The fifth annual business plan competition, sponsored by the Bard Center, is already in full swing with proposals being accepted through today, March 30. The past winners are only a few of the finalists who benefited from the more than $20,000 in cash awards and $20,000 in in-kind prizes each year since its inception in 2001. Runners-up and special categories also helped budding businesses establish their roots.

This year’s event, to culminate with the judging of six finalists and awards luncheon, offers more than $20,000 in cash awards and $25,000 in in-kind awards. From past experience, Alexander Bracken, Bard Center director, expects the 2006 competition to be more diverse and impressive than ever. “We’ve seen the quality of business plans improve with each competition,” he said. “Judging by the high-quality business plans we’ve received so far, we expect this year’s finalists to make the judges’ decisions even more difficult.”

Over the past half decade, the competition has broadened both its horizon and its scope, offering special incentive awards for the top bioscience and nonprofit business plans and inviting graduate students from not only the CU system, but all graduate programs across the state.

“We’ve made the competition more open,” Bracken explains.  “Our ultimate goal is to help new ventures get launched so we encourage graduate students and faculty from other institutions to submit business plans.”

David Moll, CEO of WebRoot software and keynote speaker for this year’s luncheon, joins a distinguished list of speakers for the event that has included Mayor John Hickenlooper (2005) and Noodles Inc. founder and CEO, Aaron Kennedy (2004). Moll was named an Entrepreneur of the Year for the Rocky Mountain region in 2005 by Ernst & Young. Webroot has received numerous company and product awards as well, including the Red Herring 100, Deloitte's Colorado Technology Fast 50 for Colorado and the Colorado Innovation Award from Celebrate Technology, several PC Magazine Editor’s Choice awards and many others.

The panel of judges who will examine and score the plans of the six finalists before and during the morning presentation includes: Chris Onan, principal of Appian Ventures, who also judged last year; Lee Kennedy, CIO of Webroot; and David Drake, director of the Fitzsimons Bio-business Incubator.

The presentation, from 8:30–11:45 a.m. June 14, is free. The luncheon, with awards ceremony and keynote address, is $50 per person. For a reservation or more information, call 303-620-4691, e-mail bard.center@cudenver.edu or go to www.cudenver.edu/bard.