2025 Cougar Business Pitch Competition
Welcome to the 2025 Cougar Business Pitch Competition.
We look forward to reviewing your submission should you decide to compete.
The deadline for submitting your Business Pitch is Friday, March 28, 2025 at 12 pm (noon).
Late submissions will not be considered for this year's competition.
Eligibility
All undergraduate and graduate students enrolled during the 2024-2025 Academic
Year are eligible so long as they are in good academic standing with the university
and do not have any holds on their accounts. Students may submit individually or as
a Team. Team members must all be students at Columbus State University. Teams are
limited to four students. Students may only submit one entry for the competition individually or
as part of a team.
Prize Money
1st Place – $3,000
2nd Place – $2,000
3rd Place – $1,000
Honorable Mention - $250
- Was the problem/need clearly defined? Is it compelling?
- Does the proposed product or service effectively address the problem/need?
- How innovative and/or creative is the solution?
- Is there a clear value proposition supported by a good market assessment and clear competitive differentiation?
- Are the financial assumptions reasonable? Based on what was shown and/or your professional impression, can this business be financially viable?
- On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate the overall quality of the proposal and the presentation?
- To date, how much sales revenue has the business generated?
The judges will use their discretion to decide if an entry will be eliminated from the competition for not following the rules. The judges will contact four (4) finalists to present their business pitches in the Auditorium of the Synovus Center for Commerce and Technology. The decision of the Judges is final.
To enter the competition fill out the form below. Please provide all of the following information before submitting your Business Pitch to the Judges.
- Friday, March 28th - Students submit business pitch idea (Week after Spring Break)
- Monday, April 7, 2025 - Initial Screening - Select students to move forward in the competition.
- Wednesday, April 9, 2025 - Workshop for students remaining in the competition.
- Friday, April 11, 2025 - Students submit revised business pitch idea
- Monday, April 21, 2025 - Finalists Announced
- Wednesday, April 23, 2025 - Workshop for Finalists
- Saturday April 26, 2025 - Finals - Presentations are made to the judges.
Important Dates on CSU Academic Calendar:
- Spring Break - March 17 - 21, 2025
- Last class period before final exams: Monday, April 28th
- Final Exams – April 30, May 1, 2, 3, and 5
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Kirk Heriot