Students — New York Business Plan Competition

STUDENTS

The NYBPC is for current and future entrepreneurs

What to do next:

Sign up for our newsletter for the latest information
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Join us at the NYBPC Finals!

What’s in it for you:

Receive feedback from experts in their field
Potential investment opportunities
Experience delivering pitches

The New York Business Plan Competition will feature regional competitions in New York’s ten geographic zones – Capital Region, Central New York, North Country, Mohawk Valley, Finger Lakes, Western New York, Southern Tier, Mid-Hudson, New York City and Long Island - followed by a final, statewide competition.

The regional semifinals are hosted by local partner colleges and universities generally in March. The top two teams from six different industry/vertical tracks in each region are invited to compete in the statewide competition. The winners at all levels of the competition are selected by esteemed judges, including venture capitalists, angel investors, investment bankers, experienced entrepreneurs, and leaders from the business community.

APPLY TO COMPETE

JOIN THE NEXT GENERATION

The NYBPC is New York’s intercollegiate entrepreneurship competition that, since 2010, has provided a platform for training New York’s next generation of entrepreneurs and launched new ventures, commercializing innovations developed on college campuses across New York.

How it works

All students are invited to apply! This includes any graduate, undergraduate, and/or community college students enrolled part- or full-time in accredited New York colleges and universities during the current academic year. Students who graduate during the Fall semester are eligible to compete in the competition during the Spring semester. Exchange students are also eligible.

Students will fill out the application and will be contacted by their regional organizers for next steps. Apply here!

Regional competitions are hosted locally in March/April in all ten regions across NY state. The winners of these competitions move on to the statewide finals. Students are assigned to a regional competition based on the location of their school. All regional competitions follow the NYBPC rulebook and the rubric, but format and timing of the regional competitions vary.

Competing in the nybpc

Applications for the 2023-2024 NYBPC are now closed. Join us at the NYBPC Finals on April 25 in Albany to see the winning pitches - Register now.

Read the 2024 NYBPC Rulebook - The rulebook has everything you need to know about competing in the 2023-2024 New York Business Plan Competition.

Additional Resources:
2024 Judging Rubric
NYBPC Presentation Suggestions: Slide Deck Template
Executive Summary Template

Example Presentations:
RHM Innovations: Courtney Burris (University at Buffalo) + Brandon Davis Burris (University of Rochester), (2023 Grand Prize Winner, pitching at the NYBPC Finals)
Photonect: Juniyali Nauriyal and Sushant Kumar, University of Rochester (2022 Grand Prize)

2024 competition calendar

The 2024 New York Business Plan Competition will feature regional competitions in New York’s ten geographic zones – Capital Region, Central New York, North Country, Mohawk Valley, Finger Lakes, Western New York, Southern Tier, Mid-Hudson, New York City and Long Island - followed by a final, statewide competition with three rounds, leading to the Finals on April 25, 2024. Regional competition dates vary, but take place March - April.

Regional Competitions - vary by location:

Capital District: Submission Deadline: March 31 - Regional Competition @ HVCC: April 5 - website
- Regional contact: Jodi Mather, Danielle Blesi
Central New York: Submission Deadline: March 18 - Regional Competition @ SUNY Oswego: March 22
- Regional contact: Irene Scruton
Finger Lakes: Submission Deadline: March 18 - Regional Competition @ St. John Fisher University: April 2
- Regional Contact: Erin Sefca, Kathy Driscoll
Long Island: Regional Competition @ SUNY Farmingdale on March 29
- Regional contact: Kim Forman, Richard Vogel
Mid-Hudson Valley: Submission Deadline: March 24 - Regional Competition @ Marist: April 5 - website
- Regional Contacts: Cindy Worrad, Roberta Diggins
Mohawk Valley: Submission Deadline: April 1 - Regional Competition @ SUNY Poly: April 5
- Regional Contact: Robert Edgell
New York City: Submission Deadline: March 21 - Regional Competition @ Touro University: March 28
- Regional Contact: Gavin Goldstein
North Country: Regional Competition @ Clarkson University
- Regional Contact: Ashley Sweeney
Southern Tier: Submission Deadline: March 12 - Regional Competition on March 22 online
- Regional Contact: Nancy Almann, Emma Smith
Western New York: Submission Deadline: March 29: Regional Competition @ University at Buffalo on April 5
- Regional Contact: Hadar Borden, Kelsey Wagner

NYBPC Finals Competition - 3 Rounds:

Round One: (Asynchronous and Online)
April 9 @ midnight: Student deadline to submit materials for the state Finals.
April 10 - April 17: First round judges will review submissions.
April 17: Judges will deliberate and choose the top teams from each track to move onto Round Two.

Round Two: (Live and In-person)
April 25, 2024 in the Capital Region
- 9:00 AM-12:00 PM: The top teams from each track will pitch live to judges. Pitches will be eight minutes and followed by six minutes of Q&A.
- 12 PM: Track winners announced live. The top team in each track will move on to the Grand Prize Finals.

Round Three: Grand Prize Finals (Live and In-person)
April 25, 2024 in the Capital Region
Afternoon: The first place team from each track will pitch live for the NYBPC Grand Prize.

STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

NYBPC Student Ambassadors are top entrepreneurial students at each college and university across New York State! Our ambassadors are influencers on campus who are sharing entrepreneurial resources and spreading the word about the NYBPC.

If you think you could be our next NYBPC Student Ambassador at your campus, fill out the form below or reach out to bailey@upstatecapital.org for more information. Click here to view the Student Ambassador information sheet to learn more.

Learn more