Submission Guidelines

Global Final Round

Submission Guidelines

Please adhere to the submission guidelines below.

1. Business Plan Submission Guidelines

If you have been selected as a Global Finalist or SIA Finalist, you must re-submit your full business plan (including the team resumes) by April 6, 2010 to present on April 22 or 23, 2010 at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley. Please send in your full business plan to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) .

  • Business Plan must be limited to 25 pages in pdf format (typed and double-spaced, #12 Times New Roman font, and 1-1-1-1 inch margins, page size: 8 1/2 x 11 inches) of text, charts, and diagrams. Appendices are limited to 5 pages, which may include detailed spreadsheets and other appropriate appendices. Total plan length should be no more than 30 pages (a cover page, if included, will not be counted towards the 30 pages). 
  • Business plans should include the team resume booklet, wherein each individual’s resume should not exceed 2 pages in length. The resumes will not be counted towards the 30 or 25 page word limit mentioned above.
  • Within the financing section of the business plan, entrants must include an explanation of the offering to investors which indicates how much money is required, how it will be used, and how a deal might be structured, i.e., stock, debentures, etc. The team is not required to reveal its desired deal, although the judges may ask questions about it. Also, delineate the possible exit strategies. Detailed financial data should be displayed in spreadsheet form as an appendix. Financial data should include a cash flow statement, income statement, and balance sheet.
  • Business plans must include a Social Impact Assessment section. Please review the 2010 GSVC SIA Guidelines and access other helpful resources at the SIA section of our website
  • Business plan PDFs should be titled using the following convention: TeamName_GSVCGlobalFinals_BPlan.pdf.

 Your business plan will be judged not on the length of your submission, but on the overall quality, analysis and presentation of your business opportunity.

2. Presentation Guidelines  

Please email your final presentation slides to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) by April 20th 2010

  • During the Finals, each Finalist Team competing on April 22 will be given 15 minutes to present its business plan followed by a 10-minute question and answer session between the presenting team and the judges. Each SIA Finalist Team competing on April 23 will have 10 minutes to present, followed by a 5 minute Q&A session.  THESE TIME LIMITS WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED.
  • Only two members of the team may present. The MBA/graduate business school student MUST be one of the two presenters during the formal presentation of the plan. Additional team members, if present, may participate in the Q&A.
  • Equipment needs: the presentation room will be set up with a LCD projector and screen and microphone. You will not be allowed to use your own computer for the presentation. Any additional requirements must be coordinated with the school hosting the final (Haas School of Business at UC-Berkeley) three weeks in advance