Alabama State University News September 23, 2011 Business Plan Competition Open for Registration By Tina Joly The sixth annual Alabama Launchpad Business Plan Competition is accepting registration applications from Alabama businesses until Monday, October 10. Alabama businesses can now register for the sixth annual Alabama Launchpad Business Plan Competition. Designed to fuel development of Alabama's high-growth companies and to promote entrepreneurship, the competition is a joint project started by Alabama State University, Alabama A&M University, Auburn University, The University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Alabama at Huntsville. The program is for new, innovative ventures in the seed or early-growth stages, or for existing businesses moving into a new high-growth market. Students, faculty and alumni at the six state institutions responsible for creating the program also can enter the competition. Up to 25 teams will be admitted to participate. Accepted teams will be staged as pre-seed or seed-ready. The competition will offer participants unique opportunities to access sound business advice and critical startup capital. Prizes include: * Up to $250,000 in market assessment awards * Up to a $100,000 grand prize * Up to $100,000 in proof of concept awards. The application deadline is 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 10, 2011. Alabama Launchpad www.alabamalaunchpad.com is a program of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama Foundation (EDPA). SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.