The 2024 John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition is co-hosted by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers and the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

The John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition contest is intended to support and champion early stage, scalable Iowa companies and create access to Iowa entrepreneurial resources. We encourage innovative, new ventures to participate. Judges selected by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers will review all submissions. Participants will be judged on the basis of their written submissions and, for participants who advance to later rounds, presentations to the judges. Judges will rank participants and, subject to certain limitations, the top three will be awarded. Prospective participants must read and comply with the rules of the competition set forth below to enter and participate in the John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition. The John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition is void where prohibited by law.

Eligibility

The John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition is open to participants who meet the following criteria:

• The plan must relate to an original idea for a business in operation for four years or less, or a business that is not yet cash flow positive.

• Businesses that are registered in Iowa and intend to scale in Iowa.

• Company officers/members are 18 years or older at the time of entry and are legal residents of the United States.

• Businesses can include, but are not limited to: technology, bio-technology, green technologies, medical, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and agri-products, engineering, and education.

• The business is not engaged primarily in retail sales, real estate, or the provision of health care or other professional services. "Professional services" include, but are not limited to, services provided by professions listed in Iowa Code Section 496C.2(4).

• Participants that previously have won a first, second or third place in this competition are not eligible.

• Company officer/members cannot be directors, officers, or employees of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, the Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers, or the Small Business Development Centers. The following are not eligible to participate in this Competition:

  • consultants or freelancers who do business with any of the above

  • immediate family members of any of the above

2024 Timeline

• Wednesday, March 13: Application opens. To compete in the John Pappajohn Iowa Entepreneurial Venture Competition, go to the YouNoodle website.

• Monday, May 13 at 11:59 PM: Step #1: Deadline for Initial Applications submitted to the YouNoodle Competition website.

• Friday, May 31: Notification to all companies on whether they were chosen or not to advance to the semifinal round.

• Monday, July 15 at 11:59 PM: Step #2: Deadline for Semi-Final Round to be submitted through YouNoodle Competition website and complete Publicity & Liability Release form.

• Friday, August 9: Notification to all companies if they are one of the 7 to 10 finalists. The finalist companies are contacted to schedule for presentations/interviews with the judges.

• Thursday, August 22: Step #3: Final Round: 7 to 10 finalists will be videotaped while presenting their Pitch Deck to a panel of judges at Iowa State University in Ames. Pitches will be followed by an Awards Luncheon where the top three companies will be announced.

Prizes

• ONE (1) $40,000 First Place Prize

• ONE (1) $25,000 Second Prize

• ONE (1) $15,000 Third Prize

• Additional Prizes totaling up to $20,000

All winners will be recognized on the website for the John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition. The winners will be announced at a luncheon immediately following the final round pitches on August 22, 2024.

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NOTE: There is no guarantee, expressed or implied, that any business will receive an award. If no entries into the competition meet the entry criteria, if the judges, in their sole discretion, determine that no entry has a reasonable chance for success, or if the judges determine no winner exists for that year of the competition, no award will be made for that year and the award money will be used for the following year's competition. The odds of winning a prize depend on the skill of the entrants and the number of entries received. All taxes associated with the prize are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. Prizes are not transferable.

Judging Criteria

Decisions will be made by a panel of judges consisting of a combination of representatives from the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers, Small Business Development Centers, Iowa Accelerators/Incubators, Iowa Business Council, and/or private equity firms (the "Judges").

• Judges will review all information submitted in connection with each application to the John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition. Judges will consider the following factors in judging the competition: The best business "plan" is one that contains the needed components to represent and execute on a viable end business model.

• Problem: What customer problem does your product and/or service solve?

• Solution: Please describe your product or service.

• Value Proposition: What benefits does your product or service deliver to your customers and how do these compare to those delivered by your competition?

• Customer Segments: Outline who your customers are and how you plan to reach them.

• Financial Potential: Describe any revenue to date and the financial potential of your business opportunity.

• Current Status: Describe your progress to date, milestones and next steps.

• Management Team: Is the team capable of taking this business to the next level? Are all aspects of the business covered with adequate expertise (R&D, marketing, sales, finance, operations, etc.

• Judges may disqualify any application they believe violates the letter or spirit of the competition guidelines.

• Judges will not sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) in connection with serving as judges or performing any other services for the competition. Participants are responsible for protecting their intellectual property.

• For the duration of the competition, Judges agree not to initiate a professional relationship with individuals or businesses participating in the competition. If a judge has an existing personal or business relationship with a participant, that judge will excuse him or herself from discussing, reviewing or voting on that participant and any submissions from that participant. Individuals and businesses are deemed to be participating until they have been eliminated or have withdrawn from the competition, or until the final prizes have been awarded.

• All decisions of the judges are final, including any interpretations of the rules or guidelines of the competition.