select a winner, runner-up, and second runner-up.
Last year, the winners ranged from ideas using agriculture to increase the self-sufficiency and health of Pacific Islanders to a cosmetic company that creates sustainable sources of income for the rural poor in Morocco.