About

Open to all high school juniors & seniors

The goal of the West Virginia High School Business Plan Competition is to work collaboratively to move the state forward by engaging young minds to solve West Virginia's greatest issues. For the students, this competition provides the unique opportunity to make a business idea come to life with the support of state institutions of higher education and seasoned business professionals from around the country. The grand prize is one $10,000 scholarship to a participating West Virginia higher education institution. The competition is open to all juniors and seniors in high schools and career/technical centers in the state of West Virginia, and is free to enter.

The process extends through the entire academic year, culminating in April. The competition consists of two rounds. Feedback and instruction are given for each round, so it is not necessary to have any business background to enter. It is helpful to have team members with different areas of expertise.

Round 1:

Conceptual outline of a proposed business. Business concept will be submitted in the business plan form via ReviewR using the Lean Canvas Template. Ten (10) finalists will be chosen from Round 1 submissions.

Workshop:

Advancing teams will come together at the BPC Workshop (held at West Virginia University) to work with marketing, financial, legal, and business professionals. They will learn valuable information related to starting a business in West Virginia. This event is mandatory for all finalists and their coaches.

Round 2 - Final Competition:

Finalist teams are given comprehensive instruction and support in developing a business plan for their idea. They are provided with a business coach to mentor their team. Each finalist team submits a business plan to a panel of judges and then makes an oral presentation to the panel. The grand prize $10,000 scholarship is awarded to the winning team. The Final Competition will be held at the Charleston Convention Center.

Important Dates:

December 4, 2020 - Round 1: Lean Canvas due by noon (online)
December 22, 2020 - Finalists notified
February 26, 2021 - Workshop - online
April 6, 2021 - Final Business Plans due by noon
April 13, 2021 - Round 2: Finals